When you enter someone’s home, the first thing that strikes you is the vibration of fresh cleanliness, or the lack of it. It matters little what kind of special attention is paid to décor if freshness is not first transmitted to the senses. Even the cleanest home feels stagnant if the carpet is not clean. Household smells, pet stains or odors, old stains lingering in the air – all detract from the beauty of a home.
Clean Carpet, Clean Home
Attending to you home carpet or rug is just good sense. It brightens a room and enlivens the atmosphere. It also creates a healthy home. Rugs and carpets are very important accent pieces for a room and they can be beautiful, expensive and require care. It’s important to know how to clean and maintain them to protect your investment.
Vacuuming
Vacuuming is where we begin in carpet care, and here are some basics:
• Carpets must be maintained by vacuuming once a week and more frequently in areas of heavy traffic. Frequent vacuuming prolongs carpet life and prevents dirt build-up that becomes more difficult to remove over time. It also decreases carpet deterioration. Every few weeks, use your crevice tool for deeper cleaning and attention around baseboards and radiators and in other difficult to reach places.
• Divide the floor into quadrants to vacuum wall-to-wall carpeting, and vacuum each quadrant before moving on to the next.
• Go slowly and thoroughly and vacuum each section of carpet several times.
• Pay special attention to the areas where people sit, trafficked areas. Vacuum these areas with a crisscross pattern of overlapping strokes.
• Add baking soda to the vacuum cleaning bag to freshen and deodorize.
Normal vacuuming for upkeep and odors is one thing, but stains are another altogether.
Cleaning Spills and Spots
The first rule regarding carpet spills and spots is to clean them immediately. Catch them quickly and you’ll have a very good chance for clean results. Here are more basics:
• Completely blot (or lift) entire area and remove as much liquid as possible. Do not rub! It may spread the stain.
• Clean thoroughly with white vinegar and even a little mild dishwashing liquid.
• After you have cleaned completely, blot again with clean paper towels.
• An enzyme cleaner is a cleaning agent that actually eats bad bacteria. For best results use an enzyme spotter after you have rinsed the carpet, especially if the spot is not a fresh one.
• Never use steam or a hair dryer on a spill as it sets the stain.
Room Freshener
There are many natural and wonderful room freshening products that wake up a room. Here are a few recommended homemade recipes:
• 1 cup crushed, dried herbs (lavender, rosemary, and southernwood, are lovely).
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves.
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
• 1 teaspoon baking soda.
• Combine ingredients and sprinkle over carpet. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes and then vacuum.
Another variation:
• Mix 1 small box baking soda with your favorite potpourri oil, using just a few drops, and sprinkle on as a carpet freshener. Leave on the carpet 10 to 20 minutes, then vacuum.
Another variation:
• Use 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup cornstarch, and 15 drops essential oil fragrance. Leave on carpet 10 to 20 minutes, then vacuum. Store mixture in a glass jar or airtight container.
A clean home with a fresh atmosphere makes all the difference in our comfort level. For difficult or thorough carpet cleaning call in the experts. We at High Quality Carpet Cleaning are in the business of clean homes. Visit our website at http://www.highqualitycarpet.com/contact, or call us at 732.400.5255.