Or: “Help! My cat just urped in the front hall and my mother-in-law’s
coming over!”
Nobody likes a stained carpet. It makes you feel as if your whole house is
getting dilapidated, and you along with it, especially if the carpet is
light colored. Dirt, stains and smells make a terrible impression when
company comes over, and covering things up with throw rugs only goes so
far! Cleaning the carpet can lift your spirits and make the whole house
look and smell better.
If the carpet is very, very dirty, call in a professional home carpet
cleaning service. Be sure to find one that uses “green” cleaners; the
chemicals in ordinary carpet cleaners leave their own residue, and should
not be inhaled; they’re especially dangerous to children and animals.
Let’s assume that you want first to get rid of stains, then clean the
entire carpet. Again, it’s always better to use “green” cleaning methods,
especially if you have children or pets, so here’s a few simple
inexpensive recipes for cleaning stains.
Step One: Mix a few drops of ordinary dishwashing liquid into one cup of
warm water. Apply this to the stain with a soft towel. Don’t scrub, just
press it into the carpet and lift it out. Repeat as often as necessary. A
good idea, especially with pile carpets, is to put the towel over the
stain and put something heavy on it to blot up the stain, changing the
towel every half hour or so. If this recipe by itself does not work, try
adding a very small amount of Oxy-Clean — a teaspoon or less per cup of
water.
Step Two: When the stain is gone, mix a few teaspoons of white vinegar
with one cup of warm water and apply with another towel to rinse the area.
If you have a shop vac, the kind that sucks up water, this is the time to
use it gently. Let dry.
A good idea is to test these recipes in a corner to make sure they don’t
bleach or stain the carpet themselves, but it’s not likely that they will.
Some people report good luck with unscented baby wipes for removing carpet
stains of all kinds.
To get rid of red wine stains, employ the same method as above, but use
club soda. Some people also recommend this for blood stains.
Red fruit juice can be removed with a solution of about a teaspoon of
Oxy-Clean to one cup warm water. What may look like an impossible,
disastrous stain comes out as if by magic. If the stain is very stubborn
or you have deep pile carpet, use the towel and weight method described
above.
Blood and vomit stains as well as pet stains can be removed with Oxy-Clean
and water. Never use hot water on a blood stain, only cold. For removing
pet stains, first try the vinegar and water method; if that fails, look
for an enzyme cleaner at your local hardware or home improvement store. If
all else fails try a tiny amount of hydrogen peroxide in water.
Never put water on a Play-Doh stain; it spreads it. Let it dry and scrape
it up. Play-Doh stains can often be removed with white vinegar or
Oxy-Clean, if it comes to that.
Colored chalk should be brushed or vacuumed out, then wiped with a damp
rag.
Grass stains can be removed from practically anything with a paste of
salt, cream of tartar and a few drops of water. Put this on, let dry and
brush. Some people report good luck with toothpaste (not the gel variety),
or white vinegar.
A grease spill requires a different recipe; sprinkle straight baking soda
or cornstarch onto the stain and leave it there overnight, then vacuum and
use the vinegar and warm water method above to rinse.
Crayon, candle wax or gum should be hardened with an ice cube and scraped
off gently.
Again, with particularly tough stains or dirt, it’s best to let the
professionals handle it. Get a price quote from your local “green” carpet
cleaning company and keep their business card handy just in case.
Hints for Keeping Your Carpet Clean:
* Encourage your family and guests to remove their shoes at the front
door. Some people have “house shoes” to wear indoors only. This is an
excellent idea for keeping germs and bugs as well as dirt at bay.
* Before vacuuming, go over the carpet with a clothes brush to pick up
hair and lint that the vacuum cleaner may not catch (particularly if you
have pets, or have long hair yourself, and/or an older vacuum, where hair
may get caught in the rotating brushes). You may have read about “brushing
the carpet” in Victorian times. Getting down on your hands and knees to
brush a carpet is a good idea; it’s good exercise, plus you may catch
stains you wouldn’t see standing up.
* Vacuum frequently. Use a vacuum cleaner with good, strong suction,
preferably with a HEPA filter. Ask your local carpet cleaning service what
brand and type they recommend.
* You don’t need expensive scented rug fresheners or deodorizers. Sprinkle
the carpet with plain baking soda about half an hour before vacuuming to
absorb odors.
* Get a spray vacuum or a steam cleaner and use it every few months. (Your
local carpet cleaning company may actually sell these and show you how to
use them; they are a wonderful investment.) Don’t use commercial rug
shampoo; this leaves chemical residue in the air and in the carpet. Use
straight hot water, or mix one cup white vinegar to two gallons of water.
If you must use a shampoo or detergent, find a “green” variety and use it
sparingly. You’ll be amazed at how much dirt you get out of what looks
like a clean carpet!
* Always open the windows and turn on the fans after cleaning the carpet;
ventilation and fresh air are a must.
* Don’t spray-vacuum or steam clean on humid days; it encourages mold.
Unless you don’t mind opening your windows in winter, don’t spray-vac or
steam clean carpets in the winter, either. Save it for your spring
cleaning and just vacuum more often.
Apply these techniques regularly, and your whole house will look, feel and
smell better. Good luck!
Tags: Carpet Cleaning, Carpet Cleaning Service, Green Carpet Cleaning, Pet Stains, Residential Carpet Cleaning