How to clean a carpet
DIRT, grime, and hairs can easily begin to pile up on carpets, especially if you have children or pets.
No matter how dirty your carpet gets, this five-step cleaning guide will have it looking good as new.
How do you clean a carpet?
Before you start, make sure that you have a vacuum cleaner ready, some borax, salt and vinegar, some plastic bags, and possibly a fan.
Now you're ready to get cleaning.
1. Clear the carpet
If you have any furniture, shoes, or other items on your carpet then be sure to move them before getting started.
If you have heavy furniture on the carpet, just put some pieces of rubber or plastic around the edges so that it does not sustain any damage from the cleaning products used.
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Remember to remove anything that might get in the way of the vacuum cleaner and make sure that there isn't anything that is making your carpet curl or wrinkle.
Dust might collect between the carpet and then you won't be able to clean it, so make sure that the carpet is as flat as possible.
2. Vacuum your carpet
Vacuum your carpet to remove any dust and debris.
Start from the back of the room to the front, and then vice versa.
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Vacuuming your carpet while alternating between vertical and horizontal strides helps to get the dust out of the carpet fiber.
This can be a headache, especially if you have pets, but vacuuming the way we said above should help get all the dirt out.
3. Create a cleaning solution
You can either purchase a carpet cleaner that will do the job for you, or else we have a carpet cleaning solution that you can make from household items.
Mixing borax, salt, and vinegar together, create a solution that can remove stains off your carpet.
All you need is a quarter of a cup of each ingredient, mix together and you're good to start getting the stains off.
4. Clean your carpet using the solution
Wear plastic bags on your shoes and make sure not to be barefoot while cleaning your carpet, because this solution, or any other one which you buy from the store, might make your feet irritated.
Apply the solution to dirty stains and parts of your carpet and let it rest on the carpet for three hours or until it dries.
You can use your vacuum cleaner to vacuum any traces of the solution on your carpet.
5. Dry the solution
Open up any possible windows and doors in the room and turn on an electric fan to help the carpet dry faster.
It should dry up in six hours but it might take more.
We suggest that you leave the carpet to dry for 24 hours so that you do not risk having any mold form on it.
Remove the plastic from the edges of furniture, if you've put any after the carpet fully dries up.
How to get blood out of a carpet?
To get blood out of a carpet, you just need to follow four simple steps.
So first, if there is any excess blood on the carpet, remove it with a white paper towel or cloth.
Make sure that you do not rub it in even more, or else it might spread, instead dab the blood stain.
Then apply cold water to the stain using a white paper towel or cloth and this should help in removing the stain.
Make sure not to use warm water, because this makes the blood stain bigger and more permanent on the carpet.
If the stain is not removed by simply applying water, then add some potato starch to it and leave it to dry for 24 hours.
Vacuum the carpet after that, and if the stain is still there, use a carpet stain remover on the blood stain.
The remover should come with guidelines on how to use it.
In another explainer, we also showed you how to remove a blood stain from a mattress.
How to get wax out of a carpet?
If you have some candles in your living room to create a nice atmosphere and some wax fell on your carpet, we also have a way of how you can get that out.
You will need an ice bag or ice pack, a butter knife, an iron or a hair dryer, a paper towel or a brown paper bag, a carpet cleaning solution like the one I told you about above, and a vacuum cleaner.
To get the wax out:
- Freeze the wax by putting the ice bag or ice pack on it for about 10 minutes.
- Once the wax freezes, scrape it off with a butter knife and remove it from the carpet using your vacuum cleaner.
- On top of the remaining wax stain, place a paper towel or the brown paper bag and run it over with iron and this will start to absorb the wax. Make sure not to turn on the heat level or else you risk burning the bag below and the carpet.
- Finally, repeat the first process that I told you about removing stains from your carpet with the solution so that it is good as new.
How to get indents out of a carpet?
If your carpet has dents in it, there is a very easy process to remove it.
Simply heat up your iron to a reasonable temperature.
Place a damp cloth over the dent and apply the iron to it, making sure that the steam is off.
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Once you fully do that, remove the cloth and fluff up the carpet using a spoon.
You can repeat the process till the indentation is removed.
Cleaning hacks and tips
Here are some tips to help you clean your home like a pro:
- How to clean your washing machine in a few easy steps
- Keep on top of cleaning your oven regularly
- Clean your shower to ensure it's always sparkling
- How to clean your microwave using cheap household items
- Here's how to get rid of that nasty limescale in your kettle
- You're cleaning your carpet all wrong - here's how to get it spotless again in no time
- Unblock a toilet without a plunger
- Clean your fabric or leather sofa in a few easy steps
- If you haven't cleaned your mattress in ages, here's how
- Steps to cleaning your dishwasher to leave it looking brand new
- This is how to clean mirrors and windows without streaking
- Keep your toilet clean in four easy steps
- Give your TV screen a once-over
- Did you know your Venetian, Roman, vertical, or roller blinds also need cleaning?
- Deep-clean your fridge in five simple steps