Have you ever wondered how to clean a carpet? Carpets are one of the most common and available floors in the market and they’ve been like that for decades. It is, however, the “how to clean carpet” question pops up often. To answer that, we should first understand the types of carpet cleaning and the frequency of carpet cleaning that will keep your carpet always looking great.

In this ultimate carpet cleaning guide, we will talk about the benefits of routine carpet cleaning, and carpet cleaning methods for common carpet spots and stains. Ready to have the cleanest carpet of them all? Let’s do this!

Best Carpet Cleaning Solutions

Before we jump right into the “how to clean carpet” process, let’s first talk about what carpet cleaners work best. Fortunately, we have a lot of carpet cleaners, both DIY and store bought. So let’s start with the store-bought ones.

Best Carpet Cleaner You Can Buy

Go to your local grocery store and you’ll see they have a nice selection of carpet cleaners. Be it a spot cleaner or pet mess cleaner, they’ve got it all. But here is the thing, not all carpet cleaning sprays are made the same. Some of them can even attract more dirt and oil after you use it, or make your carpet discolored. To make sure you pick the right carpet cleaner for your floor and your mess, we recommend only using Carpet and Rug Institute certified cleaners.

Best DIY Carpet Cleaner

Oh, and while we’re at the grocery store, we might as well take a peek at some cleaning supplies. You know what else the grocery stores have? Ingredients for a killer homemade carpet cleaner! So if you don’t have the budget for the store-bought one, or you’d rather just use your own ingredients, here is a homemade carpet cleaner solution that should help for spot-cleaning:

• 1 cup of warm water
• 1/8 tsp dish soap (without bleach, oils, or moisturizers)
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp baking soda

Please note: For any DIY cleaner, it’s a good idea to first test it in an inconspicuous spot to see if it causes any unexpected discoloration or damage.

Basic Carpet Cleaning Methods

Carpet is a great flooring solution, and it’s also great at trapping filth into its fibers. The more you walk on dirty carpets, the dirt is going to work its way below the surface, making it far more difficult to get out (source). The same goes for spills. If you don’t tend to them, they will only penetrate through your carpet padding and subfloor and cause even more issues in the future.

This is why if you are wondering how to clean carpet, knowing some basic cleaning methods like vacuuming and spot-cleaning can go a long way.

Vacuuming Your Carpet

By simply vacuuming your carpet, you are extending the life and beauty of your floor. For the areas with less foot traffic, it is advised to vacuum the foot-trails twice weekly, and the whole area once a week. For the busier parts of your household, it is advised to vacuum the foot lanes daily and the overall area twice weekly. The more the better, as long as your carpet has some time to “recover” in between. To avoid carpet matting the carpet piles, it’s best to switch the vacuuming direction from time to time. By routinely vacuuming your carpet, you can avoid dirt!

Spot Cleaning Your Carpet

Once you get all the lose dirt and debris off of your carpet, you might notice some small stains. Let’s be honest, sometimes spots and stains just happen. But what do you do about them? While we’re at it, let’s also look into how to clean carpet stains.

Using your preferred method of carpet cleaner, you can use the following steps to do a basic spot-cleaning of recent or set-in stains on your carpet:

Spray the cleaner over a small area and wait 5-10 minutes.

Dab the stain with a clean towel.

Once the stain is gone, rinse the area with clean water.

Soak up the remaining moisture with a second clean towel to complete the process.

The Most Common Carpet Spots and Stains and How to Treat Them

Preventing Carpet Stains

If you are a klutz, there is always one thing you drop or spill. Even if you are very careful, spills and stains happen. The important part to know is how to treat the stains that occur! Let’s take a look at how to remove the most common spills.

Red Juice, Wine, and Coffee Stains

While this may sound very specific, red juice and wine stains are in the same category as ice cream stains, berry stains, and soda stains. This category is called water-soluble stains.

To remove these stains, you can make a simple solution of ¼ teaspoon of non-bleach detergent or white vinegar mixed with 32 ounces of water. Working from the outside in, blot the stain, then rinse with warm water and blot again with a clean towel. Don’t forget to test your cleaning solution in an inconspicuous spot to see if it causes any unexpected discoloration or damage.

For harder to remove stains, you can opt for harsher chemicals, like bleach or ammonia. However, these chemicals can cause discoloration. You should check with the manufacturer of your carpet to ensure you will get the best results (source).

Nail Polish Stains

If I had a dollar every time I spilled nail polish, I could buy a lot more nail polish. But here’s an easy way to get rid of nail polish spills. The faster you do this the better.

Blot the area with a clean cloth that has been dipped in nail polish remover. DO NOT pour the nail polish remover onto your carpet.

Once the stain is up, rinse the area with warm water, and blot dry with a clean towel or rag.

Wax or Gum Stains

If you have kids, you never know what you’ll find on your carpet. Gum or other sticky messes are a little different than your typical liquid spill, but don’t despair. Here’s a little trick!

• Freeze the wax or gum with an ice cube.
• Once frozen, break the area with a spoon or blunt object.
• Vacuum the broken pieces before they melt and blot the carpet with a towel.

Pet Urine Smells and Stains

Pet owners, unite! We’ve all had an accident, that’s why you need the right carpet cleaner for urine smells and stains.

First with a clean towel, absorb the mess as much as possible, then blot the area with a damp, cool cloth.

Next, spray or blot the area with equal parts of white vinegar and water.

Lastly, apply a solution of 1/2 teaspoon of clear, mild, non-bleach detergent and 32 ounces of water, then rinse the area with warm water, and blot dry (source).

Please note: Another great cleaning solution for pet urine is an enzymatic cleaner. These cleaners help breakdown the stain, providing an effective stain remover. An enzymatic cleaner can be found at your local pet store.

Deep Cleaning Your Carpet

Now that we got the basics out of the way, let’s move on to the next step, deep cleaning your carpet. Unlike vacuuming and basic cleaning, deep cleaning is more of a semi-annual thing. Unless your carpet is constantly being exposed to heavy foot traffic.

To keep your floor in tip-top shape, you are recommended to fully clean it every 18 months or so (source). Use a steam cleaner or rent a carpet cleaner to get the best results. To make sure your carpet is cleaned to top-notch standards and equipment, consider hiring a professional carpet cleaner to get the job done!

A reputable professional carpet cleaner is well-versed in the latest carpet construction, carpet care products, and safe cleaning methods. Contact a carpet cleaning professional, like the Albuquerque carpet cleaning pros at ThoroClean, when soil and stains are no longer removable with vacuuming and the recommended carpet cleaning methods described in this article.