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To keep your carpet clean, it is important to clean up spills as they happen. Blot up the spill immediately using clean, white paper towels or a regular towel. Do not rub as this will force the spill deeper into the carpet. According to *"MaryEllen's Giant Book of Helpful Hints" there are several ways to clean spills that have turned into stains. 1)for fresh stains, use plain club soda. Pour a bit on the spot(don't soak it), let it foam and sizzle and let set for a few seconds. Sponge up thoroughly. 2)for older stains, combine 2 tablespoons detergent, 3 tablespoons vinegar, and one quart warm water. Work into stain and blot dry. 3) Using shaving cream, let it foam on the carpet and then rinse with a damp cloth. Blot dry. After any one of these methods, cover the spot with a clean towel or paper towels and place a heavy item such as a book on top of it. When the towel becomes damp, replace it with a dry one.
To keep your carpet in good condition, deep clean/shampoo about once a year. If you have pets and/or children, you may want to shampoo more often. There are several ways to deep clean your carpet: with an aerosol spray foam cleaner from the supermarket, a home carpet shampooer, a hot water cleaning machine you rent at the supermarkets, and professional carpet cleaners.
Before any of these processes, blot up fresh and older stains with methods previously mentioned. It is important to vacuum thoroughly. By thoroughly, you should go over the same spot at least 2-3 times with the vacuum. It is best to take all of the furniture out of the room, if possible. If not, you could move furniture to one side, shampoo that section and let dry 24 hours. Then move the furniture to the other side and repeat the process.
If your carpet is not overly soiled, you could try an aerosol spray foam. Before using, you may want to check for colorfastness. You do this by spraying a small piece of carpet with the cleaner. Leave for awhile, then rub with a white towel. The longer you leave it, the better the test. If there is no color bleed through on the towel, go ahead and shampoo the whole carpet. Follow directions on the can. Usually the process involves spraying the foam evenly over the carpet, allow it to dry to a powder, then vacuum.
Home shampooers and the hot water machines you can rent at the supermarket are also appropriate for carpets that are not heavily soiled. With most home shampooers, you fill a reservoir with water and carpet shampoo. You can also do the colorfast test with this shampoo. You move the shampooer across the carpet as you do with a vacuum, but you also use a sprayer button to spray the cleaning solution onto the carpet. Next, go over the shampooed area without spraying to rinse. Some machines may have suction to absorb the water from the carpet and some do not. When home shampooing, be sure not to overwet the carpet or it could soak through to the backing and possibly even the floor below.
The most effective method for heavily soiled carpets is to have them professionally cleaned. It is always best to get 2-3 estimates. Be sure to ask if the estimate includes the removal of furniture. Some companies offer discounts if you have more than two carpets to clean.
Cleaning your carpet is an important process. A clean carpet makes the whole room appear cleaner. It is also important if you want to sell your home. A clean carpet smells fresh and feels softer. What better reason could there be?
*Footnote: MaryEllen's Giant Book of Helpful Hints, by MaryEllen Pinkham. 1994 Wings Books, a division of Random House
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