Formany people there’s nothing like carpet for cosy toes; carpet is certainly a lot warmer than floorboards or laminate but it also has a downside; stubborn stains and grubby patches! Often the most regular offenders for causing nasty spots on your floor coverings are children spilling food or grinding in chewing gum, animals with muddy paws and adults with tea, coffee and wine! No matter what is dropped on your carpets, with a few exceptions you should be able to remove it successfully if you act swiftly.
For general carpet care, ensure that you vacuum regularly; at least once a week will keep lint, fluff and crumbs down to a manageable level. But when disaster strikes and a full cup of drink is knocked over, then you need to move fast!
The general rules for cleaning wet stains from carpets successfully vary little; never rub but always blot at stains and start from the outside of the stain and work your way towards the centre. Do not use bleach on carpets as not only will you damage the fibres but you’ll also end up with a strong smell! Ensure that you always have a good quality carpet shampoo in the house in addition to a stain removing agent.
Of course, one of the best ways to make sure that your carpets don't become stained is to restrict all drinks and food to the dining table, but this isn’t always practical and who enjoy a cup of tea in front of the television from time to time?
If the worst should happen and you find your pristine carpet covered in something you'd rather it wasn't, then follow these steps to ensure its safe removal. Grab an old towel and firmly blot up the excess fluid; if possible choose a light coloured towel and keep pressing and blotting until you can’t get any more of the fluid up. Once you have done this, add a little carpet cleaner to a bowl of warm water, dip a clean white cloth in the solution and wring it out. Beginning at the perimeter of the stain, blot and firmly dab at it.
Rinse the cloth regularly and when you can see the water has become dirty, change it for fresh. Continue to blot and firmly dab the stain and resist the temptation to scrub at it. You may work your way through a few cloths but once you can see that the white cloths are no longer getting dirty, then the chances are that you have removed all of the stain.
If you find something sticky and nasty on your carpet, the first thing to do is to remove any matter from the fibres by hand. Gum, chocolate, play clay and animal mess are common offenders. Scrape up what you can and then follow the steps above to remove the marks left behind. In cases where hard to remove, dried matter is still clinging to the carpet, you may have to call in the professionals!
In general, carpets need regular professional cleaning and shampooing just to keep them fresh and sweet smelling; ensure that your carpets are cleaned with a carpet cleaner at least once a year and maintain them by regular vacuuming and careful use!
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