How to Keep Your Carpets Clean - Simple DIY Tips From Experts

 

Carpets add style and a cozy ambiance to your home. However, you have to admit - it’s a bit of a pain to clean it. If you have pets and young children in the house, carpet cleaning can be a major ordeal.

 

Thankfully, there are effective carpet cleaning tools and techniques you can use to get the job done right and fast. It also helps to implement certain habits that can prolong the neat and tidy look of your carpets and rugs.

 

Here are 6 tips on how to keep your carpets clean without breaking the bank - and your back!

 

1. Invest in a good vacuum cleaner.

 

Every household with carpets and especially carpeted stairs needs a vacuum cleaner. But not just any vacuum - it needs to be suitable to the type of dirt or debris you want to remove. For instance, there are vacuum cleaners specifically designed to remove pet hair while others are good to use for general carpet cleaning.

 

Thus, you need to read the specifications of the vacuum cleaner in question. Be sure that all the features tick the boxes perfectly. By doing so, you can expect the best value for your money and get your carpet cleanup task done in half the time.

 

2. Make vacuuming a regular part of your routine.

 

Now that you have a powerful vacuum cleaner for your carpet, make it a point to use it a few times a week. In fact, it could be a little more often if you have long-haired dogs shedding a copious amount of hair each day.

 

We recommend that you go over every single spot on your rug up to 12 times for stubborn dirt and debris. Do the same in areas that receive heavy foot traffic since these are prime suspects for caked and deep-seated dirt.

 

If you need to vacuum more than twice a week, it may be practical to invest in a robot vacuum. This powerful device picks up the slack when you miss a hands-on vacuuming session or have too much on your plate to make time for carpet cleanups.

 

3. Clean before it gets worse.

 

This is a no-brainer tip if you’re wondering how to keep your carpets clean longer.

 

Naturally, the longer the dirt sits on your rug, the harder it is to get it out. Moreover, there is the risk of staining the carpet if that cranberry juice spill or muddy paw prints stay there for days or weeks.

 

Do not wait until your rug starts to look dull and caked with dirt before you pull the vacuum cleaner out of the closet. Keep in mind that the longer you wait, the tougher the cleaning experience will be.

 

And the worst case scenario - you may end up paying for a professional to get it cleaned up. That, or you may have to replace that rug because it has gotten so bad because of stains and what-not.

 

4. Clean the right way.

 

Let’s keep it real - stains are inevitable whether you have kids, pets, or just a houseful of adults pacing all over your beautiful carpet.

 

It could be a mishap with a Junior’s Kool-Aid spill, or your pooch had a little accident on the carpet… There are simply so many things that could go wrong and ruin the immaculate condition of your rug.

 

The initial reaction is to grab a towel and wipe that nasty thing off. Unfortunately, rubbing it hard may either make the stain look worse or not get it out at all. You will first need to pick up any debris to clear the area (i.e. shards of glass or pottery) before you wipe it with a stain remover.

 

For wet debris, you should soak the moisture up using the blot technique. Avoid rubbing or smearing to prevent the mess from spreading. In case the stain dried already, moisten the carpet fibers with a stain remover and blot once more.

 

5. Vacuum before and after you clean.

 

This technique works when dealing with soil on the carpet. The idea is to suck the large soil particles up using your vacuum first. Then, you can get your towel and carpet cleaning solution to remove smaller debris.

 

The last step here is to vacuum once more after wiping the carpet. Do this once your carpet has dried completely to pick up more dirt that got stuck on the surface.

 

6. Dry the carpet thoroughly.

 

It is never a good idea to get your carpet completely soaked during stain cleaning. Always remember that a wet and soggy carpet is a breeding ground for mildew and mold. You need to dry the rug well with fans, the AC, or by keeping the area well-ventilated to allow the carpet to dry. Some carpets dry overnight while others may take longer, especially if they are thick and very wet.

 

Wrapping It All Up

 

Many people dread the idea of cleaning their carpet because of how time-consuming and challenging it can get. However, it does not need to be a painful task as long as you know what you are doing. These easy and effective tips on how to keep your carpets clean should do the trick with the best results you want.