Dirty carpets and carpets that need repairs happen to everyone. You can spend a lot of time taking care of your home and your carpets and still need some tips on how to repair or maintain the carpets in your house. It’s just the nature of the beast when it comes to house cleaning.
Carpets are subject to being walked on, spills, messes from pets or kids, and a whole host of other abuses that you may have to quickly fix. When it comes to stains or tears you likely don’t want to waste time figuring out what to do. With that in mind, stick around and keep reading.
Whether you’re living in Littleton and looking for carpet cleaning tips or wondering about carpet restoration tips way across the country, there’s always something you can learn. If you don’t need the tips right now you can keep them in mind for the next time a carpet cleaning emergency (like a red wine spill) and need to act quickly.
1. An Iron And A Towel Can Get Out Set In Stains
This is a pretty simple trick to use and it’s meant for those times when you just couldn’t get to the spill or mess fast enough. If you’ve already tried everything you could think of to get out that stain, there’s still hope. Don’t stress too much yet.
There are a few things you’ll need to make this work for you. First of all, you’ll need to make sure your carpet is vacuumed, especially in the affected area. This will remove all possible loose dirt from the stain and give you a head start.
You’ll also need some vinegar and water, a towel you don’t mind getting dirty, and of course, your iron. Soak the towel in a mixture of 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar, then use that to dampen the set in stain. Once the area is wet go ahead and set the whole towel on top of the stain itself. Place your warm iron over the towel and the stain will lift out of your carpet into the towel.
If you have to you can repeat this a few times. The stain should get lighter each time you use this trick until it’s gone completely. If you don’t have vinegar on hand (or just don’t like the way it smells) you can do the same thing with peroxide instead. Just use caution with peroxide and dark colored carpeting. It could bleach the carpet in addition to removing the stain.
2. Use Ice For Deep Dents
This is more about repairing the damage done from heavy furniture or something else resting in the same spot on your carpet for a long time. Those dents can be annoying to look at, hard to get out, and if you leave them alone your carpet fibers can wear down more easily meaning you have to replace it sooner.
The solution for dents is pretty simple. Allow a few ice cubes to melt on your carpet into the dent. After the area that’s dented is wet, use a soft towel to soak up the water. While you’re soaking up the water remember that the area underneath the towel is still going to be prone to going back to being matted or dented. Press gently while soaking up the melted ice.
3. Use Sandpaper To Repair A Burn
Sometimes burns from cigarettes or other small things can happen no matter how hard you try to keep your carpets in pristine condition. If you have a burn mark that’s really bothering you try using a very fine grit piece of sandpaper. Gently buff (or sand) the burn mark and vacuum up the residue that results from your endeavors.
If there are still a few burned strands you can snip them out carefully. It’s unlikely to be very noticeable unless you’re cutting a huge patch of carpeting. You can also use a solution of one part water to ten parts peroxide (With the same caution for dark colors that you read about earlier) on a washcloth to dab away scorch marks.
4. Use Baking Soda To Freshen Your Carpet
Yes, you can buy carpet fresheners at the store but you can also mix one up on your own. This is a great trick especially if you have kids or pets and want to avoid using harsher chemicals. You can use baking soda on its own or mix it with your favorite scents of essential oils. Go for about 10-12 drops of essential oils while mixing up your solution.
You can eyeball how much baking soda you’ll need based on the size of your room. Sprinkle the mixture over the carpeting you want to refresh and let it sit for about fifteen minutes. Once you’ve let it sit you can vacuum it up. Your room will smell amazing and the carpet will look great.
5. Deep Clean Your Carpets Every Few Months
Make sure you’re not skipping this tip, even if it’s not a fun thing to do. If you don’t own your own steam cleaner, it’s easy to rent one at a local grocery store. Either way, this tip really is important. Not only will it help you extend the life of your carpet, but it can help make sure you have to have your carpets cleaned by a professional less often as well.
Steam cleaning on a regular basis can feel like a bit of a hassle for sure but once it’s done you’ll be amazed at how different your carpets look. You can use whatever type of cleaning solution you like best, the important part of this trick is just to make sure you plan to steam clean regularly. The good thing is once it’s done you won’t have to worry about it for a few months again.
Conclusion:
Eventually, you really will want to have your carpets cleaned professionally. Using the tips and tricks you’ve read about here can help you between professional cleanings though. You might not need all of these tricks at the same time, but knowing about them when you do need them will be immensely helpful. Even if it’s just using the baking soda trick your carpets and home will both benefit from your new knowledge.
