How To Properly Clean Carpet

From muddy shoes to the odd spot of food, stubborn pet hair or the dreaded red wine stain — our carpets cope with a lot more than a quick vacuum can contend with.

According to carpet cleaning expert Bissell, on average we vacuum our carpets about once a week. And while this may sound respectable, carpets are a high traffic area, so could benefit from a regular in-depth clean to keep them looking their best.

Embedded dirt and germs can be found deep into the carpet pile, and can even become a haven for dust mites — a real nuisance for those with allergies.

How do I clean my carpet myself?

Here we show you five simple steps to ensure your carpet gets the deep clean it deserves — without having to call in the professionals.

Shampoo your carpet

Wash carpets every three months using one of our top rated carpet cleaning machines, from the likes of Bissell or Vax. Choose a shampoo that includes a protector such as Scotchgard, as this adds a stain protector to the fibres.

If space is an issue, you could consider hiring a machine. Rug Doctor can be hired from most branches of B&Q for around £22 a day.

Remove carpet indents

Heavy furniture can leave stubborn indents and impression marks in carpets. To remove these, simply rub an ice cube over the affected area.

Avoid stains

Take care with liquid stains — over-blotting could push the spill further into the carpet fibres, making the stain worse. Treat stains as soon as they occur using a carpet cleaner, which will lift the liquid straight up.

For badly stained areas, you might want to use a pre-treatment. This will help shift the stain from beneath, making it ready for the carpet cleaner to lift it away.

Certain stains such as chocolate and mud should be treated once the stain has dried. Food, coffee, tea and red wine should be removed when wet.

pinstock Getty Images

Dry thoroughly

Avoid letting your carpet get too wet – the dyes from any underlay or backing materials could leach through. Use a hair dryer to dry spot-treated areas.

Vacuum

Make sure you vacuum the edges of your carpet and under radiators with the crevice tool. This will help to prevent black lines forming around the skirting board.

Carpet cleaning kit

Fairy Non-Bio Stain Removal Powder

Vanish Gold Oxi Action Stain Remover Spray

E-cloth General Purpose Cleaning Cloths

Dr Beckmann Stain Devils Pre-Wash Stain Remover

Dr Beckmann amazon.co.uk

£7.68

Flash Magic Eraser Extra Power Cleaner

Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.

SIGN UP

httpshearstemsecurenetoptiextcraspxidji6fcfanxssxq3lgzd4nfi9frmn7aifzxrjwg7bjfdayntfm1xid6rk2bllyoercihhlq0bpyi77ujw

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io