Regardless of whether your carpets are brand new or you’ve had them for years, knowing how to keep them clean is an absolute must to maintain their pristine quality. Keeping carpets clean can be more difficult as they’re more prone to gathering stains that can be tricky to remove.
In our post below, you can learn more about some of the best ways on how to properly clean your carpet, the top products, and things to avoid.
What Is The Best Way To Clean Carpets?
Vacuums
If your home has large areas that are carpeted, using a vacuum is a necessity for keeping them clean. However, you want to make sure that you use a vacuum that comes with the right kind of features that enable you to provide your carpets with a thorough clean.
Using an older vacuum often means putting in a lot of physical effort to carry it around your home. That’s why we recommend that you find a more updated vacuum as they’re much more lightweight which makes it a lot easier for you to vacuum the carpeted floors all-around your home.
The easier a vacuum is to use, the more likely you are to use it regularly, which means your carpets will be cleaner. Not to mention, using larger and heavier vacuums on newly installed carpets can cause them to become damaged.
You’ll also want to consider whether your vacuum comes with a HEPA filter. HEPA filters can be an incredibly effective way to clean up smaller dirt particles that get lodged deep within carpets.
You can also utilize HEPA filters to target smaller dirt and dust particles that regular vacuums can miss. As a result, regularly vacuuming with HEPA filters can leave your carpets much cleaner.
In addition to this, a lot of the newer vacuum models come with bagless designs. These are fantastic for saving you money on purchasing new bags that need to be thrown out after they get full. Bagless vacuums simply let you empty the contents out into the bin for you to put it back into the vacuum to be used again.
If you’re often out of the house and don’t have time to vacuum, you may want to consider a robot vacuum to keep your carpets clean.
Bissell Cleanview Vacuum
Bissell’s Cleanview Vacuum has a brush roll with 3 functions that include loosening, listing, and sucking up dirt. Therefore, it’s a great option for removing dirt lodged deep within your carpets.
A swivel steering function is available too which lets you have an easier time maneuvering the vacuum around. Not to mention, it’s lightweight so that you can carry it around to different areas in your home easily.
EUREKA NEN110A Vacuum
The EUREKA vacuum comes with 3 settings that let you use it for carpets, hard floors, and upholstery. It’s lightweight and lets you have an easy time maneuvering it when cleaning your carpets.
You can make use of the crevice tool to reach the edges and corners of your carpets. A 3-liter bagless dirt container is also included which is easy to empty.
Best Way To Deep Clean Carpet
While vacuums are the best tool that you can use to clean your carpets and maintain their cleanliness regularly, considering a deep clean once in a while is also recommended.
If you’re serious about giving your carpets a deep wash, it would be a good idea to get them professionally cleaned once a year. After a professional clean, your carpets can be left looking brand new.
In between the yearly professional deep cleans, you can also do some things to deep clean the carpets yourself. Carpet washers are available which you can rent or buy. Since most people tend to use them infrequently, renting a carpet washer may be ideal.
One of the features to look out for when searching for a carpet washer is the tank washing system. The best carpet washers will come with a twin tank feature along with a heating function.
The powerful heating function is important because it makes sure that any excess moisture that gets deep into your carpets can be completely sucked out. Moisture that gets stuck in carpets can lead to issues over time.
Bissell Professional Carpet Cleaner Machine
Bissell’s Professional Carpet Cleaner Machine has a capacity of 1.75 gallons spread across two tanks which provides you with plenty of water to clean your carpets with. A power brush has been fitted to the dirt lifter which lets you achieve a deeper clean.
There’s a lot of suction power available that lets you clean your carpets faster and dry up the moisture more effectively.
How To Clean Your Carpet
You can discover more about how to clean carpets at home by following the simple step-by-step process below. We’ve broken the entire process down into sections to ensure that you can have your carpets properly cleaned in no time.
Clear The Area
The first step is to remove furniture from the room. If there are especially heavy or delicate pieces of furniture that you’d prefer not to move, it may be a good idea to use old blankets or pieces of cardboard to keep them covered.
In addition to this, putting coasters on the bottom of your furniture can make it easier for you to simply push them to one side of the room instead of struggling to get them out of the room altogether.
Moving or keeping pieces of furniture protected is especially important when you’re doing a deep clean. You can move the furniture to one side, do a deep clean in the open space, and move the furniture back to then deep clean the area that was covered.
Vacuuming
Before you start using a vacuum on your carpets, we recommend that you check a couple of things. Start by ensuring that the container for collecting dirt has been emptied. It’s also worth making sure that the filters aren’t clogged or require replacing.
Doing these checks before you start vacuuming allows you to get the job done faster and in one hit without having to stop and empty out dirt or replace filters.
Inspecting the beater bar is another critical aspect because it’s common for hair and other fibers to get tangled up. This can lead to the vacuum to function less effectively than it can when you’ve cleared out any hair and fibers.
Next, clear out any objects that could be blocking up the main hose. This will make sure that you’re able to use maximum suction power and clean your carpets more thoroughly.
When it comes to using a vacuum that works with both hard floors and carpets, you’ll want to be certain that you’ve adjusted the bar to work with carpets. A great way to reset your beater bar to be used on carpets is to have it all the way up and slowly bring it closer to the ground until you feel like it’s close enough to your carpet.
People with thick carpets may want to opt for a vacuum that doesn’t come with a beater bar to allow it to suck up more dirt from deeper down.
Most of us find vacuuming carpets to be a chore. As a result, many people end up rushing the process which can lead to the job being less effective than it could be. When you vacuum your carpet, we recommend going slowly and going over specific sections of the carpet at a time.
Taking the vacuum slowly over your carpets ensures that the machine can properly suck up more dirt. Although, if you don’t have a lot of time to spare, taking the vacuum over the same area back and forth twice can be enough to remove a lot of the dirt.
In order to reach edges and corners more easily, you may want to consider using a vacuum with crevice tools. These are handy for enabling you to suck dirt out of the corners that the vacuum head can’t reach.
When you’re vacuuming stairs that are carpeted, a handheld vacuum attachment could make the job way easier. Instead of trying to lug around an entire vacuum up each step, you can simply use the handheld one to clean each step without too much hassle.
Cleaning the stairs with a vacuum may require you to do numerous passed over each step as it’s a common area for people in your home to be walking.
Spot Cleaning
Regularly spot cleaning your carpets is a highly effective way to maintain the brand new look and overall quality. It’s best to do spot cleaning after you’ve finished vacuuming to make sure that the main pieces of dirt have been sucked up.
Some people make the mistake of using a new product all over their carpet without testing it first. We recommend that you test a carpet cleaning product in a small quantity somewhere that people don’t notice.
Leave the product to soak into the carpet for a couple of minutes before dabbing with a cloth. See if the product has caused any discoloration or damage. If not, then continue using it on the rest of your carpet. If it causes damage, you’ll need to find a new product.
Using spot cleaning products are best for specific areas that are stained or especially dirty. Spray a small quantity onto the area and let it absorb for 1-2 minutes before using a cloth to dab the area and soak up the moisture.
After the area has finished drying, do a couple passes over the spot with a vacuum for a thorough cleanse because cleaning products often cause more dirt to rise to the top.
So, what is the best thing to clean carpets with? We’ve left a fantastic recommended product below for you to check out.
Folex Carpet Spot Remover
The Folex carpet spot remover includes ingredients that are free from toxins to ensure that they’re safe for your skin and carpet. Users have mentioned how this spot remover is super easy and effective to use.
Simply spray directly onto the stained area and use your fingertips (or another soft object) to rub it in gently. You can then use a cloth to blot the area and soak up the moisture.
Deep Cleaning
Using a vacuum is a fantastic way to keep your carpets cleaned regularly. Spot cleaning is another one of the effective ways that you can maintain the cleanliness of your carpet. However, you may also want to consider a professional deep clean every year.
Getting a professional to do the job will ensure that your carpets can get the best possible deep clean. Having said that, you can still use carpet shampoos and rental machines if you feel like too much dirt has gathered.
When you’re using machines, be sure to follow the instructions on how to use them closely. This will prevent any damages to your carpet. Moreover, we recommend using a limited quantity of carpet cleaning solution with the machine. This will minimize the risk of residue from the solution being leftover after the deep clean has been finished.
Similarly to the tips we mentioned about using a vacuum, it’s best to use a deep cleaning carpet machine slowly. It provides the machine with more time over each area to remove as much of the dirt and moisture as it can.
If you think there’s a little too much moisture still left in your carpet, you can turn the water feature of the machine off and simply use it to suck up water. You may also want to set up humidifiers or fans in the room to speed up the drying process and prevent moisture from being locked in.
After you’ve finished the deep clean, it’s best to wait for 8 hours before walking over the carpet. You should also wait for 15 hours before adding furniture back into the room.
Best Ways To Protect Your Carpets
Keeping your carpets protected is a maintenance aspect that many people forget about. It’s also one of the cheapest and easiest ways that you can maintain the quality of your carpet.
Putting doormats are the entrances of your home is a great way to prevent too much dirt and debris from being let onto your carpets. You’ll want to clean these doormats regularly to make sure they remain effective at collecting dirt.
Many people prefer to set a rule where no one can wear shoes indoors. As a result, any dirt from people’s shoes can be left at the front of the house to prevent any debris from reaching the carpets.
Gorilla Grip Doormat
Gorilla Grips doormat has been made with rubber materials and a border that’s beveled which is effective at trapping moisture and dirt from shoes before you enter your home.
We like how it has a slim design as it’s just ¼” thick. Moreover, you can have an easy time cleaning it by using a vacuum or a damp cloth to remove excess dirt.
Things To Avoid When Cleaning Carpets
Now that you’ve learned more about the easy carpet cleaning tips, there are also some things that you should avoid when washing your carpets. The section below details what to avoid so that you can prevent any mistakes and keep your carpets looking spotless.
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when vacuuming is setting the beater bar to the lowest setting. This can lead to your carpet becoming worn down quicker.
When it comes to using carpet products, it’s critical to stick with products that have been made for your specific carpet. This is because certain products can cause discoloration and damage if used on carpets that it wasn’t made for.
Avoid putting products on your carpet that include oil-based solvents, bleach, acetone, ammonia, oily soaps, and waxes as they can cause damage that’s difficult to reverse.
We recommend that you avoid cleaning carpets with water as it can lead to a lot of moisture being trapped. When moisture gets trapped in carpets, it causes mildew and mold to develop. Severe moisture damage can sometimes leave you with one option to replace carpets altogether.
Conclusion
After reading through our detailed guide on how to clean bedroom carpets and carpets all around your home, you can be sure to implement the tips to leave your carpets looking spotless.
Hopefully, you’ve found the information throughout our post to be useful. There are practical tips that you can start implementing to keep your carpets cleaner than ever.
