The complete guide: How to keep your carpet clean

By / September 26th, 2023 / There are currently 0 comments

Your carpet is one of the biggest long-term investments you will make in your room, so it’s important to know how to keep it looking its best for as long as possible. That can be easier said than done, as carpets take a beating day in and day out. Often, carpets are susceptible to mud, crumbs, spills, pet hair, and plenty more in the most lived-in parts of the house.

When allowed to build up, dust and soil particles left in the carpet can cause discolouring and the retention of odours in the fibres, leaving your room with a dull look and an off-putting aroma.

You want to take pride in your home, especially its carpeted rooms. Follow Morgan & Quinn’s guide on keeping your carpet clean long-term and getting it looking brand new shortly after one-off stains or damages.

Table of contents

Carpet cleaning supplies

Before we start with the elbow grease and overall cleaning, we need to ensure you have everything you need to tackle the stains your carpet will encounter properly.

These supplies will help you battle the toughest everyday stains in your carpet and are the essentials for regular carpet cleaning.

Materials

  • Distilled white vinegar
  • Baking soda
  • Table salt
  • Washing-up liquid

Equipment

  • Vacuum
  • Spray bottle
  • Microfiber cloth
  • Old rags
  • Bucket
  • Rug brush
  • Carpet cleaner

How to clean your carpet

Your carpet goes through a lot on a daily basis. Some days, it goes through even more, with accidental spillages or unfortunate instances resulting in frustrating stains seeping into the fibres.

The best way to combat these stains is to address them as quickly as possible, but not every stain is the same. Follow our guide on these specific stains, and you’ll be ready to take them on when the time comes.

How to clean sick from your carpet

Never anything anyone wants to happen, but sometimes illness can get the better of you, your pets or your family. The most important thing to do is to get to it quickly so that the sickly smell doesn’t stick around.

  1. If dishwashing gloves are available to you, put them on.
  2. Use a spoon to scrape any solid/bigger pieces of sick out of the carpet and dispose of them into a bin bag.
  3. Get your distilled white vinegar, dilute it with a bit of tap water and add this to a spray bottle. If you don’t have white vinegar, you can use hydrogen peroxide, but please do not use both.
  4. After a quick spot test, spray the bottle’s contents over the affected area until your carpet dampens.
  5. Dab the area with a dry towel. You can use multiple towels/old rags here, so swap it out if one gets too damp.
  6. Allow the area to dry further, and spray your room with an air freshener to boost the freshness of your room’s aroma.

How to clean dog accidents from your carpet

Although noticing your pet has mistaken your carpet for a tree on a walk can be panic-inducing, these stains are relatively simple and easy to eliminate.

  1. Once your pet leaves the room, use a paper towel to blot up as much urine as possible.
  2. Apply your carpet cleaner to the affected area and gently rub it with a towel/rag. Ensure you follow the instructions on your bottle and let the cleaner rest for the appropriate time.
  3. Once it has sat for the required time, you must flush out what your pet left and remove all the moisture from your carpet. Pour a small amount of warm water over the spot, then dab it with a towel. Repeat until the spot and the water are completely rinsed out.
  4. Allow your carpet to air dry completely.

How to clean milk from your carpet

While there’s no use crying over it, spilt milk over your carpet can be a frustrating experience. If left to sour, your carpet will develop a deeply unpleasant odour, but we have the steps to avoid this.

  1. Start by mixing some warm water with a tablespoon of washing-up liquid.
  2. Add this mixture to a spray bottle and spray the affected area. Use a cloth to rub the stain gently.
  3. Repeat as many times as necessary to remove as much of the stain as possible.
  4. Sprinkle the area with baking soda and let it sit for around half an hour.
  5. Once half an hour has passed, the baking soda should have absorbed the remaining milk and the smell. Finish by vacuuming the carpet.

How to clean red wine from your carpet

Buying a beige or cream-coloured carpet can brighten your space, allowing for a more relaxed and airy feel to your home, but as soon as a drop of red wine hits that carpet, it all feels like a huge mistake. Fear not. We can help you make your carpet look as good as new.

  1. Begin by blotting any wine not yet absorbed into the carpet with paper towels or a cloth.
  2. Prepare a cleaning solution by mixing baking soda with a little water.
  3. Pour the solution over the stain and blot repeatedly using a white cloth until the stain vanishes.

How to clean mud from your carpet

Everyday life can be messy, but we want to do our best to avoid bringing that mess into our home, especially our carpets. However, some mud will eventually reach the fibres after a game of football or just after a particularly rainy and muddy day. Here’s how to get it out.

  1. Create a solution by mixing 250ml of distilled white vinegar and a tablespoon of washing-up liquid.
  2. Gently rub this mixture onto the mud stain using a brush.
  3. Rinse the area with cold water using a clean cloth.
  4. Repeat the process until the stain has gone.
  5. Once the stain has gone, use a clean towel to dry the carpet.

Tips to keep your carpet clean

Knowing how to act efficiently in moments of panic, such as when spillages occur, is always ideal. Still, it’s also important to know how to maintain a clean carpet and what steps to take to mitigate the risks of damaging such an important part of your home.

Remove your shoes

As you would do out of respect when entering someone else’s home, show your carpet the same respect by removing your shoes  before reaching the living room or carpeted area. If you live with others, encourage them to do the same.

Avoiding bringing everything you’ve picked up during your time outside the house onto the carpet can save plenty of issues down the line with much less chance for mud and other things to seep into your fibres.

Mop spills immediately

We’ve touched on it plenty already, but it is imperative that you get to any spills or other instances as quickly as possible. The longer you let things like these set into the carpet, the more work it will take to remove them.

Don’t let spills and thrills spoil the centrepiece of your living room and ruin the overall aroma of the space; tackle spills immediately.

Avoid eating and drinking over your carpet

Depending on your living situation, this step may be unavoidable, but do your best to avoid eating and drinking over your carpet. Having food and drink hovering over the carpet will inevitably end in some of it dropping down, even without you noticing.

Do your best to avoid eating crumby food, especially over your carpet, as it can be very difficult to spot when that drops down.

Vacuum regularly

The carpets in your home should be relatively simple to clean, and vacuuming is the simplest way to keep your carpets in check regularly. Ideally, you should vacuum your carpets once a week, or even more often if possible, to pick up everyday dirt.

Use rugs

Placing rugs over high-traffic areas in your carpeted rooms is a good way to prevent dirtying your carpet. A machine-washable rug would be ideal; rugs, in general, are easier to clean.

Having this protective layer over your carpet will not only benefit the cleanliness of your carpet but can add vibrance and character to your room.

Professional cleaning

We recommend you get your carpet professionally cleaned once a year to ensure freshness remains in your home. A professional cleaning will make carpet maintenance  much easier and less taxing.

Following the steps in these guides will help you keep stains, dirt and other unseen factors at bay while enjoying a fresh-feeling carpet in your home. If you want a new carpet to brighten your home, you can shop Morgan & Quinn’s wonderful carpet collection.

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