Did you know the moment you walk into your home you are bringing roughly 7 grams of dirt in with you, all from the sole of your shoes, and the amount of dirt increases when it’s wet weather. It’s a worrying thought, but by providing your carpets with some TLC you can ensure they remain in a pristine condition for longer.

Four great ways to provide your carpets with the TLC they require are:

Introduce Mats:

Ideally, to help limit the amount of dirt being brought into your home, a mat should be placed at every entrance, internally and externally. And to ensure the mat is effective, it’s recommended to use a heavy duty scraper mat which tackles mud and grit outside your door, whilst internally the mat should cover the width of the door and the first few steps into the home.

With mats introduced to each entrance of your home, you’ll begin to notice the difference in terms of the amount of dirt which is covering your home, which should make vacuuming easier – and therefore help keep your carpets looking pristine for longer.

Regularly Vacuum:

Since the vacuum was introduced in 1901 it has been an invaluable tool in the cleaning of homes. In fact, it is estimated as much as 80% of dirt found on our floors can be vacuumed away.

Whilst a large amount of dirt can be removed from your floors by simply using a vacuum cleaner, to ensure you get a thorough clean, there are a few steps to assist with the vacuuming process. These include:

In addition to following these four steps above you also need to make sure, if you want to keep your carpets looking at their best that you’re vacuuming regularly enough. As a rule of thumb, it is recommended that areas of high-traffic and pet areas are vacuumed on a daily basis, whilst areas of medium traffic should be vacuumed twice weekly.

Tackle Stains:

One of the most common blemishes on carpets is stains. From food and drink spills through to grass, mud and pet stains – our carpets are subjected to a lot.

When it comes to tackling stains, speed is a must. The sooner you catch and tackle a stain, the less chance it has of becoming a permanent blemish or soaking into the carpet. As important to the speed of tackling the stain, is the method used to remove said mark from your flooring.

Each stain should be dealt with differently to ensure it is effectively removed. For example a coffee, tea, alcohol or liquid food spill should be tackled by blotting the affected area, before using a detergent / vinegar solution on the blemish, working from the outer edge inwards, blotting with dry cloths and taking care not to rub.

Steam for a Deeper Clean:

Once you’ve vacuumed your carpets and tackled any stains which may be visible, it’s time to achieve an even deeper clean – by using a steam cleaner.

Steam cleaning is a great way to remove 99.9% of bacteria which may be hidden in your carpets, and remove the dirt which has found its way deeper into the carpet pile, providing a better clean and finish.

To make the most out of steam cleaning your carpets, it’s recommended to fill the steam cleaner with the required amount of detergent, before tackling one square metre of carpet at a time. It’s also recommended to overlap your brush strokes and at the end of each stroke, lift the cleaning head whilst releasing the trigger to fill the nozzle with water⁵.

Following these four simple tips, not necessarily every time you vacuum but regularly enough, will help you to keep your carpet looking at its best for longer  – which will also have the added benefit of helping keep your home looking clean and tidy.

Do you have any other tips for cleaning carpets? Share them in the comment box below and help your fellow BuySpares blog readers.

Tags: Carpet Cleaning, Cleaning Tips, Stain Removal