How to Clean Your Carpets

Everybody loves clean carpet. But, each time we clean our carpet we run the risk of trapping dirt, grime and shampoo residue deep into the pad making it impossible to remove. The best way to keep your carpet fresh and clean is to limit the amount of dirt you track onto the carpet.

Take off your shoes! Have you ever looked at the bottoms of your shoes? Tiny bits of sand, dirt and who knows what cover the bottoms of your shoes. Each time you wear them on your carpet, you are damaging your carpeting and shortening its life. Sand works like sand paper wearing down the fibers. Vacuum your carpet as often as possible to remove dirt, sand, and grime.

Regardless of how well you care for your carpet there comes a day when it will need to be cleaned. Follow these steps for the best carpet cleaning experience!

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Carpet Steamer or Cleaner
• Carpet Cleaning Solution (preferably all-natural and non-toxic)
• Vacuum Cleaner
• Water

1. Rent a good quality steam cleaner from the local hardware store or grocery store. Many people own carpet cleaners these days, but most home cleaners don't heat the water, or provide enough suction to clean a carpet well.

2. Vacuum your carpet. It is a critical step before you begin cleaning. When you deep clean your carpet, you are getting it wet. It is impossible to get all the water out when you are finished. If you begin with dirt-covered carpets, you will make mud.

3. Treat stains and high traffic areas. The best method for treating spots is to remove them from the carpet immediately after a spill. However, if you have dried stains or dirty high-traffic areas, you may want to use a carpet spot and stain remover prior to cleaning. I recommend non-toxic, natural carpet cleaning products. They are made without chlorine or petroleum-based solvents, so they won't cause asthma or contribute to poor indoor air quality.

4. Use the machine to steam clean or shampoo your carpet according to the instructions. When choosing a carpet shampoo, or cleaner, I recommend non-toxic, natural products. You and your family will breath easier with these non-toxic cleaners. There are many good brands available, such as Seventh Generation or Bi-O-Kleen.

5. Rinse your carpets by going over it a second time with hot water. Get as much shampoo out of your carpet as possible. Any shampoo residue left in your carpet will draw dirt back into it. Dried shampoo residue is sticky. In the long run, it is harder on your carpet to leave shampoo residue behind, so if you don't have time to rinse your carpet, don't shampoo it at all.

6. Allow your carpet to dry completely before walking on it or moving furniture back. Ensuring the carpet is dry before putting back furniture will prevent mold from breading. Also, it will keep the carpet from becoming dirty before it dries.

Resources

• Bi-O-Kleen Carpet Cleaners
• Seventh Generation Carpet Cleaners