1. Get Rid of Dirt.
Dirt acts like a thousand little blades cutting the fibers of your carpet. When you walk across a dirty carpet, you grind these dirt particles against the fibers, creating tiny nicks. Also, when first scratches the fibers, it dulls the sheen. This is why high-traffic areas appear duller than the rest of the carpet. Over time, this process mats the fibers down and makes them stain more easily. Try these tips to keep your carpet as dirt-free as possible:
- Vacuum entrances and high-traffic areas twice a week and everywhere else at least once a week. Frequent vacuuming will reduce soil buildup.
- Suction power is cut in half when there's a dirty bag, dirt cup or filter. The main reason bagless vacuums stop working is that the filters aren't changed often enough. Be sure to replace or wash filters every 3 months and replace vacuum bags when they're 3/4 full.
- Vacuum slow enough to get out as much dirt as possible and go over high-traffic areas more than once.
- Use doormats inside and out to keep dirt off the carpet. Coarse-textured mats outside your doors remove soil, while water-absorbent mats inside prevent wet shoes on the carpeting.
2. Hire a Professional Carpet Cleaner.
While you can easily rent a machine to clean the carpet yourself, it is important to have your carpets professionally cleaned every once in awhile. When done correctly, this process deep cleans the carpet and doesn't leave behind a soap residue. A rented carpet cleaner will remove the surface dirt, but doesn't get that deep clean that you need to remove allergens, dust and greasy residues. The best strategy for keeping your carpets clean is to do-it-yourself most of the time, but hire a professional every 12 to 18 months.
3. Do Some DIY Cleaning.
Since hiring a professional carpet cleaner can be costly, the next-best thing is to rent or buy a machine and do-it-yourself. This approach can be effective if you understand how to use the machine properly. Hurrying through a cleaning will leave soap residue, a soaked carpet and a pad that can mold or mildew easily. Make sure that you clean the carpet before it becomes really dirty. How often the cleaning needs to be done, depends on the kind of carpet traffic you have, for example kids or pets. If you wait until the carpet is filthy, cleaning it will be much more difficult, take longer and probably cost more. Be sure to vacuum before and after cleaning the carpets. You may want to pre-treat any stains or high-traffic areas. Before cleaning you will also want to remove or elevate your furniture. When you are done cleaning, be sure to let the carpet dry thoroughly before walking on it and replacing the furniture.
4. Clean Stains Right Away.
If you treat a stain immediately, there is a 99% chance you can remove it. The longer a stain reacts chemically with the carpeting, the harder it is to remove. Try removing the stain with water first; press a clean, dry, white cloth over the stain to absorb the spill. Don't dig or scoop food spills as that can work the stain into the carpet. If there are solids on top of the stain, use a spoon or dull knife to carefully scrape the food toward the middle of the stain and up into a while towel. You also do not want to rub or scrub as that will damage the fibers, creating a fuzzy area. Be patient gently working water into the spill and blotting it inward. If water alone does not work, try a white vinegar and water solution or club soda before trying any commercial cleaning products. Some commercial products can cause carpet to get dirty faster or damage the carpet's color and texture, so be sure to test a small, inconspicuous area before using one.
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