A carpet brings comfort to the room. Depending on the color, pattern, and material, it adapts to the furnishings and sets accents. But it can do even more: a carpet attenuates sound and ensures pleasant acoustics.
It is much nicer to walk barefoot on a cozy carpet than on cold tiles. A carpet also protects against colds and sore knees in the children’s room, where the offspring crawls or likes to play while sitting on the floor.
The carpet is exposed to high loads: it is literally trampled on, and often even walked on with dirty street shoes.
Pets make the carpet happy with paw prints and hair. And then there are the little misfortunes a carpet has to deal with: spills from the dining table, fallen glasses, a mishap of the beloved dog…
In order for the carpet to be a pleasure for a long time, you should know how to clean it thoroughly and remove stains. Also, you can use matace removable carpet that is easier to clean.
What Types of Carpet are There?
The variety of carpets is huge. First of all, a distinction is made between carpets and individual pieces. Floor coverings are floor coverings that fill the entire room and are glued to the floor.
These have to be treated with special care and cleaned regularly because they cannot simply be carried outside and shaken out or brought to the cleaners. Replacing them is a great effort because the room has to be completely cleared.
Single pieces are carpets that are loosely laid on. They are available from the size of a guest towel up to several meters in length. Such pieces of jewelry are often used to protect parquet in the often stressed areas or to give tile floors a homely touch.
Some also place individual carpets on the carpeting to add color accents or to avoid walking streets. These individual pieces can easily be exchanged or removed for cleaning.
Floor coverings are also distinguished by their appearance and material: they are available with a short pile, long pile, and deep pile, but also as loop pile or hand-knotted. And that from a wide variety of materials: silk, cotton, sheep’s wool, sisal, and so on.
Some are very cheap, others cost a fortune. Every carpet has its special properties and advantages, but they hardly differ in terms of care and cleaning is effortless with the right tips.
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Daily Care of the Carpet
The best, easiest, and most common way to clean a carpet is to vacuum it. This removes dust, dirt, and hair. Many vacuum cleaners have a brush attachment.
This is particularly recommended for short-pile carpets because it not only loosens dirt better but also loosens the structure.
Heavy soiling should be removed immediately while it is still fresh. The best way to clean them is to soak up the rough with a rag or paper towel first.
Then you devote your attention to the actual stain. Always dab wet spots, never rub. Work from the outside in so that the stain doesn’t get any bigger.
Home Remedies for Removing Stains
Numerous carpet cleaners fill the shelves of supermarkets. But in addition to the expensive products from the trade, various home remedies for cleaning floor coverings have proven themselves for generations.
Baking Powder
Baking soda has a strong bleaching effect and should only be used on light-colored floor coverings.
It drives away unpleasant odors and removes urine stains from cats and dogs, as well as coffee stains. There are numerous films on YouTube about using baking soda as a stain remover.
Salt
The secret weapon against red wine or cola stains. Sprinkle generously on the damp stain and allow it to dry. The salt soaks up the liquid and changes its color accordingly. Then suck away.
Vinegar / Lemon / White Wine
These agents have proven their worth on dried stains: they loosen the fibers and remove dirt from the fabric. However, they are bleaching and should be tested on an inconspicuous area before use.
Glass Cleaner
Everyone has a glass cleaner in the house and reliably removes many stains. Simply spray on, let it take effect and carefully dab off.
Shaving Cream
Usually cheaper than special foam for floor coverings, but works the same way. Spray on the foam, rub it with a damp sponge and allow it to dry. Then vacuum.
Blotting Paper
Helps against candle wax. Simply lay it on and iron over it with the warm, not too hot iron until the blotting paper has absorbed the wax.
Mineral Water
Always use when a stain is no longer damp enough. The salt in the mineral water alone dissolves many stains.
Gall Soap
Works on the carpet just like in the laundry room: moisten the stain with water, then rub in the gall soap, dab carefully. Removes fruit stains, among other things.
Aspirin
Goodbye blood stains: crumble aspirin into a clean cloth and moisten it. And then dab the stain until it’s gone.
Complete Carpet Cleaning At least Once a Year
Once a year your carpet deserves a complete cleaning. Then it shines again in new splendor, smells fresh, and is hygienically clean. It is best to first clean the carpet by vacuuming.
Then he is allowed to go out into the fresh air and is shaken out or better yet, knocked out. This is where the good old carpet rail proves its worth. When knocking out, please only work on the back, otherwise, the dust and dirt will only be pushed deeper into the carpet.
Then there is a wet wash. Very small items can be washed in the washing machine or in the bathtub.
Larger carpets can be brought to a professional cleaning company or you can try a vacuum suction device yourself. Such cleaning machines can be borrowed from specialist dealers or machine rentals for a small fee.
This is also a great way to clean the carpeting. On YouTube, you can find numerous films on how to use these devices for cleaning carpets.
In the past, when there were no professional carpet cleaners, the carpet was placed upside down on a clean blanket of snow in winter. After half an hour the carpet was clean but not too wet and could be put back inside.
A particularly effective and inexpensive method is to sprinkle colored detergent into the carpet. Let it work for at least an hour. Then you simply suck the powder out again with the vacuum cleaner – done!
Summary
Carpets make a home really comfortable, but they are exposed to great stress every day. Thorough cleaning extends their lifespan.
Here you will find tips on how to remove stains and clean carpets with tried and tested home remedies such as baking soda.
