Spring cleaning is one of those unique times when you want everything around your home sparkling clean. During this season, one of the main rugs that will feature highly on your to-do list is a dirty carpet. You're probably dealing with dirty carpets, whether it's in your home or a rental house.
So, if you want your carpet to look nice and clean, you've landed on the right spot. I'll teach you some tips for spring carpet cleaning to keep it in good condition without necessarily hiring an expensive professional. Believe me when I say I've been disappointed by the so-called professionals several times.
Meta Description: Learn some helpful spring carpet cleaning tips for spring cleaning in this post. From buying the right vacuum and detergent to cleaning and letting it dry.
Why is Carpet Cleaning in Spring Cleaning Important?
First things first, let's discuss why cleaning your carpet should feature highly on your spring cleaning to-do list. We all know that a carpet is integral to your interior design and can make your bare feet feel comfortable and cozy around the house. However, some people avoid regularly cleaning their carpets for fear of a reduced lifespan. While this could be true, a good quality and well-maintained rug should give you decades of service.
So, without further ado, let's list why you should engage in spring carpet cleaning:
- Carpet cleaning can remove the trapped air pollutants and improve your home's air quality.
- Thoroughly cleaning your carpets during spring cleaning prevents bacteria, mold, and allergen buildup.
- Cleaning removes dust, food particles, and dry soils, which could damage your vacuum cleaner.
- Cleaning your carpet will make the house rooms appear fresh and well-kept.
- A clean and well-maintained carpet should last longer than a neglected one.
6 Spring Carpet Cleaning Tips
Now that we have discussed why carpet cleaning is vital, let's examine some tips to ensure your carpet looks neat and well-kept without involving a professional. These tips should also come in handy even for a professional carpet cleaner.
Tip #1: Vacuum the Carpet Before Cleaning
You should thoroughly vacuum your carpet before getting it wet and cleaning it. The thing is that your carpet traps a lot of dirt, grime, and air in your home. This means it can hold all the dry hairs, soil, dirt, food particles, and anything else floating around your home. So, when you vacuum it during carpet cleaning in Spring, you're removing the first layer of dirt and grime, allowing you to easily reach embedded dirt and soil when washing it.
This point leads us to the most challenging question yet: what is the best vacuum for carpet cleaning? Because cleaning carpets can be intricate for most vacuums, it's vital to do your due diligence before buying a machine for spring cleaning. Ensure the vacuum has lots of suction power and a brush roll to scrub the carpet surface and lift debris when cleaning.
Robot vacuums for carpet cleaning have become a popular choice these days. These machines use innovative cleaning technology to ensure excellence when cleaning your carpets without too much input from you. An example is the eufy X10 Pro Omni, which has a strong suction power of 8,000 Pa, enough to effortlessly pick up dirt, pet hair, crumbs, and dust. The multi-directional roller brush of this robovac can also reach and clean the deepest part of your carpet.
Tip #2: Choose the Best Carpet Cleaning Solution
We're still choosing the tools needed for carpet cleaning. The next step is ensuring you pick the best carpet cleaning detergent, essential in achieving a spotless and fresh-looking carpet. With the endless options in the market, you can be confused and choose the wrong cleaning detergent. So, how should you go about it?
First, consider the carpet material because some cleaning detergents are for cleaning natural fibers like wool, whereas others will give you the best results with synthetic fibers. In short, using a suitable detergent on your carpet ensures effective cleaning without discoloration or damage.
It's also vital to ensure the cleaning detergent is compatible with your machine to avoid affecting its performance. And yes, the best cleaning detergents should use eco-friendly formulation. These are often labeled as phosphate-free or biodegradable. Avoid detergents with harsh solutions.
Tip #3: Banking Powder to the Rescue
Your cleaning detergent can sometimes have difficulty removing stubborn, greasy stains and spills. But you don't need to return to the shop to spend money on another detergent. Instead, explore the amazing cleaning powers of the simple-looking baking powder in your kitchen. This powder can breathe some life into any dull and rusty carpet.
Here is what to do: scoop several spoons of baking powder and use it to cover the stained area. Now, let it rest for a few minutes. The baking powder will soak up all the oily stains on your carpet, which will be visible as dry cakes. Now bring your robovac and let it clear up all the crusts. Remember, baking powder won't discolor your carpet and other surfaces, making it a handy tool for spring cleaning.
Tip #4: Bring Back the Softness and Shagginess
Honestly, carpets are some of the most abused things around the house. We step on them with dirt feet, place heavy furniture, spill food over them, and more. Sometimes, your child or pet could even pee on your carpets, leaving an unfriendly odor if not cleaned properly. With this type of abuse, the softness and shagginess of your carpet will disappear with time.
Fortunately, you can bring your precious carpets back to life this Spring with some easy ideas. One is to mix equal amounts of water and vinegar and spray it over the dirty carpet. You'll then use a soft cloth or towel to soak the extra moisture before using a hot iron on the fabric to dry the carpet and recover the fluff.
Another tried and tested way to add life and freshness to your carpet is by using ice cubes. Don't worry; you won't need a truckload of ice cubes for this trick. Simply identify the flattened areas on your carpet, then place a few ice cubes on that area. Afterward, use a cloth to absorb the water before ironing the affected area. Some people say shaving cream can also do that trick, although we haven't tried it yet.
Tip #5: Learn to Use Your Carpet Cleaner
Buying the most powerful, full-featured carpet vacuum cleaner is one thing, while getting the best out of it is another. There are some best practices that you must apply to ensure the machine cleans your carpet efficiently and effectively.
Below are some ideas:
- Fill the fresh water tank with warm water from the sink or tap. Don't add soap or additives to it because this water rinses the carpet out.
- Ensure that you move the cleaning machine slowly and precisely. Remember that the idea is to ensure you rinse all the dirt and soap off the carpet. A robot vacuum cleaner should excel in this case.
Tip #6: Let it Dry!
This is the most straightforward tip in this guide. After cleaning your carpet, you should let it dry to avoid any moisture buildup when you finally lay it on the floor. You should also ensure that the drying happens as quickly as possible.
For example, use a box or ceiling fan to get as much airflow into the room as possible. You may also want to adjust the home environment temperature to about 70°F. And don't forget to buy a carpet grooming rake to stand up the fiber and give your carpet a fantastic finish.
Last Words
We hope you have picked a few valuable tips from this Spring carpet cleaning guide. As said earlier, you don't need to wait for spring cleaning to clean your carpet. So, follow this guide next time you want to thoroughly clean your carpet without hiring a professional. Good luck!