5 Tips For Cleaning Your Carpet

Keeping your carpet clean is very important - and can often be very expensive! But with a few easy methods, you can keep it looking good for years. Here’s how…

Update 10/06/16: If you have a viscose carpet, it's highly recommended to not attempting cleaning yourself but hire a professional - for more infomation, contact us via phone or e-mail.

If you are thinking of buying a viscose carpet, consider getting the Stainguard Treatment which will minimise issues from spills and stains- find out more about this in the Our Services page of the FAQ.

1. Vacuum In Both Directions



It can be very easy to feel that, having pushed the hoover back and forth over the floor and removed the obvious mess, that the job is done - however, it is worth taking a few extra minutes to vacuum both vertically and horizontally over the same area - the way most carpets are made, with a dense ‘pile’ (either looped or twisted) will trap dirt, and going over the floor in both directions will greatly reduce the extent to which this happens. Also, if you have a stiff broom, brush the carpet before vaccuming - that will loosen the dirt, making it easier to suck up!

2. Dab, Don’t Scrub

The mistake many of us make (I’ve done it myself) when cleaning carpet is to rub away at the stain as if we were scrubbing a kitchen surface - it just feels like it’s working, because you’re putting effort in. But it’s not the thing to do - rubbing essentially ‘grinds down’ the dirt and other particles into the carpet fibres, so even if it looks cleaner, the carpet is actually still dirty and probably damaged too! Instead, dab the stain or spill with a clean cloth and your cleaning product of choice (more about them later) and work from the outside towards the centre, to prevent it spreading.

3. Before You Buy, Consider Stain-Guarding

If you’re getting a new carpet, the Stain Guard Treatment is great way to extend it’s lifespan. The process involves coating the individual fibres of the carpet with a polymer which protects them from dirt; one of the major benefits is that it makes the carpet partially hydrophobic, stopping it from absorbing moisture and allowing you to simply dab it off. The Stain Guard Treatment can be used on any material, however man-made carpets are already bleach-cleanable, so it is with wool and other natural materials you will see the most benefit. Also some carpet brands, like Westex, have their carpets pre-treated, so it will be included in the price!

NB: We do provide this service on any remnant bought from the website - you can add it to your basket before you order!

4. Shaving Foam & Vinegar


Although specialised carpet shampoos are great for tough stains, they can be expensive - for most ordinary spills or splashes, this cheap fix will do the trick! Just spray the shaving foam onto the affected area and leave it to ‘set’ for about 20-30 minutes. Once this is done, rub the foam into the carpet gently with a scrubbing brush. Then take a cloth or towel and wet it slightly in a solution of water and vinegar and dab the foam away (see point 3) - it should bring the stain with it!

5. Make Your Own Shake-N-Vac

It may seem a little old fashioned these days, but powdered ‘carpet fresheners’ really do work - and the best one you should already have in your cupboard: bicarbonate of soda! It is an alkali substance and so will neutralise acidic compounds responsible for bad smells and help break down dirt - just sprinkle a layer onto dry carpet (using it on wet carpet is asking for trouble - it may even damage the carpet by clumping the fibres together), then leave it for a while - half an hour or over is best, and the longer the better. Then simply hoover it up and voilà - a fresher and cleaner carpet! It is possible to make it even nicer by using spices and essential oils- there are some good recipes you can find here.

NB: Make sure you use bicarbonate of soda, not baking powder - baking powder have added monocalcium phosphate and sodium aluminium sulphate, both of which are acidic, meaning it won’t be as effective as bicarb on its own.

Well, that’s it for now - I hope you’ll get some use out of these tips - I know I will! And remember that if you want an all-in-one cleaning solution, you can always pop to our accessories page and pick up a Crucial Trading Stain Remover Kit! We’ll be back with more hints, tips and facts for you soon!