Carpets are a significant investment in your home, and proper cleaning is essential to maintain their spotless appearance and prolong their life. However, many of us make common mistakes when tackling carpet stains and grime, unknowingly causing more harm than good.
With the aim of helping you avoid such mishaps, we’ve created this comprehensive guide to help you understand common carpet cleaning mistakes to avoid and instead employ the right ones, ensuring you obtain effective and sparkling clean results.
Nine Most Common Mistakes In Carpet Cleaning To Avoid
1. Using An Out-To-Date Vacuum Cleaner
Regular vacuuming is essential for keeping carpets clean and free of allergens. However, the quality of the vacuum cleaner you use is just as important. A low-quality or outdated vacuum cleaner may not effectively remove dirt, dust, and other contaminants from the carpet.
Therefore, it’s important to invest in a high-quality vacuum cleaner and thus, save both time and effort.
2. Failing To Tackle Spills in Timely
Spills are a common issue, but cleaning them timely is what you must prioritize if you accidentally spill anything on your carpet.
The more you delay the deeper a spill will eventually seep, leading to discoloration of your carpet and produce a musty odor throughout your home.
3. Not Indulging In Pre-Treatment
Oftentimes, homeowners do not engage in the pre-treatment process while cleaning a stain, without realizing its effectiveness in banishing a stain to its core.
Pre-treatment solutions (let’s take an example of enzymes) contain chemical properties that can break down the stain-causing molecules in the first place, maximizing the chances of their complete removal with minimal effort.
4. Scrubbing The Stains Vigorously
Stubborn stains are an eyesore and undoubtedly an irritating sight, but that doesn’t mean you should scrub aggressively to remove them. Scrubbing may or may not tackle a stain but can surely cause irreversible damage to the fibers.
So instead of scrubbing, experts advise practicing blotting to soak and remove the stain without affecting the fibers in any worse way possible.
Note: For stubborn stains, invest in high-grade commercial solutions or seek professional help, as household ingredients may not be effective in dealing with them.
5. Investing In Bleach And Ammonia
Many homeowners believe that the stronger a cleaning solution, the better it is at removing stains. However, this is a misconception, as strong solutions like bleach or ammonia can damage the fibers.
Bleach is a strong oxidizing agent that can cause discoloration and weaken fibers, while ammonia, with its high alkalinity, can also weaken fibers and strip away stain protectors. Hence, to preserve the quality of your carpet, you best avoid using them.
6. Pouring Water More Than Required
There is another misconception about carpet cleaning regarding the use of water. Some homeowners believe that the more water they use, the more effective the carpet cleaning will be. But actually, this is wrong.
Excess water leads to excessive dampening of the carpet, which increases the risk of mold growth or even discoloration of the fibers, so ensure using water as required.
7. Steam Cleaning A Wool Carpet
Homeowners with woolen carpets should avoid steam cleaning as the high steam heat can cause the wool fibers to shrink and eventually weaken. Additionally, wool has a natural oil called lanolin that repels dirt. Steam cleaning can strip this, making the carpet more susceptible to future soiling.
8. Vacuuming The Carpet Post-Steaming
Normally, it takes around 6 hours for the carpet to dry after a steam cleaning treatment. However, you can speed up the drying process in various ways, but using a regular vacuum cleaner is not one of them.
Conventional vacuum cleaners can spread the water around or even get damaged, unlike wet/dry vacuum cleaners, which are specifically designed to extract surface water from the flooring.
9. Deodorizing The Carpet Overly
Over-deodorizing the carpet, especially with powdered products, can leave behind residues that are difficult to remove completely. These residues, in turn, can attract dirt and accelerate wear and tear on the carpet fibers, so make sure you deodorize as needed and consider using safer options such as baking soda.
Some Final Words!
So, to put it simply, you do not need to be a professional to clean carpets properly, as you just need to know the right way to do so. By being aware of potential issues and getting professional help as needed, you can keep your carpets vibrant and fresh, improving the comfort and appearance of your home.
