The right carpets can make a house feel like a home, they are warm on your feet, snug in winter and the perfect material for kids to roll around on playing. But, they can be a bit of a nightmare to look after. All it takes is a knocked glass of red or a spilt cup of coffee and you can find yourself pulling your hair out. Luckily for you, we’ve prepared some carpet cleaning tips, trust us, these are from the professionals.
1. Lint rollers are your friend
Sometimes it feels like no matter how often you vacuum there are still stubborn crumbs and pet hairs around. If you relate, grab a lint roller. A lint roller and a bit of elbow grease is all you need to collect those stubborn particles that the hoover misses.
2. Squeegee the pet hair
Pet hair, or your own hair for that matter, is notoriously hard to remove with the vacuum cleaner and you often find it ends up tangled round your vacuum brush, wreaking havoc on your hoover. If you have a short pile carpet then a squeegee is your saving grace when it comes to carpet cleaning. Run the squeegee along your carpet and it will gather all the hairs into a pile so you can conveniently pick them up.
3. Shag carpets need special care
Shag carpets have made a comeback but they have not become any easier to clean. In fact the opposite is true, modern vacuums have such strong suction that the fibres get sucked in and become frizzy or loose, counteracting your carpet cleaning efforts. In order to try prevent this hoover with only the hose attachment, as this is less likely to get fibres tangled.
4. Remove stains with an iron
Stains have tested the patience and intelligence of homeowners since the invention of carpets. You will probably already have a selection of carpet cleaning products under the kitchen sink but here is a lesser known trick for stain removal. Firstly vacuum the aead to get rid of big particles, then treat the spots with a mixture of water and vinegar in a 3:1 ratio. Let this mixture sink in for approximately 5 minutes. Next place a towel on the area and apply a hot iron, the pressure and the heat will cause the stain to transfer to the towel like a reverse temporary tattoo.
