Here’s how to make your carpets look fresh in an hour
If your your carpet is looking less than fresh, you can brighten it up in around an hour with a few low-cost items you probably already have around your home. The best part? You don’t need a steam cleaner.
This process is affordable and easy, and all you need is shaving cream and baking soda.
Remove stains with a blast of foam
First, your carpet probably needs a spot-clean. An easy, low-cost solution to get rid of carpet stains is shaving cream. Spray the stain with some foam shaving cream (not the gel kind) and let it sit for 30 minutes.
Then, blot it with a clean cloth. This solution works on a wide range of stain types, including grease. Before you tackle the stain, do a test patch in an inconspicuous area of your carpet to ensure it won’t cause any discoloration.
Freshen up with some baking soda
Next, sprinkle a liberal amount of baking soda on the carpet and let it sit for 10 minutes. How liberal? You’ll need around one box of baking soda per 10 by 10 feet (3 by 3 meters) room.
The baking soda will absorb odors and cling to dirt particles, making them easier to remove. After the 10 minutes is up, just vacuum like normal. Your carpet will be extra fresh and looking clean.
Bonus tip: Get rid of pet smells
Pet smells are almost impossible to get rid of, but there is a solution. Mix 16 ounces (about 500 ml) of warm water with 10 drops of peppermint essential oil (you can use two tablespoons of peppermint extract instead). Then, spray the stinky area with the solution and let it dry.
Carpet Maintenance Tips
Installing new carpeting in your home is an investment and a responsibility. You’ve chosen to not only make your home more beautiful and more comfortable, but you’ve also added to its value and taken steps to decrease your heating and/or cooling expense. As such, it is important that you protect your investment with proper carpet maintenance and care so it continues to add beauty and value to your home for many years.
Caring for your carpet is easy with the right tools. All you should need to keep your carpet looking beautiful on a daily basis is a vacuum, a good stain remover and a pair of scissors.
- Vacuum weekly. Try to vacuum at least once a week to keep dirt and debris from becoming embedded in the carpet fibers. If the area sees a lot of foot traffic, you may need to vacuum more often.
Keep in mind that the type of vacuum you use, as well as how you use it makes a big difference. For instance, you’ll want to use the highest setting on the head of your vacuum to avoid damaging the ends of the fibers. Furthermore, your vacuum should have efficient airflow and large wheels as well.
- Address spills immediately. The longer a stain sits on carpeting, the harder it is to get out. Remove as much of the spill as possible by scooping or blotting, and then add a small amount of water and blot with a towel. Only use a stain remover if necessary, and only use one that’s approved for use with your type of carpeting. Always avoid scrubbing the fibers.
- Clip snags. Don’t pull them. When you see snags in the carpet, don’t pull them. Instead, use a pair of sharp scissors to clip the snag even with the rest of the fibers.
- Remove furniture dents. You can remove dents caused by furniture easily by rubbing the edge of a quarter across them to encourage the fibers to stand back up.
Clean with baking soda and vinegar
Similar to the methods listed above, using homemade carpet cleaner made of vinegar or baking soda can help refresh your pile, and has the added benefit of spot cleaning.
Start by liberally applying baking soda to the carpet and working it in with a stiff brush.
Baking soda acts as a natural carpet cleaner, both by removing odors and killing bacteria. Make sure to rub it in more than just one direction and use a fair amount of pressure to fully saturate the carpet.
Allow the baking soda to sit overnight, and then vacuum it up.
Next, mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle, and liberally coat the area. Use your brush to raise the pile, and let dry. The smell of vinegar will dissipate after a few hours, and you’ll be left with a clean, new-looking patch of carpet.
Make sure not to put the baking soda and vinegar on your carpet at the same time. The result will be a thick, foamy white substance similar to what’s produced in grade school science projects about volcanoes.
Although the cleaning efficacy won’t be reduced, dealing with the additional mess will be time consuming.
How to bring carpet back to life
Things like stains, snagging and a flattened pile can make a carpet look like it has seen better days, but there are plenty of things you can do to bring your carpet back to life
Go for the snip
Snagging caused by pet claws or sliding heavy furniture across the room can quickly make carpet look tatty. People often try to remedy the problem by pulling the thread, but this will just create a carpet run, making the problem look even worse. With snagging, the simple solution to bringing your carpet back to life is to trim it with sharp scissors.
We’ve even heard you can use shaving foam (yes, really!)
Stains can instantly age a carpet but help is at hand with good old shaving foam. Yep, from grease to lipstick, shaving foam can see off pretty much any stain and bring your carpet back to life. Just squirt the shaving cream on the stain, leave for 30 minutes then blot with a dry cloth.
Get raking
A carpet rake could be your new best friend in the quest to bring your carpet back to life. It’s a simple tool – basically a rake with small plastic or metal teeth – and a simple process. Just rake towards you, in the opposite direction of the pile, and marvel at your new-look carpet. Not to be used on woven carpet, though. Carpet rakes are available from Amazon, from around £15.
Fluff it up
Matted carpet can easily be brought back to life. Spritz a little warm water onto the matted area then gently blow-dry with a hairdryer as you fluff the carpet fibres back into place with your fingers, the edge of a spoon or a hairpin. Allow the carpet to dry completely before walking on it.
Clean and freshen up
Baking soda is the go-to solution for bringing your carpet back to life. Not only does it clean, it also kills bacteria, refreshes the pile and removes odours. Apply plenty of baking soda to completely cover your carpet then use a stiff brush to work it in, rubbing it in different directions. Leave the baking soda overnight then just vacuum up the next day.
Tips For Cleaning And Caring For Your New Carpet
Vacuum
It will not harm your carpet if you vacuum it as soon as it has been laid, and at regular intervals after that, even if it does not look particularly dirty. A new carpet will contain some short fibres which will be removed by vacuuming. The amount of short fibre which is removed from the carpet in the first few weeks after installation can look very dramatic, but in reality it is only a very small proportion of the pile weight and will in no way affect the carpet’s performance. Regular cleaning will help to keep your carpet looking good for years!
Put down barrier mats
Barrier mats are used to help keep your carpet clean. All types of flooring get dirty but some show dirt more than others. Wool rich carpets, because of the nature of the wool fibre, will generally hide it better than synthetic products and will also be easier to clean. However, it’s a good idea to use small mats or an offcut of your new carpet in kitchen doorways or in other areas where the carpet is next to a hard floor to prevent greasy spots spreading to the carpet. Doorways where there is street access will also benefit from a small offcut or rug. Please remember to keep these mats clean so that dirt does not spread onto the carpet.
Deal with stains immediately
Important: Never rub or over wet your carpet when trying to remove marks. It is very important to clean up spillages as soon as they occur. Do not rub as this will roughen and untwist the pile. Solid residues should be gently removed by scraping with a knife, and greasy residues can be treated with an oil/grease remover sprayed onto an absorbent cloth. Blot frequently but do not rub. Liquid spillages should be blotted up as far as possible with a clean, white cloth or absorbent tissue. Then use a WoolSafe-Approved shampoo solution or trouble shooter spray for upholstery and carpet. Moisten the area of the stain and then blot thoroughly with clean tissue or cloths. Repeat as necessary and allow to dry thoroughly before walking on the area. A wet suction vacuum cleaner can also be used to remove spillages and the trouble shooter spray from the carpet. However, do not use water in the machines, as you do not want to over wet the carpet.