How to Clean a Carpet Like a Professional: 6 Tips

Why You Need a Carpet in Your Room

Decorates the Interior

Carpets come in various colors, shapes, designs and textures. Therefore, they can easily decorate any interior. You can make a bold statement with a magical or vibrant carpet, while a neutral carpet works well in any room. If the floor is too light, a dark carpet can help balance the colors.

Greets Guests

Carpets act as concierges, welcoming guests into your cozy home. When you place a carpet in the entrance, bathroom or living room, they create an unobtrusive visual divider between different zones of the house.

Enhances Safety

A carpet can serve as a cushioning surface, providing protection for crawling babies and preventing falls for children and adults.

But like all furniture, carpets can get dirty. Therefore, it's important to keep them clean for aesthetic and hygienic reasons. Ideally, you should deep clean carpets and carpet coverings at least once a year to keep them fresh, odor-free and stain-free.

Six Tips for Cleaning a Carpet

Don't worry if you don't have access to expensive equipment or professional services. These simple and easy methods will teach you how to properly clean a carpet:

Remove Furniture and Items from the Carpet

Take all items off the carpet. Take it outside for cleaning and removing dirt. Use plenty of water. Place or hang the carpet in the sun to dry quickly.

Remove Dirt and Particles

Use a vacuum only with suction to effectively remove the smallest dust and dirt particles without damaging the carpet fibers. Vacuum the carpet on both sides to ensure 100% cleaning. A vacuum with a beater bar is most effective for this task.

Prepare the Cleaning Solution

Do not use carpet shampoo or cleaning products as they may contain chemicals that damage the fibers. Prefer carpet shampoo, mild dish soap mixed with warm water for synthetic fibers. For wool carpets use cold water. Test a small amount in a corner to check fading resistance before continuing.

Wash, Rinse and Remove Excess Water

Apply the cleaning solution with a soft brush, creating foam on the carpet. Count to 300 before thoroughly rinsing with clean water.

Ensure all products are completely removed. Use a wet-dry vacuum to remove excess water from the carpet and speed up drying.

Dry the Carpet

Place the carpet horizontally and let the top side dry completely. Then turn it over to dry the bottom side. Ensure the carpet is fully dry before placing it back into the home.

Restore Carpet Texture

Once the carpet is completely dry, use a low-power vacuum or soft brush to restore its texture and lift compressed or flattened fibers.

In Conclusion

Cleaning a carpet is an achievable task. With the right equipment and technique, you can restore its former beauty. But if you have large carpets or family heirlooms, always consider hiring a professional carpet cleaning specialist.

These specialists can fully restore an old carpet that was completely covered in dirt and stains, preserving its texture and colors. Sometimes they can even reveal more of its features, giving the carpet a brand-new look.

About the Author

Tony Kantzavelos is the CEO of Love Your Rug, a company specializing in carpet and carpet covering cleaning since 1984. Love Your Rug has a 10,000 square foot facility for cleaning and repairing carpets located in East and West Toronto.