In the article on Carpet washing we have presented several options for cleaning different types of flooring, but before choosing one of them you need to prepare your carpet for washing to ensure an excellent result.
Here are some steps that are a must if you want to have a clean and fresh-smelling carpet after washing it:
1. Vacuum
Thoroughly clean the entire carpet to remove as much dust and dirt as possible before giving it to wash. If your carpet has high hair, type "Shaggy", use a turbo-brush to pick up the hairs that are tangled in the fibers.
2. Pre-treat the stains
If there are heavily soiled areas or old stains on your carpet, try to remove them beforehand before giving the carpet a wash. Use a carpet cleaner or stain remover. Wait according to the instructions of the preparation and wipe the stain with a damp cloth or sponge, but without rubbing roughly. If you do not have expensive detergents on hand or you have small children, pets or people with allergies or asthma at home, here are some tried and tested home recipes that will remove all kinds of stains on your carpet - from red wine and coffee to ink and pastels.
- Beer or carbonated water - cleaning coffee or tea stains from the carpet may seem impossible, but with a little beer or carbonated water poured directly on the stain, you will literally "lift" it off the carpet. Rub the liquid lightly with a soft cloth or sponge and the stain should disappear. For drier and stagnant stains, you may need to repeat the process several times.
- Shaving cream - spray the cream directly on the stain and wait 30 minutes. Wipe it and spray the area with vinegar, dry with a damp soft cloth. The shaving cream copes very well not only with stains from juice and fruit, but also with stains from fats and oils.
- Vinegar - Vinegar is the superhero for stain removal and cleaning. Here are some homemade formulas with vinegar to remove stains:
- For lighter spots - lightly rub the stain with a solution of 2 tablespoons of salt and ½ a cup of white vinegar. Allow to dry and then vacuum;
- for larger and darker spots add to the solution and 2 tablespoons of borax and use in the same way;
- for hard, heavily soiled and old stains, make a paste of 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Rub the paste into the stain with a dry cloth, leave it on for two days, then vacuum it;
- for fruit stains or fruit juice mix 1 tablespoon of detergent with 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar and 2 cups of water. Treat stains with the solution and soak up;
for coffee or tea stains, combine equal parts white vinegar and water and wipe the stains;
- Cornstarch - ink on the carpet, no problem, a little milk poured on the stain would save you. Mix the milk with cornstarch until a paste is obtained, apply on the ink stain and leave to dry for a few hours, vacuum. Cornstarch works great with grease and oil stains - sprinkle the stains profusely, rub lightly and leave on for a few hours, then just vacuum.
- Baking soda - Of all the homemade cleaning recipes, baking soda is the best choice for quick cleansing of vomit or pet urine stains. Clean what you can, then pour baking soda on the affected area and pat with a paper towel. Allow to dry completely and vacuum. Soda will clean, disinfect and deodorize the contaminated area. Baking soda combined with an equal amount of salt will cope well with greasy stains. Sprinkle the stain and use a stiff brush to rub the mixture, leave for 4-5 hours and vacuum
3. Use baby wipes - they handle all kinds of stains and dirt perfectly. Removing stains can be a painful process, especially if they are dry and seeping into the fibers of the carpet. To remove these deep stains, use a toothbrush, rub in the cleaning agent (bleach, stain remover, vinegar, etc.) until the stains disappear.
MULTIGROUP Advise :
- Vacuum your carpets at least twice a week, and the areas most exposed to and at risk of contamination should be cleaned daily.
- Treat stains as soon as possible after receiving them. The longer you delay and the contaminant is allowed to soak into the carpet, the harder it will be to remove it.
- Do not rub the cleaning agent aggressively on the stain, because it lifts the stain from the carpet, and by rubbing you press and rub the stain back into the carpet.
- Be sure to test the homemade solutions on a small hidden spot on the carpet before applying it to the stains.
- Wash your carpets at least once per year