Vancouverites, watch out for these dangers to your carpets!
We have all been there, when we are just minding our own business when you or someone else drops something on your carpet, resulting in a big and very notorious stain. If this has not happened to you, you are very lucky, if you have, then we understand your pain.
And when you get a stain on your carpet it can be a real struggle to get it out. Sometimes we are never able to clean those stains, and when we try we can even make it worse by making the stain bigger and harder to clean. It is important that you know basic and important facts about how to clean your carpet, because not all stains are exactly the same and not all carpets are exactly the same. |
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So in the following list, you will learn the basic information about carpet cleaning that will make cleaning your carpet easier, with or without stains:
• No matter the type of stain or carpet, never ever rub it harshly or without care. Don't do it because it will make the stain spread or set and it will cause the fiber of the carpet to break, which will decrease its quality and life spam.
• Take good care of your carpet even if it has no stains. Try to vacuum it very frequently and with a quality vacuum. This will get rid of debris if you vacuum in different directions. And talking about directions, always follow the manufacturer's instructions about how to clean the carpet.
• Get an entrance mat. This will prevent soils from making your carpet dirty. With an entrance mat, the majority of dirt will be removed at the entrance. There is no way to completely stop dirt from getting inside and on your carpet, but a good 80% will stay outside.
• Just like vacuums are important for a clean carpet, also make sure you have a steam cleaner. Steaming is a great way to clean carpets because you are not using any chemicals, and it is ideal if you are on a tight budget and can't afford cleaning professionals.
• If you are going to use chemicals to clean your carpet, don't do it directly on the stain, first try it on a hidden part of the carpet, like in a closet for example. Pour some of the chemical on the carpet and see if there is any reaction that damages the carpet. If not, then you're good to go.
Pretty simple and useful tips right? Well, although they are, the true best way to keep a carpet clean and brand new is not staining it. I know it sounds easier than it is but it is possible. Take good care of your carpet and be precautious. Precaution is the best type of carpet cleaning.
So, in order for you to be precautious, you need to know what are the biggest threats to a clean carpet. Some specific drinks and substances are very very hard –if not impossible– to clean. So, these are the four most dangerous things for your carpet:
1. Wine and grape juice
Both of this drinks have a sting purple color, resulting in deep colored stains on your carpet. Fruit stains –but especially grape– are very difficult to remove from the fibers. It is very similar with red wine. When it touches a carpet, it causes instant damage.
2. Blood
This is one of the hardest stains to clean because it dries very quickly. And when you or anyone at your house gets injured and leaves blood on the carpet, you won't go directly to clean the carpet, you help the injured person. That's the time when the blood dries, making it almost impossible to clean.
3. Ink
All kinds of inks are made of many chemicals, so whenever ink touches a carpet, all the chemicals in it tend to destroy the fibers of the carpet. It can be very very hard to get rid of all those chemicals that the ink has.
4. Bodily fluids
Just like blood, you need to remove it as quickly as you can. If there is an accident, whether with the pet or with a kid, you need to act quickly to prevent fatal damage. Vomit for example, is one of those stains that are irremovable. The best thing to do is clean as fast as you can so the stain doesn't go deeper.
As you can see, all of them are substances that you could find at your house. There could always be an accident, or your kid could drop or spill his juice box, you never know. So that's why you have to be very careful and prevent those stains as much as you can.
What you also need to be very careful with is cleaning products. It is very common that someone mixes common products together because "it will make it easier and faster". But that is not true. When you mix strong alkali type products you might end up with a disastrous situation.
What can happen of you mix two common household cleaning agents is that a poisonous gas is produced. This gas can be very dangerous for your health and it definitely won't leave your carpet clean.
If you do not want to use products with many chemicals, you don't have to. There are many ways in which you can prepare your own homemade carpet cleaning product. There are specialized "recipes" for different purposes and you can find all ingredients in your kitchen.
For an average one, that will clean many kind of stains, you need the following ingredients:
•1 tablespoon of dish washing liquid
•1 tablespoon of white vinegar
•1 cup of warm water
•1 teaspoon of baking soda
Mix them and put them in a spray bottle. Then just spray it on the carpet and help yourself with an absorbent towel and a clean sponge.
Now you know the most important things there are to know about carpet cleaning. Hopefully, from know on having a clean carpet won't be such a trouble for you. And if there is a stain on your carpet waiting to be cleaned, then don't wait any longer to get rid of it!
• No matter the type of stain or carpet, never ever rub it harshly or without care. Don't do it because it will make the stain spread or set and it will cause the fiber of the carpet to break, which will decrease its quality and life spam.
• Take good care of your carpet even if it has no stains. Try to vacuum it very frequently and with a quality vacuum. This will get rid of debris if you vacuum in different directions. And talking about directions, always follow the manufacturer's instructions about how to clean the carpet.
• Get an entrance mat. This will prevent soils from making your carpet dirty. With an entrance mat, the majority of dirt will be removed at the entrance. There is no way to completely stop dirt from getting inside and on your carpet, but a good 80% will stay outside.
• Just like vacuums are important for a clean carpet, also make sure you have a steam cleaner. Steaming is a great way to clean carpets because you are not using any chemicals, and it is ideal if you are on a tight budget and can't afford cleaning professionals.
• If you are going to use chemicals to clean your carpet, don't do it directly on the stain, first try it on a hidden part of the carpet, like in a closet for example. Pour some of the chemical on the carpet and see if there is any reaction that damages the carpet. If not, then you're good to go.
Pretty simple and useful tips right? Well, although they are, the true best way to keep a carpet clean and brand new is not staining it. I know it sounds easier than it is but it is possible. Take good care of your carpet and be precautious. Precaution is the best type of carpet cleaning.
So, in order for you to be precautious, you need to know what are the biggest threats to a clean carpet. Some specific drinks and substances are very very hard –if not impossible– to clean. So, these are the four most dangerous things for your carpet:
1. Wine and grape juice
Both of this drinks have a sting purple color, resulting in deep colored stains on your carpet. Fruit stains –but especially grape– are very difficult to remove from the fibers. It is very similar with red wine. When it touches a carpet, it causes instant damage.
2. Blood
This is one of the hardest stains to clean because it dries very quickly. And when you or anyone at your house gets injured and leaves blood on the carpet, you won't go directly to clean the carpet, you help the injured person. That's the time when the blood dries, making it almost impossible to clean.
3. Ink
All kinds of inks are made of many chemicals, so whenever ink touches a carpet, all the chemicals in it tend to destroy the fibers of the carpet. It can be very very hard to get rid of all those chemicals that the ink has.
4. Bodily fluids
Just like blood, you need to remove it as quickly as you can. If there is an accident, whether with the pet or with a kid, you need to act quickly to prevent fatal damage. Vomit for example, is one of those stains that are irremovable. The best thing to do is clean as fast as you can so the stain doesn't go deeper.
As you can see, all of them are substances that you could find at your house. There could always be an accident, or your kid could drop or spill his juice box, you never know. So that's why you have to be very careful and prevent those stains as much as you can.
What you also need to be very careful with is cleaning products. It is very common that someone mixes common products together because "it will make it easier and faster". But that is not true. When you mix strong alkali type products you might end up with a disastrous situation.
What can happen of you mix two common household cleaning agents is that a poisonous gas is produced. This gas can be very dangerous for your health and it definitely won't leave your carpet clean.
If you do not want to use products with many chemicals, you don't have to. There are many ways in which you can prepare your own homemade carpet cleaning product. There are specialized "recipes" for different purposes and you can find all ingredients in your kitchen.
For an average one, that will clean many kind of stains, you need the following ingredients:
•1 tablespoon of dish washing liquid
•1 tablespoon of white vinegar
•1 cup of warm water
•1 teaspoon of baking soda
Mix them and put them in a spray bottle. Then just spray it on the carpet and help yourself with an absorbent towel and a clean sponge.
Now you know the most important things there are to know about carpet cleaning. Hopefully, from know on having a clean carpet won't be such a trouble for you. And if there is a stain on your carpet waiting to be cleaned, then don't wait any longer to get rid of it!