If your home has one or more carpets or even a fully carpeted floor, then you know first hand how keeping your carpets clean can be a chore. Carpets are just naturally magnets for spills, dirty, dust, animal hair and grime and sometimes vacuuming just doesn’t work to get the job done.

To keep your carpets and rugs as clean, fresh and brightly colored as the day you’re purchased them here are few tips for complete carpet care. The most popular way to clean your carpets is by vacuuming them. Vacuuming is a fairly easy process and doesn’t take up to much of your valuable time.

Vacuuming Carpets

To get the very best result from vacuuming you will need to go slowly.

• Sweep your vacuum over an area back and forth possibly even going over the same area more than once.
• Once you have completed the entire carpet in one direction it’s then good to change the direction and go the opposite way.
• Again going slowly and covering the same area more than once.

This will ensure that you are picking up each bit of debris and dust, as well as raising your carpet fibers up to look like they did upon purchasing them. Vacuuming however does not remove carpet stains and lots of embedded dust and dirt. For this your carpets require a shampooing

.

Shampooing your Carpets

You’ll find many various types of carpet shampoo at your local department stores which all do an excellent job. All of these are the type you spray onto your carpet to loosen and absorb embedded dirt.

• After spraying your carpet allow the shampoo to completely dry.
• Once it has dried then vacuum your entire carpet to remove all the once embedded dirt and dust.

Steam Cleaning your Carpets

Another very popular method of cleaning your carpet is by using a steam cleaning system. In the steam cleaning method you use a liquid based cleaning agent and a steam cleaning machine.

Steam cleaning works in three ways:

• first the machine sprays a liquid cleaning agent onto your carpet
• then the system of brushes scrub your carpet
• finally the machine sucks all the cleaning solution along with the dirt up and into the machine.
• Steam cleaning leaves your carpets clean and smelling fresh.

It also leaves your carpet colors bright and new again. Like carpet shampooing steam cleaning will not take away the stains however.

Stain Removal

Stains are something that is bound to happen if you have carpets. Carpets seem to be a magnet for them. It’s not something anyone can avoid and if you have children or pets it’s next to impossible. There is always someone who tracks in mud, drops a piece of food, or spills a drink on carpets. The main thing is to remain calm and act as quickly as possible.

• As soon as a spill happens grab a paper towel or clean rag and blot the spill up
• Do not rub a spill as it will further embed it into the carpet fibers.
• The best way to blot is to dab at it, or place the paper towel or rag onto the spill and stand on top of it.

There are also a number of various carpet cleaners that work to remove stains. If you do not have any handy then check your pantry to see what you might have.

• If you have any club soda this works well for most stains. Pour some onto a clean dry cloth and blot the stain with that.
• For oil spots, baking soda or cornstarch will also do the trick. Even such household items as white vinegar can remove chocolate and coffee stains.
• If your stain is hard to remove try making a paste of baking soda and water, apply to the stain and scrub lightly with an old toothbrush. Once dried then vacuum normally. You may have to try this twice for really stubborn stains.

How to Avoid Tracking in Mud, Dirt and Debris

The very best way to avoid most types of dirt and debris being tracked in onto your carpets is to follow the old rule of:

“No shoes in the house”.

• Make your family follow the NO SHOE rule and have them to remove their shoes immediately upon entering the home.
• Keep in mind to those bare feet can also damage carpet.
• The oil from your feet will absorb into the carpet and become a magnet to dust, thus making another stain to clean.
• Upon removal of shoes to place socks or slippers on to avoid the oil from your feet from causing this.
• Place a rug or mat at the entrance to any doors leading into your home. This will become a reminder for guests and family to wipe their feet when coming into your home.
• It might also be a good idea to place an additional rug inside the door way upon entering as well.
  Place a shoe rack or basket to hold shoes after removal.

If these steps are taken it will you can avoid many things being carried into your home. Your carpet is a large investment and one you want to make sure lasts a long time.

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