Carpet Care Guide
If you’ve just invested in a new carpet then the last thing you want to do is ruin it by not cleaning it properly. That’s why we have put together this care guide so that you can keep your carpet super comfy underfoot without worrying about that feeling fading any time soon. We’ve compiled expert tips to help you get the most of your carpet, keeping it clean, fresh and free of bacteria. Whether you need to know how to remove a stain, do a deep clean or just some general tops we have you covered right here!
General Rules To Keep Your Carpet Clean
DO
- Vacuum regularly
- Rotate furniture often
- Keep pet's nails trimmed
- Stop pets clawing at carpet
- Put doormats and rugs by doors
DON'T
- Rub Stains
- Pull at loose tufts of carpet
- Over wet the carpet when removing stains
- Use chemicals unless 100% carpet safe
- Use bleach unless it's 100% plyproylene
How To Correctly Remove Stains From Your Carpet
Many of the mark or spot stains that you will get on your carpet can tend to be cleaned with normal household items that you will already have such as dishwashing soap, vinegar and baking soda.
Water soluble stains such as drinks tend to be treated well by detergent-based cleaners. For these we suggest 1 tablespoon of washing up liquid with around 400-600ml of water, you can either blot this on to the soiled area or spray it on.
For more aggressive stains, using ammonia or vinegar is best. Both are effective cleaning agents that help break down grease, while the acid helps dissolve many other stains i.e wine.
Vinegar should always be diluted to use as a cleaner but how much will depend on the type of vinegar and how bad the stain is.
Cleaning blood stains has a golden rule, always use cold water! Warm water will make it clot and smudge.
- Blot up as much fluid as you can. If the blood you are trying to clean is dry then break it up with something like a toothbrush to try and remove as much deposit as you can.
- Mix half a spoon of dish soap with 1 cup of cold water. (double this ratio if you need more)
- Dab the mixture onto the stain with a clean cloth, taking extra care not to rub the stain into the carpet. You can also spray the mixture on to the carpet to wet the area before dabbing.
- Keep sponging and you will see the stain getting lighter and eventually it will fade away.
- any stubborn residue can be rid of using ammonia diluted with water or a stronger carpet stain remover but do not mix with bleach!
- Dab up as much as you can from the spill using a paper towel or clean cloth.
- Keep dabbing (do not scrub) until no more stain is transferring to the cloth.
- Repeat this step with water to remove any residues.
- If the stain still remains then use vinegar with a 1:1 ratio with water and dab at the stain.
- If needed then repeat the process.
- Soak the stain in cold water. This will moisten the dry stain, leaving it more likely to come out.
- Blot with a paper towel to pick up the excess water. The carpet should be damp, but not too wet.
- Apply lemon juice directly to the stain. You can either squeeze the juice directly from a lemon, or use a pre-bottled lemon juice product. Soak the stain thoroughly, so that the acidity begins to act upon the wine stain.
- Scrub the stain with table salt. As the lemon soaks into the fabric, shake salt onto the area. Use your fingers to massage the salt and lemon into the stain. Work the salt in from the front and the back of the stained area for better results.
- Rinse the stain in cold water before blotting it dry with a towel, massaging it as you go, paying special attention to the stained area.
- Add more lemon juice to the stain and leave to dry. If you’re in a part of the house where you can allow sunlight to hit the stain, the UV rays make for a natural, fabric-safe bleach.
- Scoop up any excess product from the dropped makeup to avoiding seeping any more into the carpet/
- Spray or blot the area with a mixture of lukewarm water and washing liquid – you may need to let it sit depending on the type of makeup.
- Blot the area with a clean cloth or towel until there is no more product left.
- You can try gentle make up removers but be careful with this, we always suggest doing a test patch first.
