Carpet Cleaning Tips- Removing Stains

While there has been a rise in homeowners switching to hardwood floors many people still prefer the look and feel of carpet.  Carpet sales outstrip wood flooring sales almost 4:1 and this trend shows no signs of stopping.

Carpet does, however, take more work to maintain that wood flooring.  This can especially be the case if you have children, dogs, cats, or a lot of foot traffic by people who do not remove their shoes upon entry.  Spots and stains will occur on a regular basis and unlike hardwood you will have do a little bit more than take a paper towel and wipe them up.

As the owner of a local carpet cleaning business in Olympia I have been asked by many customers the same question: what is the best way to keep my carpets looking good between getting them professionally cleaned?

MaryJaneGood question.  Here are the answer.  Treat spots as soon as they happen and do not allow them to settle.  How can you do this?  Read on for the explanation.

Do Not Use General Purpose Cleaners on Your Carpets

These chemicals do more harm than good and can ruin the fibers in your carpet.  They are made with lots of detergents and make your carpet more sticky than anything.  There are products that are manufactured just for the sole purpose of removing annoying spots from your carpet.  They can usually be bought from specialty cleaning stores.  Use those instead.

When Cleaning Up A Spill, Blot It, Do Not Rub It

So you have the right chemicals but do you know how to use it.

Make sure you blot a spill, no matter what it is, with a towel.  Make sure the towel is white (if possible) and made from cotton.  Do not rub the spot.  This is make it spread and will easily turn a small spot into a large one.

Here is the process. Mix the carpet cleaning stain cleaner with hot water. Blot the stain with it.  Get another towel but leave it dry.  Blot the stain.  Repeat until the stain is gone.

Woolite works really good on wool.

Whatever you do, please, do not attempt to use any bleach or Oxyclean.  This will cause permanent damage.  If one of your pets caused the stain, usually by urination, you will have to add some type of deodorizer in which your carpet cleaning stain removal chemical.

Stains are the largest items that make carpets look old.  If you make sure you clean stains right away, use the right process, and vacuum your carpets daily then you will end up with nice and clean carpets.

Keep in mind that it is a good idea to get your carpets cleaned every six months if you afford it to minimize dirt and bacteria but at the very least you should get it done once a year.

Author:

This article is written by a professional Olympia carpet cleaner who is passionate about household cleaning and maintainance.  Too many homeowoners, men and woman, are ignorant about basic things they can do to keep their carpets, furniture, and overall interior in great shape.  Hopefully articles like these make a different.  You can also access this other article about cleaning carpet stains here.

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