An Owner’s Guide To Carpet And Rug Care

It doesn’t have to be springtime to start thinking about cleaning your home. Now is time to deep clean a year’s worth of grime, dirt, dust and all that’s worst from your carpet. The logical (and easiest) way would be to hire a company that would do a professional job, but here are a few preventive tips and maintenance suggestions recommended for enhancing the beauty of your carpet.

You will be surprised to know how much dirt accumulates in spite of your vacuuming sessions. Your carpet does an excellent job of hiding dirt. If you need the inspiration to start cleaning and taking care of your carpet, imagine wearing a pair of jeans 60 days in a row without washing them, or wet mopping your kitchen every seven years, or even washing your bed linen every 5-6 months!

A proper care plan is divided into preventive care, daily care, and regular cleaning.

Prevent dirt from accumulating by reducing the amount of soil brought into a home. For this entry, mats are the most useful.

Daily care: Keep your carpet looking beautiful by vacuuming it regularly. Invest in a good vacuum cleaner that has a highly efficient filtration system.  Traffic lanes and areas closest to the exteriors need extra attention as this is where a bulk of the household dust is trapped. Dust attracts moths and insects. Sweep your carpet once a week with a light carpet brush/broom to bring out the sheen and to remove dirt. Failing to do this, can result in permanent carpet damage.

A carpet is liable to shading, it will show tones of light and dark patches due to the uneven crushing of the surface. However, it is unavoidable; it is not detrimental to the wear of the carpet, nor is it a defect. Sometimes, you may notice a tuft above the surface- you need to just trim this down and do not try to pull it out.

Heavy furniture may cause flattening of varying degrees. It occurs mostly due to footwear or heavy furniture. Use castor cups to avoid crushing the carpet pile and avoid dragging heavy furniture. Also vacuum the area regularly to bring the pile back to its normal position.

How to tackle spills and stains:

Inevitable spills are the fact of life and we need to tackle these right and quickly. Instant treatment is the instant cure. The golden rule is to never rub, always blot, to a damp state.

Promptly clean liquid spills with absorbent tissues or a dry cloth. If the area discolors, clean with warm water and blotting.

Detergent solution: A teaspoon of neutral detergents, such as ‘Stergene’, to a quarter liter of warm water. For coffee spills, milk, soft drinks, chocolate, curry, egg, blood etc. blot up the surplus spillage. Use detergent solution, starting at the outer edge and blotting dry. Follow with an ammonia solution. Blot dry. Do not rub.

Detergent/vinegar solution: Add one teaspoon of white vinegar to the above detergent solution. For fats, show polish, oils, solids, nail polish, tar, vomit, wax, grease or chewing gum, scrape up with a blunt knife. Use a dry cleaning solvent, followed by detergent/vinegar solution. Blot dry. Do not rub.

Ammonia solution: One tablespoon of household ammonia to one cup of warm water. Always test a small ‘out of the way’ area of your carpet for color-fastness prior to tackling the stain.