I have good news for you if your carpet is stained and discolored. You can take steps to make your carpet fall in love again.
When we renovated our house years ago, some carpets were replaced with hardwood. It was quite amazing. It was obvious that dirt and dust had accumulated on the wood floors. Although I didn’t see it, it was evident that it was there. It was a wake-up call to see the old carpet taken away, rolled up, and hauled away.
Let’s not forget this: Carpet hides dirt, regardless of color or brand. This is not a good idea.
The carpet is warm and cozy, which I love, especially in a bedroom. I feel slightly creepy thinking about what it contains. I used to believe that vacuuming every once in a while was enough. Now, I know better.
Despite its ability to hide and harbor dirt, I am not ready to give up the carpeting in my home. Even if I did, I can assure you that I would soon be looking for area rugs. What is the difference? Carpet is carpet, and if it’s not taken care of properly, it can become shabby, gross, and ugly.
What about those stains? Spills on wood floors are quickly cleaned up. However, carpet stains and spillages are not easy to clean up. I used to ignore them. This was a hard lesson that I learned the hard way. Even though I don’t vacuum every day, I can assure you that there aren’t any stains or dirt paths on my carpet.
Vacuum Regularly
You should vacuum your carpet as often as you mop, sweep, or hard dust surfaces. You may not be able to see dirt, hair, footprints and debris. You can make your carpet look disgusting by allowing any of these things to get into the carpet pile.
To remove dirt, dust and grime quickly and easily, you will need a vacuum that has super-strong suction. It is best to vacuum once a week. Twice per week is better. Vacuuming heavy traffic areas daily? Even better. This routine is the best way to vacuum the carpet.
Treat Spots Right Away
Carpets are prone to staining from sticky liquids, food and grease, as well as pet urine and excrement. You don’t have to hate your carpet.
Stains can be left for any length of time.
Wash Your Hands Frequently
Every three months, shampoo and steam clean your carpets. It is a smart decision to invest in your carpet cleaning machine. Instead of hiring professionals, the machine will pay for itself right away.
Hoover steam vac is the best machine. It’s been with me for more than 12 years, and it still works as well as when it was brand new. It’s beautiful! I recently bought the 2021 version.
The Best Thing I Ever Bought
My Hoover steam vac is the best I have ever bought. I purchased it on Dec. 7, 2008, and it’s still in my Amazon order history. It costs $147 plus shipping. Hoover still performs flawlessly, all these years later. Hoover is my lifesaver. The Hoover people have updated this machine over the years and given it a new title (on the right)–still an incredible product.
It’s Been a Long Time
If your carpet is so old that you don’t recall when it was last cleaned, or if it is extremely dirty and smelly, hot water alone will not be enough. To clean your carpets, you need to use a commercial-grade shampoo product. You can also make it yourself. Be prepared to rinse, rinse and rinse again. Every molecule of detergent or soap applied must be extracted before it reaches the carpet. Any soap residue will attract dirt, dust and grime.
DIY Carpet Shampoo Solution
One cup Oxiclean Moisturizer (NOT Oxiclean detergent), 1 Cup Febreze, and 1 cup white vinegar. Add the ingredients to the carpet cleaning machine. It will clean your carpets and also deodorize them. The carpet will still smell slightly of vinegar after it is dried. To be safe, test the carpet in a quiet area first. All carpets should be tested in this manner.
Clean
First, clean the carpet. You can do as many repeats as you like. Follow the Nok-Out protocol.
Neutralize
Nok-Out is pH 8.5 and best suited for use in an alkaline environment. If you have previously used vinegar or other acidic cleaning products (e.g., to treat spots or spills), you must neutralize the acid. Spray Nok-Out onto the area using a spray bottle.
Let the solution dry before you continue with the odor removal process. This will remove any acids from your carpet. Nok-Out can then work efficiently and effectively.
Try it!
Always test the product in a dark, private area such as a closet. This applies to any cleaner, deodorizer or other product that you haven’t used before. Before you apply it in an open area, you need to see how the carpet (or upholstery) reacts.
Water temperature
To use Nok-Out in carpet-cleaning machines:
- Add 1 to 2 cups of water to the reservoir.
- Add enough room-temperature liquid to make one gallon (128 ounces).
- Do not use Nok-Out in boiling water.
Let it penetrate
While you are spraying the carpet, push the shampooer forward. Do not vacuum the cleaner yet. Spray the entire carpet and allow Nok-Out time to penetrate the carpet fibers and oxidize the floor substrate and pad.
Extract
Once the waiting period is over, you can begin the extraction process by pulling the carpet cleaner backward. This forces all liquid back into your cleaning tank. Use overhead ceiling fans floor fans and turn the heating fan to “On” or open windows to dry quickly.
You can repeat the process if a second application is required.
Last thing
Do not choose a color to “hide dirt” if you’re looking to replace your carpet. A color that can highlight every dirt, spill, and stain is what you want.
These things should be visible to take immediate steps to clean them.
It’s not unusual to have a bad opinion of the carpet in your house. You might need to do a few more times of vacuuming, stain-removing and deep cleaning before you can fall in love with your carpet again.
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