How to Properly Clean Your Carpets

Carpets are great for your home because they can help cushion falls, help with noise levels, act as a natural insulator. Carpets are also a great way to add color, pattern, and texture to your home.

Caring for your carpets is important to keep them clean and looking like new. You should regularly vacuum, roughly every few days, and if you have pets, you may have to vacuum more often. Generally, you should vaccuum once a week per person in your household or roughly 20 pounds of pet. For example, if a couple lives with two small dogs, they should vaccuum three times a week.

Along with vacuuming, you should also thoroughly clean your carpets every 12 to 18 months. Check out these tips for spot cleaning and maintaining your carpeting.

Spot cleaning

• Blot fresh stains with a dry, white cloth. Make sure it’s white because cloths with patterns or have been dyed may transfer to your carpet.
• Choose the right cleaner and spray on top of the stain. Make sure to do research on the best cleaner for your stain and carpet type. 
• Make sure to test the cleaner product on a small inconspicuous part of the carpet. This will determine if the product you choose is safe to use. You want to make sure that no dye comes off your carpets and that the cleaner doesn't leave a stain.
• Apply a small amount of the cleaner to the cloth and blot the stain. 
• Use a clean cloth with water and soak up any remaining soap.

Another spot cleaning method

• Simply spray the spot with a solution of one-part vinegar to two-parts water. 
• Lay the damp rag over the spot.
• Iron the spot with the steam setting for about 30 seconds. If the stain remains, repeat the steps. 

Renting a cleaner

• To prepare to shampoo your carpets, you need to prepare the room. If you can, remove all the furniture. For bulky or heavy furniture, place plastic under the legs of the piece to protect it from water damage. 
• Make sure to vacuum thoroughly. Vacuum forward and back and then left to right. Make sure to spot-treat any stains. Shampooing your carpet will remove grime but the heat can also set stains. 
• Prepare the cleaning solution according to the directions on the bottle. 
• Once you rent one, make sure to start cleaning in the farthest area from the door and work your way out. You don’t want to trap yourself in a corner.
• When you’re using the cleaner, make sure to take off your shoes and just wear clean socks.
• Make sure your room is well ventilated. Make sure the carpet dries completely, which can take six to 12 hours.

Hire a professional cleaning service

• Steam cleaning. To steam clean, you need hot water, a machine and detergent. But this method you have to wait for your carpet to dry. With professionals, they tend to dry quicker.
• Dry extraction. A dry extraction means that they will use a dry absorbent compound over the carpet and then it gets vacuumed up by the cleaning machine. These tend to be a bit more expensive.