Maintaining and dealing with carpet stains is a difficult job, instead of getting it cleaned by professionals, you can follow these steps to maintain your carpet.

Spot Treatment Solutions for Carpet Maintenance

Cleaning Solutions required can be easily found in your home and are usually safe and effective in most cases. When cleaning never pours the solution directly use a spoon, spray bottle, or damp the cloth with the solution to clean the area.

Some Solutions easily found in your Kitchen:

• Vinegar – Vinegar is 100% safe and effective with most of the stains. Mix vinegar with an equal amount of water to prepare the solution. Wine, Vomit, Urine, Ink, etc. stains can be cleaned with Vinegar. Just put the Vinegar solution on the stained area and let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then take a cloth and keep dabbing it till it’s clean.

• Detergent – Mix a tablespoon of liquid detergent with a tablespoon of cold water. Stains like Blood, Chocolate, Condiments, etc. can be cleaned with Detergent. First, scrape the particles by using a spoon then dab the stain with a solution and use Ammonia if it persists.

• Ammonia – A tablespoon of ammonia (household) into a half cup of water to prepare the solution. Oil/Grease, Tea/Coffee, Ice Cream, etc. can be cleaned with Ammonia solution and by dabbing. After cleaning with Ammonia solution use Detergent solution to clean.

• Oil Solvent – You can use mineral spirits, paint thinner, nail polish remover to clean the affected areas. You can clean stains like Paint, Shoe/Nail Polish, Glue, etc. they are the best choice for hard stains. Scrape away any hard particles with a spoon, dip the cotton in thinner and keep dabbing the stained area.

Things to keep in mind when cleaning the Carpet at home

• Moisten the fibers with the solution thoroughly with the affected area.
• Dilute the solution with cold water.
• Do not scrub or rub the stains, use a toothbrush with soft bristles if needed.
• Use white (cotton) cloth or rag and dab the affected areas repeatedly.
• Start with the edge and move to the center of the stain to avoid spreading.
• Always use a vacuum regularly to clean the dust from the carpet.

Precautions to take before Cleaning any Carpet

There are some precautions that you need to take before starting any Carpet Cleaning project as it requires the use of chemicals, and applying them can also worsen the stain instead of handling them and it can damage the Carpet also.

• Specialty Carpets like Silk, Antique, fine Persian rugs, etc. should be handled carefully when cleaning and if possible, should be cleaned by professionals.
• When cleaning you should also take certain safety measures as you will be handling chemicals that can harm your eyes, skin, lungs, etc.
• Before cleaning always take a test on a small part of the carpet.
• When drying you should keep in mind to let the carpet dry from both sides and let the air circulate, moisture underneath can result in molds and a foul smell.

How to know if a Rug Needs to be Cleaned

There are many ways you can know if a carpet needs to be cleaned. One way to know is by beating the carpet from underneath, if a large amount of dust is released then it indicates that cleaning is needed. You should also keep in mind that there will be always some small amount of dust and carpet fibers, it doesn’t mean the carpet is dirty or dusty.

Another way to know is by rubbing the carpet with your hand in a circular motion for about 10 seconds and if it causes your hand to be dirty then it is a sign that the carpet needs cleaning.

How to Maintain/Clean your Carpet

It is possible to clean your carpet on your own without the help of the professionals who usually cost hundreds of bucks to clean. Steps you need to follow to clean your carpet.

1. Firstly, you need to lift the carpet from the edge and shake it hard. Then hang the carpet and beat it with a rug beater. The vibrations will help to loosen the dirt which is rooted deeply in the carpet. You need to keep beating until there is no dust left on the rug.
2. Now, you need to lay the rug on the floor and pour some cold water, and wet the carpet thoroughly. Rub some cleaning solution that you can prepare by mixing mild liquid dish soap with water or you can also use detergent which doesn’t contain ammonia, you can also go for shampoos which are specifically made for rugs. For rubbing using a soft brush or a good quality sponge that doesn’t shed would be best.
3. Rub the carpet pile slowly and thoroughly with the solution that there isn’t any dust left and rinse the rug with clean water. Make sure that there isn’t any excess soap and dirt on the fibers, you also need to check the backside of the carpet that there isn’t any dirt accumulated. If there, wash away the dirt. If the carpet is still dirty repeat the process till it’s clean.
4. When the time to dry, use a rubber window or floor squeegee to remove the excess water. Start from one side to the other, repeat this process to get rid of all the water. Dry the carpet from both sides and put something beneath the carpet so that the air circulates thoroughly and if possible, hang the carpet.
5. When dry you need to rub the carpet with a soft brush to loosen the fibers as they get stiffened and vacuum the carpet.