Tips to Get Clean Home Carpet

While many people like a clean carpet, utilizing a professional carpet cleaner isn't always an option. While it is often difficult to get a carpet as clean as a professional carpet cleaner, here are some great carpet cleaning tips to help keep your home clean and fresh.

Use Heat
In order to clean the carpet, it is almost always necessary to use extremely hot water. Heat is one of three factors that professional carpet cleaners utilize when cleaning the carpet. Hot water extraction cleaning, also known as steam cleaning, is most effective when water is between 150 and 200°F. Steam cleaning is an important method to use if you want to get the carpet as clean as possible.

When you steam clean a carpet, three factors work together to ensure that your carpet gets sufficiently cleaned. These factors are the heat of the water, agitation, and dwell time. If you find that you can't maximize one of the factors, it is advisable to try to overcompensate in one of the other areas. For example, if you are unable to use water that is at a very high temperature, you may still be able to get the same cleaning results by letting the solution dwell in the carpet longer than usual.

Use Detergent
When using a steam cleaning method, it is always important to use a detergent in your solution. Detergent works to attract dirt particles. In order to make sure the detergent is effective, it is necessary to rinse often while cleaning the carpet. This ensures that the detergent is able to do its work without simply transferring dirty water from one portion of the carpet to the next.

Use a Shop Vac
Utilizing a shop vac is a great way to clean stubborn stains in a carpet. Although it may be necessary to wash, rinse, and vacuum the affected area several times before the stain is removed, the shop vac is much more efficient than trying to scrub out the stain by hand.

Use Rugs
To prevent stains from occurring, many carpet cleaners recommend putting rugs or mats on the inside and outside of the front door. These rugs work to trap dirt from the outside before it is carried into the house. This helps reduce the amount of vacuuming, but it also works to protect the carpet. Dirt can actually harm the carpet by cutting into the carpet fibers. Once the fibers are damaged the carpet tends to stain more easily and it is harder to remove the stains. Removing your shoes before entering the house is also a great way to prevent dirt damage.

Once you are ready to clean your carpet, start by vacuuming and then use a portable steam cleaner, being sure to get the water as hot as possible. Fans can help dry the carpet quickly after it has been cleaned. Using these tips consistently will help you maintain a clean carpet while lengthening the time between professional cleanings. These simple carpet cleaning tips can help keep your carpets clean between professional carpet cleanings.