Parenting Pointers: 5 Amazing Ways to Clean Your Living Room Carpet

The living room sees most of the traffic as people move around the house. It is also where you sit to watch TV programs and spend the evening with the children. In homes without a dedicated dining room, people will have to eat in the living room (and spill soup and drinks on your carpet). I am also sure people throng your sitting room carpet if you do not have a lounge set for guests.

For these numerous reasons, expect the living room carpet to get dirty faster than those you use in other designated places. For that reason, you want to know the safest way to keep your carpet cleaning and maintaining it to be usable for a long period of time. In this post, you learn the five simple steps to achieving a clean living room carpet.

It would be easier to hire a professional cleaner for your carpets, but, sometimes, due to personal preferences or financial constrictions, you have to stick to doing the task yourself. Before you begin, ensure you have some time you can set aside for cleaning to avoid jumping between duties which could lead to leaving things messy and possibly staining the carpet further.

Here are the things you should do to achieve a clean and neat living room carpet.

1. Collect the Necessary Items
Before you start your cleaning, you should prepare with the necessary items. Apart from buying or hiring carpet cleaning equipment and buying the detergents you will require, you need some protective gear suitable for cleaners. In summary, do not forget any of these items:

• Shampoo or mild detergent.
• A bucket.
• A sponge. You can as well use a brush with soft bristles.
• Rubber gloves.
• A wet-dry vacuum cleaner.
• A garden horse.

But you have to be cautious with the kind of detergent or chemical you will use for cleaning your carpet. Some detergent can wash off the colors on the carpet and distort the patterns. This can damage your rug (and I am certain you will not be pleased with the results). Try and find out what detergent is suitable before buying.

2. Get Ready for the Task
Start by wearing the gloves, nose mask, and any other protective clothing you may need. Prepare the washing place to ensure that it is clean and ready for the task. It is ideal to carry out your cleaning on a paved ground far from trees to avoid the leaves from falling on your rug while you are working on it and putting in your time.

As part of the preparations, you need to inspire yourself so that you can complete your job successfully. Some people find music to be boosting their motivation to work harder or faster. If you are one of them, turn on the iPod or music player and select a few songs to listen to while working.

3. Remove the Solid Dirt and Debris

Take out your rug to a place you have prepared to clean it. Using the vacuum cleaner, remove the dirt from both sides of the carpet. In case you have some pets, ensure that there are no hairs on the carpet before proceeding to clean. You can use a soft brush to clean out the hair and any loose fibers.

Removing the dirt from your carpet can help you to spend less time, water, and detergent when you are washing it. It is ideal to vacuum the carpet while it is still dry to avoid staining it with mud or soluble substances.

4. Start Washing Your Carpet
Once you have removed the objects from your carpet, you can start washing. You will first need to mix the chemicals or detergents you bought for cleaning. Do read all the precautions and directions before proceeding. It is advisable to use warm water to wash the carpet as hot water can damage the man-made fibers on the rug.

You may want to test the cleaner on one corner of the rug to ensure it does not cause any unpleasant effects. Then you can now scrub the rug gently with the solution using the soft-bristled brush. Let it settle for a few minutes before you rinse it out.

5. Rinsing and Drying
Use clean water for rinsing. You can either use a garden hose or a bucket. Rinse it and confirm that all the soap is washed off the carpet. The runoff water should show you whether the carpet is now clean (pour water until it is clear).

To facilitate the drying process, you have to dry out excess water from the rug. A wet vacuum can help you in the process. You can as well use a squeegee to get rid of the excess water. Allow the rug to dry in the air. You can use a fan to speed up the drying process. Let the top dry completely, then turn it over to dry the other side.

Summary
With adequate preparations, you can clean your sitting room carpet in the shortest time possible. One thing you should remember is that you should not return it to the room before it completely (100%) dry out.