Traditional and modern ways of cleaning carpet, removing stains and unpleasant odors, preventing material contamination. Carpet maintenance is a measure to preserve the cleanliness and original appearance of the coating, ensuring a long service life of the material. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the main causes of contamination and the options for cleaning it, as well as with preventive operations to reduce the number of cleanings.
Dry cleaning of carpet
There are two types of carpet cleaning - dry and wet cleaning. The choice of option depends mainly on the coating material and the length of the pile, but there are other factors that you should pay attention to.
The reasons for refusing to wet carpet cleaning can be as follows:
- The material has a jute base, which, after saturation with water, can deform; ugly stains can form on the surface. Unpleasant odors, mildew and mildew may also appear.
- Carpets with a dirt-resistant coating. The water will wash away the impregnation and the coating will deteriorate quickly in unfavorable conditions.
- Products with an adhesive base - after getting wet, deformation of the panel is possible.
- Carpets with patterns on the surface. Water will wash out the pattern and stains will appear.
- Carpet with latex foam backing. It adheres tightly to the surface, it is difficult to remove for drying, so it is better not to wet the coating.
It is recommended to dry clean carpets made of natural materials. Such a flooring can be cleaned 2-3 times a week with a traditional vacuum cleaner, removing dust and small dirt. More sophisticated technologies are used for thorough cleaning.
A special electric machine with rotating brushes allows you to remove dirt from the depth of the coating. Under the influence of a rotating working tool, the fibers are separated, dirt and debris are easily removed from the inside of the carpet.
Once a month, a natural product should be deeply cleaned with a special powder consisting of micro-sponges that absorb dirt well. This is a modern technology for carpeting, which is becoming more and more popular among housewives. Immediately after cleaning, you can walk on the surface, which is a great advantage over other cleaning methods.
The procedure for cleaning carpet with dry powder is as follows:
- The surface is vacuum cleaned with a screw attachment. The working tool will straighten and fluff the pile, restoring its natural state.
- After processing with a vacuum cleaner, powder is scattered over the surface of the carpet, manually or using a special device.
- The coating is left alone for a while (up to 2 hours), during which the agent will absorb the dirt. The duration of the action of the powder depends on the contamination of the pile. The dirty granules change color and are removed with a vacuum cleaner.
Carpets with long pile cannot be washed with a washing vacuum cleaner. The air flow does not pass through the dense pile, and a small amount of moisture remains on the coating and promotes the growth of mold, a damp feeling appears in the room.
The long pile length makes it difficult to clean the flooring, so use our recommendations, from which you can find out how to care for this type of carpet:
- Animals should not be kept in a house with this type of coating. Wool and food crumbs are very difficult to remove from the pile. They become the cause of the appearance of pathogenic microbes.
- Long-pile material should be placed in areas where it will be least dirty and does not require wet mopping to clean. Long fibers absorb water well, dry for a long time, which contributes to the formation of mold, deformation of the base.
- Carpets with long threads are vacuum cleaned at least 2 times a week, heavily soiled areas - up to 4 times.
- Place a rug in front of the door to keep most of the dirt on the street.
- Clean the contaminated area immediately. Loose dirt is difficult to remove.
Carpet is cleaned not only of debris. Microorganisms can multiply in the pile, which are destroyed by bactericidal quartzing. The procedure is carried out once a quarter, as often as possible. In the children's room, it is recommended to clean the cloth once a week. In rooms where there is little artificial lighting, carpet is also quartz once a week. In this way, sunlight, which has disinfecting properties, is replaced.
After cleaning, natural carpet can be freshened with a solution of ammonia. 3 tbsp is poured into a liter of water. tablespoons of ammonia, and then wipe the surface of the material. After the procedure, the brightness of the paint will return.
Wet cleaning of carpets
You can safely clean and wash out synthetic fabrics with water. The coating is washed by hand or by mechanical devices.
Washing carpet by hand
Wet cleaning of carpet by hand is considered a traditional cleaning and has been used for washing carpets for a long time. The detergent can be different - shampoos, washing powders, reagents. Choose one product for washing, otherwise a mixture of different compositions can damage the pile. Alternate detergents whenever possible to select the best for consistent use. Well proven in cleaning Vanish.
Use unfamiliar means with caution. Test them first in an inconspicuous place. If the detergent is of poor quality, it is not washed out of the fibers, the pile loses its elasticity, and a lot of dirt remains in the threads.
The work is performed in the following sequence:
- Make sure your type of flooring can be wet washed.
- Free the carpet from furniture and other items that might interfere with cleaning.
- Pour water into the bucket. Add detergent and stir until foam appears.
- Apply lather to the surface and let sit for a few minutes. Do not pour too much liquid onto the carpet.
- Gently scrub the cover with a stiff brush. The solution will penetrate the pile, corrode dirt, destroy stains and unpleasant odors.
- Add frothy water to the carpet periodically.
- As the dirt dissolves, the water becomes cloudy, it can be driven into one place with a spatula and removed with rags.
- Repeat the procedure until the coating is completely cleaned.
- You can walk on the carpet only after the pile is completely dry.
If you use a small amount of water, the coating will only get 9-10% wet and will be usable in 5-6 hours. Washing the carpet has a strong effect on the pile, so it should be cleaned in this way no more than once a month.
Certain types of carpet, in which the pile can be separated from the base, is allowed to be washed. For high-quality cleaning, the carpet is rolled up and soaked. Before the procedure, it is necessary to clarify the permissible water temperature and the composition of the detergents. The washed coating is dried first in the shade and then for at least 3 days in the sun.
How to clean carpet with foam
The method is intermediate between dry and wet cleaning. To create foam, special foam mixtures are used, which contain alkali, small abrasive elements, alcohol and other components.
The procedure for cleaning carpet with foam is as follows:
- Clean the surface of the coating with an ordinary vacuum cleaner with a special screw nozzle from visible dirt.
- Pour cold water into a bucket, add detergent and beat until foamy.
- Apply the lather evenly to the carpet and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Foam moisturizes dirt, preventing the coating from getting wet.
- Gently wipe the most dirty areas with a soft brush in the direction of the pile, but do not rub the dirt.
- After 30 min. Residual foam with softened dirt can be removed with a washing vacuum cleaner.
- Dry the carpet.
Cleaning carpet with a washing vacuum cleaner
Housewives have long appreciated the advantages of washing vacuum cleaners. With their help, you can remove complex dirt from the surface. Make sure the material can be washed in a similar way before cleaning the carpet. Check the action of the detergent in an inconspicuous place.
Cleaning is done as follows:
- Vacuum the surface with a regular vacuum cleaner to remove coarse debris and dust.
- Pour water into the product's tank, add detergent in the required proportions.
- Put the nozzle of the desired shape on the hose, depending on the length of the pile.
- During the procedure, move the attachment along the carpet slowly, smoothly, in the direction of the pile.
- Dry the material thoroughly after cleaning.
It is not recommended to use a cleaning vacuum cleaner for coatings made from natural materials.
Steam carpet cleaning
Steam is created by special household and professional devices and is supplied to the surface of the carpet through a flexible hose under pressure. Most steam generators do not suck in dirt, they are used to soften dirt and some stains, which can then be easily removed with a brush or cloth.
The device of the steam generator is simple: in a special tank, the water is heated to a high temperature, in conditions of low pressure and humidity, dry steam is formed, which is blown through the pile of the coating. For ease of use, the hose is supplied with various attachments. The heat kills the mites and the steam freshens the coating.
More expensive models suck in steam and dirt, they are also called steam cleaners. A steam mop is a type of steam generating device in which a container for generating steam is attached to the base.
Steam cleaning the carpet is carried out in the following sequence:
- Choose a cleaning time that will allow the coating to dry for no more than 12 hours. Prolonged exposure to moisture can damage the material.
- Vacuum the product with an ordinary vacuum cleaner.
- Heat the water to the temperature specified in the instructions for the steam generator and pour it into the tank. Add detergent. The water for the steam generator must comply with the requirements in the instructions for the product. Some models work only with distilled water or with the addition of regular water.
- The detergent added to the water should not damage the coating. Choose a detergent with an acidity of 10 pH, preferably recommended by the carpet manufacturer.
- Steam the entire surface without staying in one place for a long time. Make sure that the pile is not wet, but only slightly moistened. Do not overheat the fibers with steam.
- Inspect the surface, remove any remaining dirt with a soft brush.
- Dry the carpet.
It is recommended to steam clean the flooring once a week. Not all materials can withstand high temperatures, so make sure the method is right for your application before steam cleaning.
The restrictions on the use of the steam generator are as follows:
- The device must be powerful enough to clean the carpet, otherwise the flooring will remain dirty.
- Not all types of carpet can handle heat well. Overheating can damage the base or the pile, therefore, before cleaning, you should consult with specialists about the possibility of cleaning the carpet with a steam generator.
- It is not recommended to use steam to treat stains of blood, milk, eggs. under the influence of high temperature, the structure of the protein changes and the contamination becomes irreducible.
- Steam is not used to disinfect the coating. Most pathogenic microbes will withstand short-term exposure to hot steam, and prolonged exposure can damage the coating.
Cleaning carpet with snow
This method can be used to clean quick release covers or small items that are not attached to the floor. The main condition for the procedure is the presence of freshly fallen snow and a frosty day.
Instructions for cleaning carpet with snow:
- Select a location where the canvas can be rearranged to a new area.
- Spread the carpet with the pile down and sprinkle the top with snow.
- Walk on it or hit it with a stick to remove dirt.
- Move the panel to a new location and repeat the procedure. After you are satisfied with the result, turn the carpet upside down.
- Pour snow on it, beat and brush off the remains with a broom or brush.
- Hang the carpet over the bar and keep knocking.
- At home, it is necessary to thoroughly dry the material and lay it in its place.
Cloths are not cleaned if the snow is wet and loose.
Elimination of carpet odors
The unpleasant consequences of using carpet include the appearance of odors, which can be caused by various sources.
Many people do not like the smell of a new product, moreover, it can cause an allergic reaction. It appears as a result of processing the material with various chemical agents to protect it from moisture, to prevent electrification, etc. Usually the smell disappears after 3-7 days, but sometimes two weeks is not enough. Therefore, before the final laying of the carpet on the floor, it is allowed to lie down in a well-ventilated area.
If the coating is in a humid room or it has been wet for a long time, fungus and mold grow in it, which become a source of an unpleasant odor.
How to care for your carpet at home so that a "musty aroma" does not appear, you can learn from the following tips:
- Dry the fabric periodically and check the moisture content of the pile and substrate.
- Remember to ventilate the area to remove excess moisture.
- Additionally saturate the coating with anti-mildew and mildew products.
- The place where the material lies must be impregnated with antifungal and bactericidal agents, and then waterproofed, otherwise the drying procedure will soon have to be repeated.
- Disinfect the carpet with ultraviolet light from a quartz lamp.
- If the room is not used for a long time, remove the carpet (if the installation method allows), roll it up and take it to a dry room.
- If possible, take it outside in winter and summer. This method allows you to get rid of the cultivation of microorganisms. In the sun, carpet can only be kept dry, otherwise it may deform.
- In winter, clean the banner with snow.
The ammonia smell appears when there are cats or dogs in the apartment. The sooner you start eliminating urine, the better the result will be. To eliminate the odor, the problem area is soaked through with a 3% peroxide solution and soaked with a dry napkin. Another option is to use a solution of baking soda, dishwashing liquid, and peroxide to neutralize. You can use ready-made urine removers available at the store.
To eliminate other odors, the pile is wiped with soda, left for several hours and washed off first with vinegar and then with water. The smell of fish is removed with improvised means. You can sprinkle the fragrant area with salt, which absorbs odors well, and then remove it. A weak vinegar solution also helps.
The smell of beer is removed with a napkin dipped in clean water. The area should be carefully cleaned, but not rubbed. After the procedure, the carpet must be thoroughly dried. The smell will last a few more days and then disappear.
Removing stains from carpet
Carpet stains are the most common stain on the carpet. You can use our tips to remove them.
The stain should be removed immediately upon detection. The sooner you start cleaning an area, the more chances you have to completely remove it. Blot the new stain immediately with a tissue or sponge so that less liquid is absorbed into the coating. Smear the old ones with glycerin, leave overnight, and then remove with a saturated soap solution.
Purchase a stain remover at the time of purchase to keep it always on hand. The substance is first applied to a white cloth, and then pressed firmly against the contaminated area. When using special stain removers, check the reaction of the coating to this cleaning agent.
To get rid of stains of different compositions, use the following guidelines:
- Stains from wine, liquor, beer are first washed with a soapy solution with a soft brush, then wiped with a solution of vinegar (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water).
- Dried marks will disappear if the areas are wiped with glycerin, left overnight and washed with a thick soapy solution.
- Coffee stains are removed with a solution of vinegar or glycerin - 1 tbsp. spoon for 1 liter of cold water.
- The gum must be frozen with ice from the refrigerator, and then chopped.
- Tar and tar stains can be removed with kerosene or gasoline. Place a cloth soaked in solvent on the stain, and then rinse the area. Oily stains are removed in the same way.
- Salt, which is poured on top, helps to clean the carpet from fresh greasy stains. The salt absorbs fat and is easily removed.
- Drops of paraffin or wax are frozen with ice from a freezer, and then the contamination is chipped off. Another option is to melt the wax with a hot iron and place a napkin on top to absorb the wax.
- Juice and ketchup stains are significantly lightened by citric acid. To do this, the problem area is abundantly sprinkled with a substance, left for several minutes, and then rubbed with effort with a damp cloth.
- If you find street dirt, let it dry, remove large items, and vacuum up small items.
- Remove the thick liquid from the stain with a spoon from the center to the edges. Continue cleaning with a cloth dipped in the appropriate stain-based cleaner from the edges to the center of the stain. Then rinse the area with water and wipe with a damp soft brush.
A universal stain remover is a neutral crystallizing shampoo. For cleaning, dissolve 1 tbsp. l. shampoo in 1 liter of water. It can be used to remove traces of glue, chocolate, berries and many others.
Cleaning pet hair from carpet
The presence of pets creates problems with carpet cleaning. When buying a cat (or carpet), pay attention to the following points: the long pile of the carpet is difficult to clean from wool, because the fibers are intertwined, and a coating with a low dense pile is easier to clean than a long one. Long hair is easier to clean, while short hair penetrates deep into the pile, it is difficult to remove it.
Recommendations for the removal of animal hair:
- Brush out the carpet with a wet palm or brush in the direction of the pile. The wool rolls and can be easily collected and removed.
- A faster method, but less quality, is to sweep the canvas with a damp broom.
- Wool can be collected with a vacuum cleaner with a nozzle specially designed for this purpose. Some models of vacuum cleaners are equipped with special turbo brushes for cleaning coatings from animal hair.
- Small areas can be cleaned of fur by wrapping tape around your hand, sticky side out.
Cleaning the coat from animal hair takes a long time, so it is better to prevent such contamination. Try to brush the animals more often, especially during the period of intensive molting. Strengthen the coat so that it adheres more tightly, for example, with special shampoos.
If shedding heavily, see your veterinarian who can provide your pet with food that will reduce hair loss. In the animal's favorite place, lay a small rug on which the bulk of the hairs will remain.
How to dry wet carpet
Wet carpet can lose its color, shape, beauty, so it is necessary to immediately take measures to dry it. Coatings made of natural material are especially afraid of water, but there are other products on which water is harmful.
The small wet area is dried as follows:
- If clear water is spilled, blot the area with a towel, sheet, or other cotton cloth until most of the water is removed. Do not rub the stain.
- A washing vacuum cleaner will help remove water. It will absorb clean water, and if it is dirty, it will flush the area.
- Raise the canvas, which is wet from the edge, and fix it in any way so that air can freely flow under the flooring.
- After removing the bulk of the water, warm small wet areas with a hairdryer or heater. The main thing is not to overdry the pile.
A completely wet carpet is dried as follows:
- Remove heavy objects and furniture from the flooring.
- Collect the water around the carpet, then use rags to remove as much water as possible from the carpet.
- It is advisable to take the cloth out of the house, leave it first to dry in the shade, and then hold it in the sun for several days.
- It is better to carry it on a roll. Cover the fluffed side with a cotton cloth before rolling up, it will absorb some moisture.
- Do not walk on wet material, the coating may be permanently deformed.
- A completely wet cloth must not be dried on a pipe; it can deform under its own weight.
- Make sure that the cloth dries on both sides.
- If there is a backing under the carpet, it must be dismantled and dried.
- If you cannot take the product out, turn on an air conditioner with dehumidification function or simply a dehumidifier.
How to clean carpet - watch the video:
Regular cleaning of the carpet and proper care provide a special coziness and comfort in the room. Careful attitude to the material increases its service life and allows you to enjoy all the advantages of this type of coating.
