When you do kitchen remodeling, never lay aside the importance of your carpet flooring. Although carpets belong to the floor and are made basically to be messed up, it still enhances the beauty of the floor. That is one sorry fact a carpet owner needs to accept, willingly or otherwise. Others even restrict footwear on their carpet flooring, yet, their carpets still get dirty.
However, if you wish to keep your carpet flooring looking its best for as long as possible, there are easy and effective methods in doing it. And you only need to maintain a regular schedule of general carpet cleaning to ensure its looks and its cleanliness as well. It will even prevent the reproduction of germs and bacteria in your house, making it a healthier place to live in. Below are some helpful do-it-yourself carpet care tips.
General Carpet Care
• In choosing a carpet, pick one that has been treated with soil resistant chemicals. It is easier to maintain.
• Do not wait for your carpets to get really dirty. Vacuum it frequently to diminish its wear and tear, especially in high traffic areas.
• Use a vacuum with a better brush which can be either an upright or a cylinder tank with a power nozzle. The brush loosens dirt from the carpet fibers and makes it easier for the vacuum to suck the dirt away.
• Pick up any visible debris and small items on the carpet before you begin in vacuuming it. The hose or belt could get damaged if the vacuum sucks them in.
• Vacuum with slow, even and overlapping parallel strokes.
• Always start from the bottom and work up when vacumming carpeted stairs.
• To prevent discoloring of carpets, cover carpet areas around and under furniture legs and bases before polishing furniture.
• To prevent permanent stains and dark patches on the carpet, any spillage should be cleaned up at once.
• Deep-clean carpet at least once a year. You can either do it on your own using a commercial carpet cleaner following the instructions of the manufacturer or call a professional carpet cleaner.
• Definitely, an Oriental carpet has to be cleaned professionally because it usually has a hand-painted finish whose colors may run. You will need to hire carpet cleaning services for this.
• Indentations in the carpet can be raised by rubbing areas with the edge of a coin. Do so before wetting the carpet at cleaning time.
Removing Carpet Stains
• The rule of thumb is to treat any spill as soon as it happens, because difficult stains will leave unsightly marks if left to dry out.
• Liquid spills should be blotted out with paper towels or white cloth towel. Solid should be scraped away.
• Choose the stain remover which works best for your kind of carpet: acid (lemon juice and vinegar) for polyester and wool, and alkali (ammonia and borax) on cellulose, cotton, rayon and silk.
Treating Specific Carpet Stains
• Alcohol, soft drinks, fruit juices, wine - Blot the spill. Mix one teaspoon of liquid dish or fabric detergent with one quart of warm water and one teaspoon of white vinegar. Use this detergent-water-vinegar solution on the carpet. Rinse. Blot dry.
• Coffee, cream, ice cream, tea, milk - Treat as above mentioned, but apply a dry-cleaning solvent afterwards. Let the carpet dry and brush pile.
• Blood- Immediately apply cold water on the affected area before blotting. Repeat if necessary. If stain still remains stubborn, treat with coffee spills.
• Feces, urine and vomit - Scrape up or blot the spill, whichever is applicable. Apply detergent-water-vinegar solution, rinse and dry.
• Ball pen ink - Use a clean cloth moistened with dry cleaning solvent or paint thinner to rub the stain with. Work on it using clean areas of the cloth until the stain is gone.
• Candle wax - Cover with brown paper or paper towel. Run a warm iron over so that the wax melts and is absorbed .Work on it until no trace of wax is left.
• Chewing gum - Remove as much as you can. Then use a dry-cleaning fluid or paint thinner to remove whatever is left.
• Grease and oil - Dip a cloth ball in paint thinner and dab affected area. Blot dry.
• Mud - Allow it to dry, then vacuum off. Apply denatured alcohol on the residual stain, and then treat with detergent-water-vinegar solution. Rinse. Let dry.
Although carpet cleaning may not be the most enjoyable task in the home, you cannot afford to ignore it. It will prove to be more costly than a regular maintenance would if your carpet wears out prematurely. Believe me, it is worth your time and effort.
