Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning · Carpet Cleaning 101 ·Aug 26, 2022

How to Clean Carpet

Nothing is quite as luxurious as a wall-to-wall carpet. But daily use can cause your carpet to look less than its best. Don’t worry though, With our guidance, you’ll learn how to clean your carpet like a professional.

Even the toughest dirt and most stubborn stains can be removed with a bit of effort and the right products. Regular cleaning of both your loose rugs and fitted carpets will improve the look of your decor. Your home will also smell fresher, and your carpets will feel softer underfoot.

What this article covers:

Best Ways to Clean a Carpet

Whether you want to clean doormats, loose rugs, short carpets, or wall-to-wall carpets, there are 3 simple methods to tackle them all. Follow the steps below, in order, to give your carpets a clean bill of health. But before you start, first make sure that you have all the necessary items.

Carpet Brush (For grooming loose rugs)
Vacuum cleaner (Best for wall-to-wall carpet)
Spot cleaning solution (For pre-treating stains)
Carpet Cleaning Products
Deep Cleaning Carpet Machine

How to Clean a Short Carpet

Do you have a few rugs that need some TLC? These are the easiest to clean, as they can be moved elsewhere to clean them. Follow the steps below to make short work of cleaning your short carpets.

Step 1- Brush/Vacuum

Take your small rugs outdoors and give them a good shake or beat down to remove excess dust. Wear a disposable mask to prevent breathing in any dust or allergens. Then give them a good brushing with a carpet brush. Brushing will remove things like pet hair and excess dust.

Follow this up with a good vacuum cleaner. Vacuuming small rugs will remove trapped dust and most surface allergens. Vacuum all rugs at least once a week. Doormats, because of their heavy use, may need to be shaken/brushed and if necessary, vacuumed more frequently.

Step 2 - Spot Treatment

If your rugs have stains on them, apply a spot-remover solution, such as our Rave Spotter Stain Remover, and gently work it into the area, taking care to follow any product instructions. Blot with a soft, dry lint-free cloth. If you have never used the product on your rug before, do a small spot test for color fastness before applying it to larger areas.

The advantage of spot-treating small rugs, as opposed to fitted carpets, is that you can get underneath the rug. There is no danger of moisture being trapped underneath as with a wall-to-wall carpet. But that does not mean you should pour the solution on liberally. Less is more, so don’t overdo it.

Exercise caution when spot treating rugs made of exotic materials, or Persian rugs as these are usually expensive. To avoid making a costly mistake, consult a professional cleaner for advice before using cleaning agents on these rugs. It may be best to let a professional clean them.

Step 3 - Deep Clean

Steps 1 and 2 will usually suffice for loose rugs. But in the case of heavily soiled doormats or rugs from high-traffic zones, deep cleaning with a carpet cleaning machine may be necessary. Follow all instructions in the cleaning machine manual, and on the packaging of your carpet cleaning products.

Deep cleaning your Oriental rugs may seem daunting. But with the right machine and proper products, you can easily do this yourself. If you do not have the right products, rather leave them to the experts.

How To Clean A Room Carpet

Unlike rugs, wall-to-wall carpets have to be cleaned in position. But that’s no challenge if you follow the simple steps below.

Step 1- Vacuum Clean

Give the carpet a good once-over with a vacuum cleaner. Do so regularly to prevent dirt from being tramped down into the fibers. Regular vacuuming also helps to keep carpets smelling cleaner. Many carpet odors are caused by pet hair and household debris trapped in carpet fibers.

If anyone in your household suffers from allergies, regular vacuuming is essential. Vacuum at least once a week, and more often if you have young children or pets. It will remove pet hair and dust that can trigger an allergic response.

But asthma and eczema sufferers take note. Vacuuming alone will not be enough to combat all allergen issues. Let the frequency of your flare-ups be your guide as to how often you should vacuum. Or consider changing your carpets. Deeper pile carpets can retain more dust and mites than short pile ones do.

Step 2 - Pre-Treat Stains By Hand

If you have wine stains from a party or food spills from eating in front of the tv, you need to pre-treat these stains. But for future reference, always treat stains and spills as soon as they occur, if possible. The longer they are left, the more difficult it is to get them out of your carpet.

Select your spot treatment solution and apply it to the stains, taking care to follow the product instructions. Gently work the solution into the stain, but do not saturate the carpet. Blot it with a soft, clean lint-free cloth. Allow the patch to dry naturally.

Take note that this method may need to be repeated for old and stubborn stains. A word of caution: Spot cleaning old carpets may leave noticeable light patches, in which case you’ll have to deep-clean the entire carpet. For several large stains, it may be best to prespray and then deep clean the whole carpet.

Step 3 - Deep Clean With Machine

Carpet dust mites that can trigger allergic reactions such as asthma and eczema are only removed through regular deep cleaning. Deep cleaning is also the only way to remove deeply ingrained dirt and pet odors. Start with steps 1 and 2, then move on to step 3, a deep clean with a carpet cleaning machine.

Take care to follow all instructions supplied by the carpet cleaning machine and cleaning agents. Open your windows and allow your carpet to dry naturally afterward. We recommend that you deep clean your carpets at least twice a year. But more regular deep cleaning is best if you have kids and pets.

If you’ve ever wondered how to get bad smells out of carpets, this is the way to do it. Deep cleaning removes dirt and helps to keep your carpet vibrant and smelling fresh. If you don’t own a carpet cleaning machine, you can hire one. But if you have very stubborn stains to remove, hire a professional.

Tricky Stains and Spills

Most common stain and spill problems can be addressed with some ingenuity. There are very few stains that cannot be treated at home.

So don’t stress about how to remove difficult carpet stains. Sometimes, a little more effort is required. Here are some quick fixes for 3 of the most common stain and spill issues.

Red Wine And Juice Stains

Are you worried about how to get red stains out of your carpet? The trick is to treat the stain as soon as you can. Wine or juice that has sat on the carpet for some time will be far more difficult to remove without chemicals.

Blot the stain immediately with a clean white cloth. Soak up as much of the red wine as possible. Pour a tiny amount of cool water onto the stain, and continue blotting. If that doesn’t do the trick, make a paste with water and baking soda and apply it to the stain. Vacuum up the paste once it has died.

Paint Spills

It is best to remove paint from the carpet when it is still wet. Ordinary soapy water will usually do the trick in the case of most fresh paint spills. Even a mild dish soap solution can work. Be careful not to rub the paint further into the carpet.

But what about how to get dry acrylic paint out of the carpet? If the paint has had time to dry, it is still possible to remove it. Make a solution of 1 part white distilled vinegar to 10 parts water and work it into the paint stain. It should loosen the dried paint. Then go over the area with your usual cleaning method.

Candlewax

Confused about how to get candle wax out of the carpet? It’s a lot easier than it looks. Be careful not to burn your fingers on hot wax. There’s no rush, as a wax drop won’t worsen if left for a few minutes. Take an ice pack or bag of ice, and place it over the blob of wax.

The cold will harden the wax, which can then be removed with the flat end of a butter knife or similar flat object. But take care not to cut into your carpet. That will be impossible to fix.

How to Keep Your Carpets Cleaner for Longer

If you don’t have a doormat at your front door, consider purchasing one. When you walk into your home, your shoes bring dirt and grime from the outdoors with them. This then gets tramped into your interior carpets every time you enter your home.

best way to clean a carpet

Wiping your shoes on the doormat will remove the worst dirt, preventing this from ending up on your pristine carpets. But clean your doormat regularly too, or it will become a breeding ground for bacteria and a source of unpleasant odors.

A stiff carpet brush will remove the worst debris, after which you can vacuum it with a portable mini vac.

Conclusion

With our handy carpet care guide above, you will be able to tackle any carpet cleaning problem with confidence. Trust us to keep your home smelling fresh, and your carpets looking and feeling clean. Invest in our professional carpet cleaning solutions, today.

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