Carpeting is beautiful, comfortable and a great way to increase the warmth of a room. But, like any flooring, it can wear out over time if not cared for properly.
Address spills right away and clip snags as soon as you see them. These simple tips from the experts at Hamernick’s Interior Solutions will help keep your carpet looking and feeling its best!
1. Clean Your Carpet Regularly
Carpet is both luxurious and cozy, but it requires regular cleaning to keep its appearance. If you’re not removing dirt and dust from your carpets on a regular basis, they’re likely to lose their color, become dingy and smell bad. Here are a few carpet care tips from the experts to help you maintain the look and feel of your carpets:
Vacuuming your carpet is essential to keeping it clean. A good vacuum sucks up all those tiny particles that can get ground into your carpet fibers and wear away at the material. Aim to vacuum your carpeting at least once per week, and more often if you have pets or children. Also, consider giving your carpet a professional cleaning at least twice a year.
Stains and spills are inevitable with kids or pets, so make sure you address them as soon as they occur. The longer a stain remains on your carpet, the more likely it is to set in and be permanent. Use a spot cleaner that’s appropriate for your type of carpet, and always test any solution on an out-of-the-way section before applying it to the whole area.
Even if you’ve kept up with regular vacuuming and spot treatments, your carpet may still begin to odorize. A good deodorizer should eliminate unpleasant odors and leave your carpet smelling fresh and clean. You can find a variety of products at your local hardware store that can be used to remove unwanted smells from your carpeting, but it’s usually best to hire professionals for a full-scale professional deodorizing job.
Dirt can collect in your carpeting and cause a variety of health problems, including breathing difficulties and rashes. Having your carpets cleaned regularly will eliminate this unwanted debris and keep your family healthy.
Aside from making your home or business look beautiful, regularly cleaning your carpet will also prolong its lifespan. By having your carpets professionally cleaned on a regular basis, you can prevent discoloration and fading caused by sunlight and foot traffic, which will keep your floors looking like new for years to come.
2. Remove Stubborn Stains
Whether it’s from kids, pets or just plain clumsiness, most of us deal with stains on a regular basis. The sooner a stain is addressed the better as most can be removed with quick and easy home redemdies.
For example, if your carpet is covered in wax or oil spills, try a simple mixture of water and dish soap. Safe for wool blend carpets, mix a cup of room temperature water with a few drops of liquid dishwashing soap and apply to the stain. Using a clean cloth, gently rub the area. This will break up the stain and allow it to be sucked up by your vacuum.
Another common stain is coffee or tea. For this, a healthy pour of club soda and blotting with a cloth should remove most if not all the blemishes.
If your carpet has been stained by food, a bit of hydrogen peroxide may be all you need. However, make sure you use a light colored cloth because it will bleach the color of the carpet.
Other stains, such as blood, can be difficult to remove without professional cleaning. However, you can try to make the stain disappear with a little baking soda and vinegar. Sprinkle a layer of baking soda over the stain and mix together a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water, then spray the mixture over the area. The mixture will foam when it hits the baking soda which will help lift up and remove the stain.
Old stains are a pain and can really take away from the overall appearance of your house, especially if they are located in high traffic areas. While these stains can be very stubborn, you can try several different homemade solutions to help them fade or even come out completely.
For general stains, Tarbox says you can often remove them with ordinary shaving cream. Apply the shaving cream and leave it to sit for about 30 minutes before rubbing it in with a dry, white cloth. If that doesn’t work, try spraying the area with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water.
3. Make Your Own Deodorizer
If you live in a humid climate, your carpets can collect mildew and lingering odors. Bad smells in the carpet aren’t just a nuisance, they can lower indoor air quality and contribute to respiratory illnesses. Thankfully, you can get rid of the stink without toxic chemicals by using a natural deodorizer. There are several ways to deodorize your home’s carpeting, including powders and sprays.
The simplest way to deodorize your carpet is with plain old baking soda. It’s inexpensive, nontoxic, and works wonders on bad odors. Sprinkle some on your carpet and vacuum it up; you can also use it on rugs, chairs, couches, and other fabrics. For a more potent deodorizer, combine baking soda with borax. Borax is even more affordable and nontoxic than baking soda, plus it packs a serious punch against bad odors.
Another great natural carpet deodorizer is made with essential oils. This product from Good Natured Brand is a natural, eco-friendly option that’s formulated with all-natural ingredients (like baking soda and essential oils) that are safe to use around kids and pets. It’s effective at tackling pet urine odor, but also works well on mold and mildew. Just sprinkle the powder on the soiled area, leave it for about five minutes to work its magic, then vacuum it up.
You can also make a homemade spray for your carpets using baking soda and cornstarch. Combine the two ingredients and add your favorite essential oil. Pour the mixture into a small jar with a shaker lid and use it to freshen up your carpets as needed. For example, if you have a smoker in the house and your carpets have that bowling alley or dive bar scent, just give them a light spray with this DIY formula and let it sit.
Keep your carpeting and other upholstered furniture in Birmingham, AL, clean and smelling great by following these tips. Vacuum regularly to ward off odors, and be sure to open the windows when possible. A clean home is a happy one! The experts at CarpetMasters can help with any questions or concerns you have about your carpeting. Call us today to schedule a consultation!
4. Remove Dents
When furniture leaves a dent in your carpet, you have several options for how to fix it. The simplest option is to simply vacuum the area, but this can be difficult with deep or stubborn dents. Another option is to try using a steam iron or a plunger, but this can be difficult and sometimes damage the surrounding carpet. Fortunately, there are also some simple home remedies that can be used to remove these dents and help your carpet look new again.
The ice cube trick is perhaps the most popular hack for getting rid of carpet dents and usually produces solid results. This method involves placing a few ice cubes (or as many as you need to fill the divot) on top of the dented section of your carpet. Leave them there for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours (for bigger dents) so the ice can melt and swell up the carpet fibres. When the ice has completely melted, use a towel to blot away any excess water and then massage the carpet with a spoon or other flat object to raise the suppressed fibres and fluff up your carpet.
Another great way to get rid of furniture dents is to rotate your furniture regularly and shift the pressure that is put on certain areas of your carpet. This will prevent permanent dents from forming in particular spots and keep your entire carpet looking great! You can also purchase carpet pads that are designed to absorb the weight of your furniture and protect the fibres from excessive wear and tear.
For a more involved approach to removing dents, try pouring boiling water over the affected area of your carpet and allowing it to sit for a few minutes. This will loosen the fibres and make it much easier to fluff them back into place. You can also try spraying the area with a water bottle filled with distilled water, being careful not to oversaturate the carpet. If you don’t have distilled water on hand, use a distilled vinegar or white wine spray to dampen the area and let it sit for a few minutes.