Carpets are a very popular form of flooring, and for good reason, they often improve the aesthetics of a room, they’re warm and soft under the feet. They can also last for a very long time if they’re well looked after, but unfortunately, they often have to be replaced before their time as a result of mistakes made by their owners. We’ll look at some of these mistakes in this article.
Cleaning the Carpet with Soap
Many people clean spots and spills on their carpet with soap. It does seem to make logical sense, after all, we use it to clean our hands, dishes and basins. But soaps aren’t designed for cleaning carpets!
After cleaning an area of the carpet with soap, it may seem clean. The dirt has gone, but it has been replaced with an invisible sticky residue. After a few months, the area will start to turn brown, because the sticky residue attracts dirt. So bear this in mind next time you need to clean an area of your carpet.
Scrubbing Instead of Blotting
Another common mistake people make when cleaning spots or spills off their carpet is they will scrub the area that they are cleaning. It’s almost second nature to do this because when you’re cleaning most things that’s what you tend to do. Unfortunately, carpet fibres are delicate, and you can do a lot of damage to the carpet pile if you scrub the area too aggressively. This often becomes really apparent when the carpet has dried, because the pile in the area you’ve cleaned is distorted, whilst the rest of the carpet pile is aligned. So instead of scrubbing the carpet, you should blot it using a towel. This is a more gentle way of cleaning your carpet.
Relying too Much on Carpet Deodorising Powders
Carpet deodorising powders are a handy option for eliminating odours in the short term, but they should not be overused. These powders are sprinkled onto the carpet and left to sit for a while, as they mask any odours. The powder is then vacuumed out of the carpet. The problem here is that not all of the powder will come out of the carpet, as most household vacuum cleaners don’t have the power required to do that. If you continue to use the powder, over time it will build up in the carpet, and its coarse surface can damage the carpet fibres, shortening the life span of the carpet and causing it to lose its fluffy appearance. It’s advisable to keep usage of Carpet Deodorising Powders to a minimum, and instead, have your carpets cleaned every 12-18 months by a professional carpet cleaning company.