Carpet and Rug Care: Steps To Take - Mistakes To Avoid

By Aiden Mundt

Few things can transform any room like new carpet. You instantly get a fresh look free of nasty stains. Not to mention what the new color can do to highlight the furniture and wall coverings. But the hard part is keeping things looking fresh and all. Because kids, pets and foot traffic are hard on carpet.

Sadly, before you know it, spills happen and stains creep into the picture. Plus over time accumulating dirt and grime will grind down your lovely new carpet. Making it look old and lusterless before its time. To help avoid that outcome how about some time tested carpet care tips?

For removing ordinary dirt vacuum high traffic areas like halls and entrance ways twice a week. Hit the rest of your carpeting at least once weekly. The idea is to remove dirt before it has a chance to get embedded.

Now when vacuuming you aren't in a race to get done. You want to take it slow. Pushing and pulling the beater brush over the same area up to seven times. Such effort gives the machine time to suck out the embedded dirt. Doing so also helps bring the fibers back to life.

Carpet Care Tip: Carpet wears at the point where the tufts of nylon and backing meet. Any accumulated grit saws the fibers off at that point. Which is why you want a vacuum that can extract as much of the sharp, sand like dirt as you can.

Don't forget to move the bigger pieces of furniture so you can vacuum all the carpet in a room.

Then did you know the key to dealing with spills is quick action? Doing so means you're less apt to be left with an unsightly stain.

For unexpected problems keep foam or powdered carpet cleaner handy. And "Blot Not Rub" is the phrase to remember. Use white paper towel to suck up any spilled liquid. Or a spatula to gently remove anything solid and sticky.

Now if a stain develops the removal process begins with a good carpet spot remover. There are several to be had and they aren't expensive either. It's also good to have dry cleaning fluid on hand too.

Yet if a stain sets in which stain remover you use depends on the what caused the stain. But a quality spot remover is a good first step. Just be sure to test it's impact on your carpet in an out of the way corner. Better still a closet. You want to see if it removes the carpet's color before having at it to vigorously. If spot removing solutions are unavailable, try using dry cleaning solvent mixed with liquid detergent, ammonia and vinegar to clean small spots.

Finally you want to protect your carpet from the crushing weight of furniture with some inexpensive carpet casters.

Spills happen. Dirt is tracked in. But that doesn't mean you have to sit back and watch your carpet's beauty fade. A quick response to spills, regular and thorough vacuuming and some TLC can keep your carpet looking lovely longer. - 29857

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