How to Clean a Carpet

How to Clean a Carpet

If you’ve been wondering how to clean a carpet or a rug, you aren’t the first. It’s a rare house that doesn’t have some type of carpet or rug, and unless you’re the cleanest person alive, it’s likely that you’ll eventually need to clean them.

Carpets and rugs easily collect dust and crumbs, but sometimes, they become unfortunate targets for liquid spills, kid- and pet-related messes, and tough-to-remove stains. Whether you’re trying to get food, paint, blood, urine, or some other type of slime out of your carpet or rug, you definitely have multiple options. 

The cost of carpet cleaning can be substantially lower when you DIY, but if you’re going to do it, make sure you follow the best methods for your particular stain.

 

How Often To Clean Your Carpet

You should vacuum your carpet at least once per week (depending on foot traffic in your home and other factors, like pet dander). We recommend deep cleaning your carpet every few months, up to 6 times a year. Don’t want to spend the time toiling against your carpet? Hire a Tasker for carpet cleaning instead!

Tools Needed For Carpet Cleaning

There are some essential tools for carpet cleaning, including:

  • Vacuum
  • Carpet Cleaning Solution
  • Defoamers
  • Air Scrubbers
  • Stain Removers
  • Carpet Rakes

How to Clean a Carpet in 6 Easy Steps

Now that you know all the different tools, solutions, and machines available for carpet cleaning, it’s time to get to work. If you’re wondering how to clean a rug also, realize that the below strategies can be adjusted or repeated for that situation. 

  1. Move furniture (if necessary). Sometimes, a nasty spill might trail under your furniture. If this is the case, move the furniture so you have enough space to clean your dirtied carpet or rug.

 

  1. Clean up the initial mess. When something initially spills onto your carpet—whether it’s paint, your kid’s toy Slime, or a broken pen’s ink—you’ll have to first clean up whatever you can. This might mean picking up solid (yet potentially staining) bits by hand or using old rags to sop up liquids. Depending on what made the mess, you may want to run your vacuum over the dirtied spot to make sure you’ve cleaned up as many of the removable elements as possible.

 

  1. Test your spot cleaner. Before using any product on your rug, make sure to test it in a hidden area of the room. If you’re using a new product, it’s always best to make sure it doesn’t negatively affect your carpet or rug before you use it in a prominent area of the room.

 

  1. Pre-treat with spot cleaner. If you catch a mess quickly enough, you may be able to prevent a stain by immediately applying spot cleaner, letting it sit, and thoroughly wiping or blotting the area. If you’re unsure how to clean carpet by hand, just follow the instructions on the spot cleaner’s packaging. Repeat as needed until the stain goes away, or move on to the final step.

 

  1. Shampoo or steam clean. While most experts prefer steam cleaning to shampooing, either one can be your last step when it comes to DIY carpet cleaning. Make sure to follow the directions on whatever machine you’re using, and make sure as much moisture as possible is vacuumed off the carpet before you let it dry. 

 

  1. Move the furniture back into place. Once your carpet is clean, let it dry thoroughly before moving any relocated furniture back into place. 

 

How to Steam Clean a Carpet or Rug

If you don’t already own a steam cleaner, the prospect of using one can feel intimidating. While steam cleaners do have a suction component, they’re not the same as vacuums, so it’s important to know the difference. They’re also quite similar to shampooers these days, so depending on your machine’s instructions, you might be able to repeat the below steps for shampooing.

  1. Pre-treat the stain you want to clean. Most steam cleaning techniques start with pre-treating the affected area. Spray the cleaning solution on the stain, and let it sit for as long as directed before blotting it up with an old rag.

 

  1. Fill the steam cleaner’s tanks. Typically, steam cleaners have a tank for hot water, another for detergent, and a third for dirty water. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for filling both of these tanks. Note that some also may require a defoaming agent, which can help prevent dirty water from overflowing onto your carpet. If you want a 100% natural alternative to detergent, you could also try mixing half water with half white vinegar.

 

  1. Begin steam cleaning. Using long, slow pushes and pulls, run the steam cleaner over your carpet. Like many similar shampooing machines, steam cleaners may require you to press a button to activate the vacuum portion, which sucks up the dirty water containing the loosened dirt or stains. Be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions!

 

  1. No, really—move slowly! This is not your traditional vacuum. Because steam cleaners require time to break up heavy stains and suck up the resulting mix of water, detergent, and dirty water, take one step roughly every two seconds when performing the clean. 

 

  1. Let your carpet try thoroughly. After vacuuming up as much moisture as possible, let your carpet dry thoroughly. Keep the floor clear of all objects, and keep shoes off of it. You can also set up box fans, switch on ceiling fans, or open windows to help the area dry faster. This will help prevent mold and mildew.

As you can see, there are many things to consider when removing stains from a carpet. The good news? If you’re also wondering how to remove odors from carpet, most of the above methods will take care of that, given that odors typically arise from spills, stains, and years of wear and tear. If you treat your carpet or rugs well, they can and should last for many years. 

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