
How to give your carpet a spring clean
May 1, 2020
Been meaning to deep clean your carpets but haven’t got around to doing it? Try this step-by-step guide to tackle stains and refresh your flooring.
Image: Cormar Carpets
Springtime means time to get motivated to make your house look its best – after all, sunshine pouring through the windows might reveal your home is in need some serious TLC you overlooked during the winter months.
Giving your carpet a refresh is a great place to start, and Cormar Carpets gave us its top tips on how to clean your carpets successfully and remove pesky stains.
How to clean wool carpets
Image: Lifestyle Floors
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~ Karen Walker, Editor, Good Homes
- Make sure you’ve got the right tools for the job. You will need dry kitchen towel, a clean white cloth, warm water and a plastic spatula.
- Tackle a spillage or stain immediately – if you leave it for some time or allow it to fully dry, it may be harder to lift the stain out.
- If there are any semi-solid spillages (such as food, for example) ensure you pick that up first – you don’t want to be scrubbing stains into the carpet. Use a plastic spatula to remove these to minimise further contact with the carpet.
- Using a little warm water and a kitchen towel, gently blot the stain, working from the outside in to minimise spreading. Continue this, replacing the towel when necessary, until the stain has faded significantly. Be sure not to overwet the carpet!
- Finally, use a clean, white cloth and a little warm water and continue to blot the stain until disappeared.
How to clean a deep pile carpet
Image: Carpetright
- Make sure you have a clean, white cloth, household bleach, warm water and kitchen towel to hand.
- As above, tackle the spillage immediately to ensure it doesn’t dry into the carpet and remove all semi-solids with a plastic spatula.
- Make a bleach solution, using one-part bleach and ten parts water.
- Using the white cloth and working gently from the outside in, gently blot away the stain, adding more bleach to the solution if necessary.
- When the stain has been removed, carefully blot the carpet dry with kitchen towel.
- Following these tips and regular vacuuming will help ensure your carpet stays pristine clean.
General carpet cleaning tips…
Image: Cuckooland
- Don’t wear shoes in the house.
- Use welcome mats at the exterior doors to catch any excess dirt as people enter the house
- Vacuum regularly – around three times per week, with a high-quality vacuum cleaner. This will reduce the inevitable accumulation of ground-in dirt, which, when combined with liquid can result in stains.
- Don’t scrub your stain/carpet – simply blot it. If you scrub too hard, you may remove the offending stain, but you may accidentally damage your carpet.
- People often apply too much water and detergent to stained areas – resulting in drenching, damage and lingering odours. Keep it as dry as you can.
Have you undertaken any spring cleaning jobs yet? Let us know on social! Tweet us @goodhomesmag or post a comment on our Facebook page.
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A message from the editor:
Let us help you create the home of your dreams! Get ideas & inspiration from Good Homes every month, delivered direct to your door. Visit goodhomesmagazine.com/newsletter to sign up for the weekly Good Homes newsletter. Meet the Good Homes team at Ideal Home Show and be inspired by our on-trend roomsets.
~ Karen Walker, Editor, Good Homes