6 DIY Carpet Cleaning Mistakes You Need to Avoid
Your carpet is one of the largest home décor investments you’ll ever make. It’s likely you spent time and money choosing the material, colour and style of carpet. If it gets looked after, it’ll look good for decades. If not, it may start to look tired and worn before its time.
It’s important to spend time cleaning and caring for your carpet. To do this, you need to know the correct processes and pitfalls to avoid. Here are the six biggest DIY carpet cleaning mistakes to avoid.
Not Vacuuming Enough
A simple mistake many homeowners make is not vacuuming their carpets enough. Just because you can’t see dirt particles, dust, debris and bacteria they still build up daily and get lodged deep in the carpet pile. Aim to vacuum once a week or every other day if you have pets and children.
Rubbing Stains Too Vigorously
When you spill something on a carpet, your first reaction may be to grab a cloth and rub as hard as possible. This is a bad mistake that only pushes the stain deeper into the carpet pile. Another outcome is that you damage the actual carpet fibres, wearing them down further. The correct process is to blot the stain, to absorb as much of it as possible.
Not Using the Right Stain Removal Product
Each carpet is made from a different material and those materials need to be handled in a unique way. Resist the urge to grab any chemical filled cleaning product to clean a stain. Always consult with your carpet manufacturer, to learn what cleaning products are best for your carpet.
Overusing Carpet Deodorisers
Carpet deodorisers only need to be used sparingly. They are meant to be added after cleaning, to give your carpet a great scent. Many use these products as a substitute for cleaning, which just leads to more chemical build up in the carpet. If you must use carpet deodorisers, only use after a thorough deep clean.
Forgetting to Patch Test
If you decide to mix your own DIY carpet cleaning solution, make sure you patch test it on an area out of sight. While natural cleaners are a great option, it is possible some may react adversely with your carpet and leave a stain or even set the stain you are trying to remove.
Never Using Professional Carpet Cleaning Services
Hiring a professional carpet cleaning company is the best way sanitise your carpets deep down. You may think you’re saving money by doing it yourself, but general vacuuming and stain removal never completely gets rid of all dirt and bacteria. And as dirt builds up, this causes damage to the fibres and reduces the useful life of your carpets.
