How to Choose a Way to Clean and Repair Carpet?

The times of Soviet colorful carpets that adorn every wall in the apartment have long since sunk into oblivion. Today carpets, paths and rugs are no longer assigned the utilitarian role of floor insulation. They become full-fledged elements of the decor of the room.

However, such an aesthetic detail of the interior often requires special care, especially if children or animals live in the apartment. Stains can appear on the carpet that even a vacuum cleaner cannot remove. In this article, you will learn how to clean your carpet from various types of dirt.

Carpets and rugs

The need to thoroughly clean the carpet can arise for several reasons: 

1. Smells. If your cat or dog leaves marks on the carpet, getting rid of the unpleasant odour is very difficult. Regular washing with water or washing powder does not allow you to achieve an ideal result, and a specific “aroma” reappears after drying;

2. Spots. Contaminants, stains from which it is very difficult to remove not only from the carpet but also from other surfaces, include red wine, coffee, grease, etc. cleansing;

3. Dust accumulation. If the carpet has been left unattended for a long time or has been in a room where there is an increased accumulation of dust or other fine suspended matter (for example, in a room where they work with wood), its pile becomes covered with many microscopic particles.

Cleaning methods

If your carpet gets dirty for one of these reasons, manual brushing will come to the rescue, after reviewing the reviews, you can add suitable products.

Before this, the surface must be well vacuumed.

Before you start cleaning the carpet, study its composition, length and thickness of the pile, color and other features, because the cleaning efficiency depends on them. 

Several general guidelines apply to most carpets: 

1. The frequency of using the vacuum cleaner. With regular vacuuming, most contaminants are avoided; 

2. Thorough drying after cleaning. In this case, you will be able to avoid the appearance of fungi and mould, which can also become sources of stains and unpleasant odours. Walking on the carpet while drying is not recommended; 

3. Inadmissibility of using boiling water and excessively hard brushes. They can deform the carpet and damage the pile.

4. A detailed study of the instructions for the use of store carpet cleaning products. Their composition can attack some types of carpets and even lead to warping or loss of colour/pile. If you do not know the composition of your carpet, it is better to use such products with caution, having previously tested them on an inconspicuous area.

There are many ways to restore your carpet to its original cleanliness. If there are light dirt or unpleasant odours on the surface, they can be removed using folk remedies, reviews of which can be found on the Internet:

1. Snow cleaning. This method is especially relevant for those regions where a large amount of snowfalls in winter. After such cleaning, the carpet acquires a fresh frosty aroma, surface dirt disappears from its pile, and the colors become brighter; 

2. Soda cleaning. To clean the carpet with baking soda, it can be used both dry and wet. This method not only restores purity and pleasant aroma to the carpet but also refreshes the color of light rugs;

3. Cleaning with vinegar. Using a vinegar-based solution, you can restore the brightness of the faded colors of the carpet. Processing should be carried out with a brush; 

4. Cleaning with vinegar and baking soda. This cleaning recipe is more aggressive and must be tested on a small area of ​​carpet first. It is suitable for tough stains as well as for removing unpleasant odours. Also, for manual cleaning of carpets, a solution is used, consisting not only of soda and vinegar but also a detergent (for example, washing powder or dishwashing detergent).

If it was not possible to remove stains and unpleasant odours with the help of folk advice, professional products should be used. These include: 

1. Special powders; 

1. Shampoos for cleaning carpets; 

1. Foam. 

In addition, you can deal with difficult dirt with a steam cleaner. 

It is necessary to pre-adjust the steam supply to prevent excessive wetting. This is especially true when cleaning woollen carpets.

NOTE:  Cleaning with professional products or a steam cleaner requires preliminary testing in a small and inconspicuous area to subsequently avoid deformation of the pile.

The instructions for use must be followed. This way you can avoid unpleasant consequences (for example, loss of color, nap or shape of the carpet).

Repair and replacement 

If, after unsuccessful cleaning or as a result of mechanical damage, deformed areas appear on the carpet, such a coating will have to be repaired. 

The main types of carpet defects include: 

1. Tears and cuts. Such damage can occur after transporting the folded carpet when moving heavy pieces of furniture over the surface, or as a result of damage with a sharp knife during unpacking of a new product;

2. Through holes. They can arise both for the above reasons, and as a result of exposure to alkaline or acidic solutions;

3. Burnt areas. Ashes from a cigarette, coal that has jumped out of the fireplace, or hot metal objects (for example, the sole of iron) can leave deformed areas on the carpet with blackened and melted pile along the edges; 

4. Discoloration of the pile. The main reasons for discolouration of carpet pile are prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays and violation of cleaning techniques with the help of special products. Acidic beverages (eg fruit juices, cola) can also discolour the hair; 

5. Stains that cannot be removed when cleaning. Some stains cannot be removed either with folk or professional remedies. In this case, the restoration will come to the rescue; 

6. Part of the tassels and fringes are missing With intensive or prolonged use of the carpet, decorative elements may suffer. 

If, after deformation, the brush was not lost, such a carpet can be repaired by yourself, simply by sewing on the missing part;

7. Abrasion or deformation of the pile Abrasion of the pile occurs in those areas that experience increased stress (for example, from the soles of shoes or from furniture wheels); Deformation of the carpet This is the loss of the original geometry of the carpet. Such damage can occur as a result of exposure to boiling water or after prolonged exposure to water (for example, when flooded).

Take Professionals Help

If it was not possible to cope with unwanted stains or unpleasant odors on the carpet on your own, you will have to turn to carpet repair specialists who use professional equipment for cleaning carpets and furniture.

This technique may also be needed for regular cleaning of long pile carpets, as stains on such carpets are very difficult to remove. Homemade devices are indispensable here.

Conclusion 

Whichever method of carpet cleaning you decide to use, you must first clarify whether this method is suitable for your particular surface, and conduct a test on an inconspicuous area. This will help to avoid unpleasant consequences and preserve the appearance and beauty of the carpet for many years.