Where Not To Put a Carpet – Think About The Cleaning

Carpets are lovely fluffy things that add warmth and softness and even quiet to our homes – when they’re nice and clean, that is. However, even though carpet is a splendid and lovely thing in most rooms, as long as it’s the right colour (but that’s another story!), there are some places where you definitely shouldn’t have a carpet down. Maybe I should qualify that statement: there are some places where the carpet shouldn’t go if you want it to stay looking nice.

Cleaning Your Carpet is Affected by Where It’s Placed

The unfortunate truth about carpets is that they collect dirt. This isn’t just because dust and dirt are trapped easily by carpet fibres as they swirl through our lives (meaning the dust and dirt; carpets can’t usually be described as swirling). It’s not just because children, dogs, and even adults who should know better march over them with mud on their shoes and feet. It’s also because carpets are on the floors rather than on the walls (unless they’re prized Persian carpets hung on the wall as décor), and when anything gets spilt, tipped, sprayed or dropped, it goes down, thanks to gravity, where the carpet is waiting.

What’s more, although vacuum cleaners are fantastic inventions and regular vacuuming does wonders for any carpet, there’s only so much they can do. They can’t remove the dirt trapped deep inside a carpet. They can’t remove liquids that have dried on, and they can’t remove bacteria. Steam cleaning, especially when carried out by a professional Chelsea carpet cleaner, can, of course. If a carpet gets wet, it also provides a very snug environment for bacteria and mould, which you don’t want in your home because it’s as bad for you as it is for the carpet. This means that if your carpet is in the wrong sort of place where it gets wet a lot or extremely dirty, it will either turn into a nightmare or a professional carpet care person like me is going to be a very, very regular visitor to your house.

Unfortunately, not everybody seems to have twigged to this idea yet. In the course of both my professional and my personal life, I’ve come across some decidedly manky carpets, classic examples of where not to put a carpet.

Don’t Place Mini Carpets by the Toilet

I sympathise with the idea of not getting cold feet when you get up first thing in the morning (or in the middle of the night); I really do. Certainly, carpets in the rest of the house do this job beautifully. However, those little mats that sit around the base of the loo are literally a step too far. We all know what goes on in the toilet. Even the most accurate marksman (and I mean man in this case if you know what I mean) doesn’t always manage to get it all in the right place. Small children sometimes open the floodgates far too early. People pull mean and creative pranks involving clingfilm. Women between the ages of about 13 and 50 know that leakages happen on certain days of the month. Other people, especially drunk, can be inaccurate when throwing up in the toilet. Even in the case of perfect accuracy, there’s a fine spray that rises into the air when the button is flushed, and not all of that aerosol spray makes it back down into the toilet bowl.

In short, those mini carpets very quickly become the most unhygienic items imaginable. If you really can’t stand cold feet when you go for a pee first thing on a chilly morning, at least use slippers or thick bedsocks, which are easier to wash and don’t get a regular dollop of namelessness on them.

Don’t Place it in the Kitchen

We all know that the kitchen is the heart of the home, so it seems like such a cosy idea to put carpets on the floor. Besides, cutting down on the echoes would save a few frazzled nerves when one tries to cook when hungry and headachy. And what about cushioning those glasses that slip out of your hand when you’re unloading the dishwasher? Nevertheless, carpets and kitchens really don’t mix – or maybe that should read that they mix only too well. Ask my mother, who had carpet in her kitchen in one of the homes she rented once.

Kitchens are where we prepare food, wash dishes, make coffee and sometimes feed the cat. I don’t think I go through a single day without getting something on the kitchen floor, even if it’s just a few drops of water that were once steam that condensed on the lid of the saucepan boiling my pasta. Most of us have had some kitchen catastrophe involving food and other liquids going everywhere – and if you haven’t, you will. There was a time the lid wasn’t on the blender properly when someone made a banana smoothie. There was the curry and the attempt at making jam that boiled over. There was the jar of beetroot that didn’t have the lid on quite properly that took a nosedive between the countertop and the fridge. There’s always toast that falls on the floor, butter side down. There’s the overenthusiastic coffee maker that splutters when it’s working. These create enough of a mess when there’s a sensible hard floor, but they’re an absolute nightmare to clean on the carpet.

Things are even worse when it comes to life’s inevitable broken wine glasses. On a hard floor, one can see where all the sharp shards are and sweep or vacuum them up easily. A carpet gives those wickedly sharp bits of glass a place to hide in wait for unsuspecting feet and fingers. Jagged edges catch on the carpet fibres and refuse to go up the vacuum. Nine times out of ten, it’s in the kitchen that wine glasses and the like break, rather than over carpets, and not just because carpets are softer surfaces for them to fall on.

Don’t Place it in the Garage

Car enthusiasts and DIY mechanics spend a lot of time standing up, working on something, or lying on their backs doing something underneath the car. It makes sense that you’d want to cushion that hard concrete floor a bit. Carpet seems ideal for this, but garages are even messier than kitchens when it comes to things getting spilt and dropped on them – and paint, engine oil and wood varnish are a lot harder to remove from carpets than, say, beetroot juice and curry. However, these are pretty beastly as well. Honestly, having carpet down in a garage will be a losing battle if you expect to keep said carpet clean.

In fact, it’s probably wisest to consider any carpet in the garage as a write-off that will look manky, filthy, grimy and generally disgusting. Have one, by all means, but don’t expect it to be very pretty, any more than you’d expect your overalls to look pretty. If the carpet you lie on while getting busy with a socket set under the car starts to grow mould, however, it’s high time that you chucked it out (don’t bother trying to salvage it unless you want to spend several fortunes on getting the carpets cleaned) for your health.

Suppose your landlord has put a carpet down somewhere in the garage. In that case, your best bet is to roll it up and store it in a corner because there is no way under the sun that you will be able to maintain it in good condition if you want to actually, you know, use the garage to park your car in or keep your bikes and tools in.

Tips & Tricks For Washing And Cleaning Carpets

It is no secret that carpets are that part of the furniture that contributes greatly to the comfort that every housewife is trying to achieve. After their purchase, they quickly depreciate, regardless of quality, strength, price or manufacturer.

It is important to be aware of several basic specifics regarding the maintenance and washing of carpets. This article will look carefully and focus on the main issues that concern people worldwide, especially self-respecting homeowners.

When to wash a carpet

You may already have guessed that summer is the best time of the year, which predisposes you to carpet washing. Then the temperatures are favourable for hard-to-dry fabrics and give them a chance to quickly return to where they belong, namely on the floor.

Before you rush to the main activity – laundry, you should be aware that pre-preparation is something you should not miss. So do not waste time, but take out of the closet one of your favourite appliances – the vacuum cleaner – and with its direct assistance, clean this colourful flooring as best as possible.

Should we take the carpet to the car wash?

Many hurried citizens are deprived of free time to invest in caring for their homes. In speed, they often fail to pay attention to some small but essential details. They hurry to the nearest car wash with the idea that their carpet will shine with purity after the intervention. But it’s not like that.

In most cases, you should not expose the carpets to aggressive cold jets, which can shorten their service life. It would be good to read the label on the back and then start cleaning it, choosing the proper method.

What detergents are the most suitable for the maintenance of carpets?

If your carpet does not need deep cleaning and is not too dirty, then a soap and water solution would do a great job. Of course, don’t forget that this only applies to the flooring part where there are no stains from coffee, tea, chocolate or other unrecognizable traces left by your two-year-old.

Under no circumstances should you use those preparations that leave a lasting acetone odour. Many people ask the same question about which detergent is suitable for washing their carpets. While in the supermarket, you will not be able to find out, as the many labels say in large letters, that you have come across an ultra-textile cleaner. Therefore, we advise putting a few drops on a plate and, after 12 hours to check the mixture. If it is still sticky, we advise you not to apply it but to put it directly in the waste container.

In order not to turn out after you finish cleaning that the carpet is completely unusable and you have to buy a new one:

1. Carefully read the manufacturer’s label on the back of the carpet. It should describe which method of washing carpets to use and which detergents you can treat the fabric. Choose a market that offers special carpet cleaners powerful enough to remove overlays and at the same time non-aggressive.
   
2. Do not throw yourself on the first water jet. Some carpets are completely unsuitable after washing with a water jet. The strong jet can damage the carpet to such an extent that it is completely unusable after the operation.
   
3. Do not hang the carpet on a lever. You know the yard’s lever if you regularly take out your carpets. Yes, it is everyone’s first helper, but not when drying an already washed carpet. Due to the weight of the water, while it is wet, it can be deformed and not lie stretched out on the floor. It is also possible that the part on the lever will whiten and thus get a new pattern with a light stripe in the middle. The carpet dries in a flat, ventilated place, lying on the ground.
   
4. Trust a professional. Do not choose from the Internet. Let your acquaintances share their impressions of professional carpet cleaning and washing companies. Some companies even take the carpet from your home and return it after it is dry. Others require you to bring the carpet and pick it up after finishing the laundry. The quality of the work performed primarily by the number of customers and the price will guide you. It is a signal lamp if you do not see people interested in the service. Too low price indicates that the service offered is not up to standard.
   Choose only a proven carpet cleaning company that has been operating for many years and knows how to approach your carpet.

And now, here are some easy tips and methods for cleaning carpets from stains depending on the type of stains:

Liquid stains

You can clean stains from liquids such as pastels, ice cream or latex paint. Take a simple carpet and rug cleaner and add 20 ml of dish detergent and 1 cup of white vinegar. Spray the stain, leave for about a minute and rub with a towel. Be sure to wipe the top with a clean cloth soaked in water.

Stubborn stains

For more stubborn stains such as blood, wine, tea, coffee or chocolate, try the following:

1. Mix 1 tablespoon of ammonia and one teaspoon of warm water.
2. Do not place this mixture directly on the carpet or rug.
3. Dip an absorbent cloth in it and wipe the stain with it.
   Here, because of the ammonia, it is mandatory, after removing the stain, to go over with a clean cloth soaked in water and then with a dry cloth.

Oily stains

For greasy stains left by oil or the like, you can use the following method: place a paper towel on the stain and press with an iron on top, turning it on the steam function. Oily stains come out immediately, remaining on the paper towel.

Glue

Glue stains are stubborn, especially if left long ago. To deal with them, try this method:

1. Take a soft cotton cloth and moisten it well with alcohol.
2. Rub with light circular motions on the affected surface. You may need to repeat this procedure once more to completely remove all glue particles.
3. Don’t worry – the smell of alcohol disappears almost immediately.

Wax and gum

A sticky piece of gum or spilt candle wax is unpleasant, but there is a solution to this problem. Use ice to freeze the wax or gum, then scrape with a blunt object such as a spoon. You should act quickly before the pieces of wax or gum soften again.

How to Cope with the Most Common Stains, Providing Safe and Effective Carpet Cleaning

There are a variety of flooring products used in households and businesses today. Many use bamboo, wood, tile, vinyl, stone, laminate and cork ones. Yet, carpeting will always find its deserved place in homes and commercial places. It remains a popular item that ensures warmth and cosiness. But you need to ensure its proper maintenance.

Compared to the upkeep of hard floors, carpets need less frequent cleaning. It needs once per week vacuuming and once every six months of deep cleaning. To make sure your Persian and any other types of carpets continue to look like new and fresh, you need to provide effective carpet cleaning.

How to Maintain Your Carpets?

Sooner or later it is inevitable that your carpets become victims of accidental spills, stains and soiling. If you want to learn how to safely and properly restore their cleanliness, keep reading. Here, you will learn some useful hacks from the experts. They will prolong the lifespan of your soft floor covering. Using some common ingredients you have at home and non-aggressive products, you can remove most types of stains and spills. This is possible, easy and without excessive costs. Learn how to do this from the tricks presented below!

Get Rid of Stains Using Club Soda or White Vinegar Carpet Cleaning Solution

You may know that with the help of club soda you can remove wine and beer stains from your carpets. This is true if you apply the right method. The first thing you should do is spread club soda on a clean cloth and use it to blot the stain as much as possible. If the stain is still there but seems lighter, repeat the same process this time using more club soda.

If this isn’t effective enough, then make a mixture of white vinegar and water in a one-to-one ratio. Spray this created cleaning solution on the stained area and leave it to work for 10 to 15 minutes. After it soaks well, press a clean and dry sponge down on the area. This is necessary to soak up the vinegar cleaning solution along with the diluted stain. If the removal isn’t complete, repeat the same process until the spill vanishes.

After you have eliminated the stain, rinse the treated area with clean and warm water. Brush the carpet stands with your hand into their natural direction. The last thing you have to do to finish the carpet cleaning process is to lay a few white paper towels onto the cleaned area. Weigh them down using some heavy book or another heavy object. The towels will absorb the dampness from the carpet. Make sure to leave the towels until the carpet becomes completely dry. This normally takes about one day.

Emergency Stain Removal

You may think that when a stain occurs the best thing you can do is to start scrubbing it immediately. However, this is not the proper thing to do. Carpet cleaning experts with over 30 years of experience reveal this is a common mistake. It will only make the stain drive down into the carpet fabrics. Instead, you can lightly dab the stains. Use some cleaning solution and a clean sponge, cloth or paper towel.

The best thing you can do to remove the splodge is blotting it. This puts a small amount of pressure on it and you can soak it up. If you rub the stained area, it makes dirt particles spread into the fibres. This, on its side, leads to premature damaging of the carpet fibres.

Another thing you must remember and apply is always blotting from the outside edge of the smudge inward towards the centre. If you blot outwards, you will spread the stain particles further across the carpet.

Shaving Cream – the Universal and the Best Stain Remover

You can make most commons stains vanish using shaving cream, no matter how unbelievable this may seem to you. Shaving cream is effective in the removal of almost every kind of stain. Apply the shaving cream directly onto the stain and let it work for about 30 minutes. This is the advice of the carpet cleaning experts.

After the shaving cream has been applied and has stayed for half an hour, blot it up with a piece of dry clean white cloth. The last thing you can do is spray the dirty area with a cleaning solution. Prepare the latter in a spray bottle by mixing 50% of it with water and 50% with white vinegar. Use a cloth to wipe away this solution.

Clean Grease From Your Carpet with Dish Soap

Undeniably, greasy spills are the hardest to remove from carpets. Not, if you know the proper ingredients and technique to apply on them. The secret is to use the right dish soap.

Apply a few drops of dish soap that is effective in grease removal into a cup of warm water. Dissolve the soap by gently mixing the solution and pour it into a spray bottle. Use the spray you just created to soak the greasy stain.

Next, use a white cloth or paper towels to blot it up. Check the result and depending on the age and size of the stain repeat a few times or as many times as if necessary. This must do the work.

How to Remove Chewing Gum from Your Carpet

The most successful way to remove chewing gum that has stuck on your home carpet is using ice cubes. Grab several ice cubes from your freezer and use them to press against the chewing gum for 30 to 45 seconds. This must freeze the gum solid and then, you can use a spoon to remove the messy mass.

Now, you need to use scissors or other sharp instruments like a knife to cut the carpet strands. Cut as close to the gum as you can to cut the damages. In the best case, you will cut only a tiny part of the carpet fibres and the spot will be invisible for the naked eye.

Safe Removal of Heat Hardened Wax From Carpeting

If your Christmas candles have left wax on your carpet, you are probably wondering how to remove it from the surface and material. Once having dripped, the wax hardens very fast and can get embedded in the carpet fibres. The best way to get rid of this mess is by using heat to turn the wax back to a semi-liquid state. This way you will remove it easier.

Put a white cloth on the area with wax and heat the iron to a warm temperature using the “no-steam” setting. Set the iron on top of the waxed area and wait for it to melt. After you do that you will be able to soften the wax to the necessary degree. Finally, you can use a butter knife to scrape off the wax mass.

Carpet Cleaning After Pets’ Accidents

If you are a proud owner of pets, especially young ones, you know that it is a matter of time before accidents happen on the carpet. This is normal and not such a big problem now that you know what to do. You need to have an organic cleaner rather than using caustic chemicals. Buy such cleaning products and spray the selected one onto the stain.

You may need to do some scrubbing to get rid of the stains and odour from the pet. In the final stage of the process, wipe up the cleaning product using paper towels or a white cloth. Once you purchase non-toxic cleaners, they will come handy on many occasions. When you have to remove other stains such as from coffee, sauces and other kinds, apply the eco-friendly cleaner.

Our Last Tip – Do Not Skip the Deep Cleaning

The most efficient way to maintain your soft floor coverings in top condition and use them longer is regularly deep clean them. Use a deep cleaner machine to sanitise your carpets. It injects a cleaning solution under pressure deep in the carpet fabrics. This happens with the help of water-jet nozzles. There is an extra benefit of this carpet cleaning method. The machine also extracts the cleaning solution and moisture it has injected along with the debris and dirt.

The hot water and steam effectively remove all dust, debris and greasy deposits that have embedded in the fibres. They reach down to the carpet backing and loosens all the dirt. Steam cleaning will leave your carpets cleaner than ever. Experts recommend doing it every 6 months for a four-person household.

And one last thing. Always dry the cleaned area before leaving your carpets to be stepped on. It will make it protected from fast and easier soling since moisture attracts more dirt than dry surfaces.

Nine Carpet Care Ideas For Pet Owners

Not All Pets Make Messes But…

Animals – we love them! Quite a lot of people have a pet of some kind, whether it’s just a goldfish in a little bowl to an entire menagerie of cats, dogs, hamsters and pot-bellied pigs. However, there are times when, as much as we love them, they drive us mad, especially when it comes to caring for our carpets and ensuring that the carpet looks nice and welcoming.

Obviously, some animals aren’t a problem for carpets. Goldfish can’t do much to your carpet, if anything. The only way a goldfish will harm the carpet is if something happens to its bowl and it spills onto the floor; even then, it’s not so much the goldfish that does the damage but the water (pick up the goldfish first and return it to water, then blot up the spill with a bunch of old towels). Cold-blooded pets of the reptilian or fish kind are safe for carpets. Feathered friends aren’t too bad but it’s the mammals that are the hardest on carpets.

How Pets Get Carpets Dirty

It’s the hair that’s the real nuisance – that thing that makes mammals unique (that and feeding their young on milk). About the only mammals that don’t have hair are dolphins and whales, and you probably don’t have those in your living room. However, cats and dogs are beautifully soft and fluffy… and their hair gets all over the carpets. Even the best behaved cat or dog that knows how to use the litter box or do their business outside, and who never gets paws muddy will shed hair – with the exception of hairless dogs and cats (they exist but they’re certainly not everybody’s cup of tea). There seems to be a natural affinity between those hairs and carpets, as you probably already know.

However, that’s not the only way that pets mess carpets. There’s that inevitable stage when they’re learning where to go and where not to go. If you have pet mice, which don’t have sphincters on their bladders, they’ll never get the hang of housetraining no matter how hard you try. All pet owners have had to cope with the scenario involving a dark puddle on the carpet and either (a) a puppy looking up with an “I tried but…” expression on its face or (b) a kitten looking blasé about the whole thing.

Then there’s the muddy paws, the birds or mice brought in half dead and bleeding, the bitches on heat with discharge, and the cats who prefer carpets to the scratching post. As if that wasn’t enough, fleas are attracted to warm-blooded mammals and your pets can bring them inside to make a home in your carpets. It’s just as well we love our pets so much…

Tips To Care For Your Carpet

Nobody wants to be that person with the house that reeks of cat or dog hair (or worse) who seems to have just given up on trying to care for the carpets. If you love animals and taking care of your carpet is just too much, then opting out of carpets altogether and just having a few strategically placed rugs might be a better option. For the rest of us who want the cosy comfort of both pets and a carpet, there are some things you can do to stop your home descending into Crazy Cat Lady/Gent territory.

Vacuum frequently

This is your first line of defence against fleas as well as the best way of getting up those darn hairs. How often you vacuum is really up to you, but it should be done once a week at the very minimum. It really depends on whether you have cats or dogs, and how long their hair is. A sleek-coated bull terrier doesn’t shed as much hair on the carpet as, say, a rough collie, so the owner of the bull terrier will have to vacuum less often than the collie owner (the bull terrier will also make the job fun by trying to catch the vacuum cleaner head). Some people get a special vacuum cleaner that’s designed to pick up pet hair, but an ordinary one applied frequently will do the job.

Deal with accidents swiftly

If the smell of a little accident gets trapped in the carpet, this will tell your pet that this spot is OK to use as a toilet. Scrape up solids, blot up pee and apply disinfectant and gentle agitation to the area to deal with the worst of things, then apply baking soda to the spot for half an hour, which will absorb the smell. You will also need to call in someone to deep clean your carpets a bit more often than you would otherwise.

Have pet-free rooms

It’s next to impossible to do this with cats, who go where they please. However, you can train dogs not to go into certain rooms – your bedroom is usually a good choice. If they pop one toe over the threshold, snarl “No!” at them and they’ll soon get the message. This means that there will be one room that doesn’t have pet hair all over the carpets.

Feed pets off carpeted areas

All pets will spill, spray and slobber when eating, which means that some of what’s in their food and water bowls will end up on the floor. Having a mat down as a protector that’s easy to clean is definitely wise, but you’ll save yourself a world of grief if you feed animals off carpeted areas.

Confine on-heat bitches

If you haven’t had your bitch spayed, she will produce discharge during That Time. It’s messy and there’s nothing you can do about it, except to get her fixed. Keep her in the non-carpeted areas of the house until the discharge stops. Provide a cosy mat, bed or blanket for her that’s easier to clean.

Keep Up Flea Treatments

As well as vacuuming frequently, the other way to stop your carpets becoming infested with fleas is to treat your pets with fleabane or flea repellent. Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium L.) is a time-honoured natural flea repellent that can be grown easily in a pot or in the garden. Pop a sprig in your pet’s bed, or crush some leaves and rub them on your pet (cats will protest but persevere).

Litter Trays and Carpets Don’t Mix

The best place for a litter tray, if you have to use one, is in the laundry, on the back doorstep, on a balcony or porch or in some other non-carpeted area that isn’t the kitchen. We’ve all seen that overenthusiastic cat who gets it all down the edge or who tries to bury the evidence but kicks the litter out.

Give Dogs Their Own Mat or Bed

This is harder to do if your dog doesn’t spend any time outside. However, if your dog spends a lot of the day outside in the garden but only some of the time inside, you can teach your dog that their special place (which is the only spot they can lie down on) is something easier to wash. This means that the majority of hair and skin particles is confined to one spot, and you can wash whatever it is if it starts smelling a bit doggy.

Choose cut pile carpet

Loop pile carpet seems to be irresistible to cats, who will do that claw-sharpening thing in the carpets as well as on the side of the sofa (they never seem to prefer proper scratching posts, do they?). However, cut pile carpet doesn’t offer the same sort of texture and Kitty will be less likely to get her claws stuck in. Declawing cats is illegal and cruel – upgrading the carpet is a much nicer option. Maybe keep the old loop pile carpet to make a scratching post…

Here is a lovely video, made by Amy from Showme Suburban, to give you some more tips how to keep your carpet clean when you have pets.