12 Carpet Cleaning Mistakes You Should Avoid
Studies show that carpet is roughly 4,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat. Yikes! Clean carpet is important to your health but cleaning it wrong can cause permanent damage and cost lots of money. Read on to learn about 12 common carpet cleaning mistakes you need to avoid!
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Today we have a guest post from fellow blogger Jamie. She blogs over at Homelization.com so make sure to check out her site where she talks about cleaning and organizing. She’s giving us her best tips on maintaining a clean carpet by pointing out cleaning mistakes we might be making.
12 Carpet Cleaning Mistakes You Should Avoid
Carpets come in all sizes, colors, and patterns to enhance the home’s interior, and trust me, there are fewer pleasures than walking barefoot on a soft and velvety rug. After spending the entire day in enclosed shoes or high-heels, your feet love the soft and comfortable feel of carpets.
While the comfort and convenience they offer are endless, cleaning them is no child’s play. Not maintaining carpets properly may lead to mold growth, indoor air pollution, and health hazards. To combat this, I have created a list of carpet cleaning mistakes you should avoid for a healthy home.
#1. Trying all sorts of DIY cleaning methods
The internet is a great source of information but that cannot be substituted for experience and expertise. The DIY methods may work for other household cleanings around the home, but when dealing with carpet cleaning, avoid experimenting with unreliable methods. Stick to using the annual maintenance services of a professional because some things are best left to the experts.
#2. Not cleaning spills immediately
If you have kids and pets at home, spills and food droppings are inevitable but don’t leave the cleaning for later. If there’s a liquid spill, blot it immediately with a soft cloth or else it will penetrate deep into the soft fibers. Similarly, if baby food drops on the carpet, clean it immediately or else it will dry up and become hard to remove.
#3. Not vacuuming regularly
Even if your carpet looks seemingly clean, there’s a lot of dirt, debris, and germs trapped in the fabrics. If not cleaned routinely, they can pose serious health hazards, hence it is essential that you vacuum clean thoroughly at least once a week. If the carpet smells bad, put some baking soda in the vacuum container to combat the smell.
#4. Scrubbing to remove the stains
Just like on your clothes, you may also get stains on the carpet but scrubbing them rigorously or using too much elbow grease is not the solution. By scrubbing, you will not only damage the delicate fibers of the carpet but cause it to fray and reduce the lifespan. The correct method of removing liquid stains is to blot it with a clean cloth and dried up food or other stuff can be best scraped off instead of scrubbing.
#5. Not using area rugs or runner on heavy traffic areas
The use of an area rug or runner is often underestimated. This is one of the biggest reasons behind the uneven damages to specific areas of the carpets. By installing runners and rugs in the heavy traffic areas, you can save the carpet from getting worn out quickly. Furthermore, it is more economical to replace rugs or runners than changing the carpeting of an entire room.
#6. Using powder carpet deodorizers
Sometimes using a cheap powder carpet deodorizer may appear like a quick and easy solution to get rid of the bad odor, but it may cause much harm in the long run. As you walk over the carpet, the powdery materials get deposited deep into the fibers. Your carpet may smell good temporarily, but it should not be confused with cleanliness as you have a lot of gunk in there.
#7. Ignoring a test patch
If you pull out just any cleaner from the cabinet thinking that it will work on your carpet then you are doing it wrong. Carpets and rugs are made of delicate materials, and cleaners with strong chemicals can do a lot of harm. Hence, we suggest that you always read the label before using any cleaner to treat a dirty patch or stain.
#8. Over-cleaning to maintain good hygiene
I know some people who can’t bear a speck of dirt in the house and they are cleaning maniacs trying to overdo with safety and hygiene. It’s okay to be overprotective about your loved ones and try to keep your home safe and healthy, but don’t be hard on the carpets and rugs. By over-cleaning them, you will cause the fibers to thin out, fade, and fray.
#9. Pouring water over the stains
The moment we see nail polish, food, pet urine, wine or muck on the carpet, our immediate reflex may be to clean it with water. However, this will do more harm than good to the carpet fibers. Instead of trying to pour water on the stained area, just sprinkle water on it and blot using a clean cloth or tissue paper.
#10. Not deep cleaning twice a year
Even if you vacuum clean the carpet regularly, it’s important to deep clean it at least twice a year and for this you will need to hire a professional cleaning company. This will help in removing the stubborn dirt and debris stuck to the fibers, to prolong the life of your carpet.
#11. Over shampooing the carpet
This problem arises when you use too much shampoo to clean the carpet, fail to rinse thoroughly, and dry it out properly. These are common disadvantages of DIY cleaning methods. As a result, we strongly suggest that you allow professionals to take care of the job.
#12. Hiring an unreliable carpet cleaner
Whether you choose to hire carpet cleaning equipment or services of a cleaning professional, always do your research work carefully. Always read the customer reviews who have used the services in the past to learn from their experiences and make an informed decision.
We hope you found these tips for avoiding common carpet cleaning mistakes helpful. Carpet can be expensive so learning how to take care of it properly can help you save money in the end.
Author Bio
Jamie is a passionate writer and blogger who is extremely enthusiastic about things that aid in saving the environment and reducing carbon footprints. She owns a blog where she loves sharing useful ideas and tips to keep the house clean and well organized. When she’s not scribbling down her thoughts, she loves to travel and try new ways of making sushi at home.
Site:homelization.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Homelization/
Thank you for sharing this blog. I didn’t know about the mistakes I was repeating during the carpet cleaning. I clean it once in a week and also try different DIY methods. Now I will avoid these mistakes and clean it regularly.
We love DIY methods on this blog but recommend always trying DIY solutions on a small, out of the way spot to see how you carpet handles it first. It’s not a definitely no no if you do your research and due diligence.
I agree that it would be good to get a reliable carpet cleaner. I would think that someone that would be good at what they do would probably be better at cleaning the carpets than an unreliable cleaner. I’ll have to make sure I looking into that if I decide to keep my carpets cleaner from now on.