Three carpet-cleaning methods to avoid at all costs are listed below.You may be tempted to save money by trying one of them-either doing it yourself or hiring a professional. But if you do, be prepared to be disappointed:
Shampooing uses a machine with a very aggressive brush and a cleaner mixed with water applied to the carpeting. The brush doesn't pick up any dirt. It swirls everything around to create a foam. The idea is to let that dry and vacuum up the crystals. It is not effective.
Spin bonnet cleaning adapts floor-bluffing techniques to carpets. A "bonnet," or round absorbent pad, is dipped into the cleaning solution and wrung out, then attached to a machine that spins it around. The bonnet is supposed to be removed and cleaned or changed when it is visibly dirty. But it clean only the top of the carpeting. It grinds in dirt, creates soil and detergent buildup, and can damage the fibers and pile.
Dry cleaning is touted as an alternative method that won't cause over watering of carpets. It uses an absorbent granular material, which is laced with a solvent. It is distributed over the carpet and brushed in, left to absorb soil, and then vacuumed up. The
How to Choose a Pro
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If you're going to the expense of hiring a professional to clean your carpets, make sure you get a good one. Here's how you can evaluate the professionals, according to the Carpet & Fabricare Institute of Mission Viejo, California:
trouble is, it isn't very effective, and the solvent evaporates in the air, polluting your home.
Removing spots on carpeting is something you have to expect to do yourself, because onto every carpet a little wine must fall. Or barbecue sauce. Or pet poop. You can't afford to call in the professional cleaners every time your boss dribbles her sloe gin fizz on your carpet. So it pays to learn how to mop up the little messes in between deep cleanings.
The techniques for attacking stains are as varied as the stains themselves. The approach you use depends in part on how much you value your carpet. If your carpet is old and beaten up, you can afford to be daring. If it's brand-new, of high quality, and carpeting you want to have for many years, be more cautions.
Here's a pyramid to help you decide which spot-removal technique to use. Choosing a spot-removing strategy is a bit like picking foods from the Food Guide Pyramid. On the food pryramid, you're supposed to eat a lot of the foods depicted at the bottom (fruits, vegetables, and grains) and eat the stuff at the top (fats, sweets and oils) sparingly. On the Stain /Removal Pyramid the broad bottom part includes that most gentle and universal of cleaning substances--water.
The higher you go on this pyramid, the more extreme the treatment and the less of it you should use.
Before we examine each step in the pyramid, a few basics to remember: /stain removal usually requires tenacious blotting. (See the instructions in the box "what Would Hippocrates Do?") Be sure to blot, not rub. Before moving on from one step in the pyramid to the next, test the next solution
on an inconspicuous area of carpet. Put a little of the treatment on the carpet, let it sit for about 10 minutes, and blot with a clean white rag. Inspect the rag for any dye from the carpet, and inspect the carpet for any damage from the cleaner. If either occurs, the solution isn't realty a solution; it's another problem. In the case of wool, if it doesn't respond to water and the mild soap solution, you should call a professional.
OK, here are the techniques to try, in order, as we ascend the Stain /Removal Pyramid. Remember to blot, not rub. Use these techniques only one at a time, and rinse well between steps.
Shampooing uses a machine with a very aggressive brush and a cleaner mixed with water applied to the carpeting. The brush doesn't pick up any dirt. It swirls everything around to create a foam. The idea is to let that dry and vacuum up the crystals. It is not effective.
Spin bonnet cleaning adapts floor-bluffing techniques to carpets. A "bonnet," or round absorbent pad, is dipped into the cleaning solution and wrung out, then attached to a machine that spins it around. The bonnet is supposed to be removed and cleaned or changed when it is visibly dirty. But it clean only the top of the carpeting. It grinds in dirt, creates soil and detergent buildup, and can damage the fibers and pile.
Dry cleaning is touted as an alternative method that won't cause over watering of carpets. It uses an absorbent granular material, which is laced with a solvent. It is distributed over the carpet and brushed in, left to absorb soil, and then vacuumed up. The
How to Choose a Pro
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you're going to the expense of hiring a professional to clean your carpets, make sure you get a good one. Here's how you can evaluate the professionals, according to the Carpet & Fabricare Institute of Mission Viejo, California:
- Be sure the cleaner uses the water-extraction or steam-cleaning method supported by a truck-based unit.
- Ask what training the cleaner has had. Cleaning carpets does take some.
- Choose a cleaner with a professional certification, such as the IICRC label(bestowed by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) or the Carpet and Rug Institute's Seal of Approval. Another good sign is membership in trade organizations.
- Expect the cleaner to inspect the job beforehand to look at the condition of your carpeting and the type of fiber it is made of.
- Ask for an estimate--in writing and itemized. (A good professional should provide it that way without being asked.) With a written estimate, You'll know what is covered, and you won't be surprised by extra charges. You can save money by doing a thorough vacuuming before the cleaner arrives and by moving the furniture yourself, but make sure the estimate reflects the tasks that you, rather than be professional, will be doing.
- Examine the guarantee and make sure it suits you.
- Ask for references, and check them out.
- Be sure the cleaner is insured.
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trouble is, it isn't very effective, and the solvent evaporates in the air, polluting your home.
Removing spots on carpeting is something you have to expect to do yourself, because onto every carpet a little wine must fall. Or barbecue sauce. Or pet poop. You can't afford to call in the professional cleaners every time your boss dribbles her sloe gin fizz on your carpet. So it pays to learn how to mop up the little messes in between deep cleanings.
The techniques for attacking stains are as varied as the stains themselves. The approach you use depends in part on how much you value your carpet. If your carpet is old and beaten up, you can afford to be daring. If it's brand-new, of high quality, and carpeting you want to have for many years, be more cautions.
Here's a pyramid to help you decide which spot-removal technique to use. Choosing a spot-removing strategy is a bit like picking foods from the Food Guide Pyramid. On the food pryramid, you're supposed to eat a lot of the foods depicted at the bottom (fruits, vegetables, and grains) and eat the stuff at the top (fats, sweets and oils) sparingly. On the Stain /Removal Pyramid the broad bottom part includes that most gentle and universal of cleaning substances--water.
Before we examine each step in the pyramid, a few basics to remember: /stain removal usually requires tenacious blotting. (See the instructions in the box "what Would Hippocrates Do?") Be sure to blot, not rub. Before moving on from one step in the pyramid to the next, test the next solution
on an inconspicuous area of carpet. Put a little of the treatment on the carpet, let it sit for about 10 minutes, and blot with a clean white rag. Inspect the rag for any dye from the carpet, and inspect the carpet for any damage from the cleaner. If either occurs, the solution isn't realty a solution; it's another problem. In the case of wool, if it doesn't respond to water and the mild soap solution, you should call a professional.
OK, here are the techniques to try, in order, as we ascend the Stain /Removal Pyramid. Remember to blot, not rub. Use these techniques only one at a time, and rinse well between steps.
- After you've cleaned everything you can by blotting, dilute what remains with water and blot some more. You can also dilute spills with plain club soda. (No flavors, please!) The fizzi-ness and salts it contains will sometimes help it work better that water, and it's just about as safe.
- If after water and club soda treatment you still have a stain, here is a safe, simple,general-purpose spot cleaner to try: Mix 1 teaspoon of a mild dishwashing detergent with 1 cup of warm water. Blot it on the spot. Be sure to rinse thoroughly, because getting cleaning chemicals out is important, too.
- Try a solution of 1 tablespoon of ammonia and 1/2 cup of water on old spots, blood, and chocolate.
- Try a soluiton of 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of water on mildew stains and spills with an odor, such as urine.
- Try full-strength 3 percent hydrogen peroxide on tomato-based stains, red drinks, alcoholic drinks, fruit juice, grass stains, coffee and chocolate.
- Use rubbing alcohol, full strength, on oily stains, ballpoint pen, ink candle wax residue, and grass stains.
Special situations may call for special removal techniques:
For oily spills, such as mayonnaise, salad dressing, and butter try saturating the spot with cornstarch, a good abosrbent. Allow it to dry, then vacuum.
For candle wax dripped onto your carpet, use a warm iron over a paper towel to take up as much wax as possible. Then dab on rubbing alcohol. If there's still a stain, go to the general-purpose spot cleaner described above (See step 2)
For spills, Pick Up the Phone
For oily spills, such as mayonnaise, salad dressing, and butter try saturating the spot with cornstarch, a good abosrbent. Allow it to dry, then vacuum.
For candle wax dripped onto your carpet, use a warm iron over a paper towel to take up as much wax as possible. Then dab on rubbing alcohol. If there's still a stain, go to the general-purpose spot cleaner described above (See step 2)
For spills, Pick Up the Phone
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When you get a spill on your carpet and you're tempted to reach for one of those commercial spot-treatment prodcuts, try the phone instead. That's the advice of Mike Perras, executive director of the Carpet & Fabricare Institute.
When you get a spill on your carpet and you're tempted to reach for one of those commercial spot-treatment prodcuts, try the phone instead. That's the advice of Mike Perras, executive director of the Carpet & Fabricare Institute.
"Those products are absolutely wonderful for the companies selling them," Perra says, "and absolutely terrible for the consumer using them."
About 90 percent of the time, when a professional carpet cleaner is called in to treat really bad spots, such spot-cleaning products have made them worse, according to Perras.
He advises carpet owners to blot up what they can from a spill, dilute the residue with water, and continue to blot. Beyond that, he advises seeking advice before using any kind of cleaner. If you know the kind of fiber your carpet is made of, so much the better.
For advice, you can call CFI, a nonprofit organization dedicated to training and education, at (800) 227-7389. CFI doesn't sell any products. It can recommended professional cleaners, but only in
calfornia, Arizona, and Nevada. However, it can recommend other nonprofit groups that serve other areas.
The information line for the Carpet and Rug Institute is another source of impartial advice. The number is (800) 882-8846.
You could also call a professional cleaner in your area. professionals are usually happy to offer advice on spot cleaning.
About 90 percent of the time, when a professional carpet cleaner is called in to treat really bad spots, such spot-cleaning products have made them worse, according to Perras.
He advises carpet owners to blot up what they can from a spill, dilute the residue with water, and continue to blot. Beyond that, he advises seeking advice before using any kind of cleaner. If you know the kind of fiber your carpet is made of, so much the better.
For advice, you can call CFI, a nonprofit organization dedicated to training and education, at (800) 227-7389. CFI doesn't sell any products. It can recommended professional cleaners, but only in
calfornia, Arizona, and Nevada. However, it can recommend other nonprofit groups that serve other areas.
The information line for the Carpet and Rug Institute is another source of impartial advice. The number is (800) 882-8846.
You could also call a professional cleaner in your area. professionals are usually happy to offer advice on spot cleaning.
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- Pet "accidents" (we all know the little clears sometimes do it on purpose) produce odors as well as stains, and the problem is compounded when urine is not detected immediately. The longer it stays, the worse it gets. First, flush the spot with water and blot with an old towel or rag. Then use the general-purpose spot treatment. (See step 2.) Rinse that with the vinegar mixture. (See step 2.) Rinse that with the vinegar mixture. (see step 4) Rinse again with water and blot. Finally, apply a half-inch-thick layer of dry, clean white rags, towels or paper towels, weight them with a heavy object, and allow them to sit for several hours. If they're still damp when you remove them, repeat with a fresh layer of absorbent materials until they come up dry. (This is also a good formula for treating spilled beer.) The odor will not come out as long as any urine remains. Most commercial products sold to eliminate odor just mask the smell temporarily.
- If a carpet has a musty smell, baking soda will help. If you've been removing spots from the carpet, let the carpet dry out completely first. Then sprinkle baking soda over the entire carpet, let it sit for three to five hours, and vacuum it up.
- Not all substances can be removed from carpeting. Chlorine bleach, iodine, mustard, insecticides, and plant fertilizers, to name a few, are likely to create permanent stains. Many foods, beverages, medications, and cosmetics contain dye, and their spots also may be permanent. sometimes a professional restorer can fix a permanently damaged area by spot-dyeing, reweaving, or retufting. Or a professional installer can replace a section of carpet using a scrap or a piece taken from an inconspicuous spot, such as your closet floor.
Simple SOLUTIONS
Try Some Salt in Your Wine >
So you're celebrating your home renovation. Wouldn't you know it: Someone has spilled wine on that brand new beige carpeting. And it's red wine.
Don't cry. Instead, grab a box of salt. It's a great absorbent.
Spread it liberally on the wine so that it soaks up all the liquid. When all the salt is red, vacuum it up. Then apply some club soda and blot it. Follow up with more salt. Keep repeating this technique until the salt no longer turns red. This could take several days. If the spot becomes dry while there is still color in it, wet it with water or club soda before adding more salt. Then blot with a water-soaked towel, followed by a dry towel. Repeat as many times as necessary to remove the salt that the vacuum didn't pick up.
Try Some Salt in Your Wine >
Don't cry. Instead, grab a box of salt. It's a great absorbent.
Spread it liberally on the wine so that it soaks up all the liquid. When all the salt is red, vacuum it up. Then apply some club soda and blot it. Follow up with more salt. Keep repeating this technique until the salt no longer turns red. This could take several days. If the spot becomes dry while there is still color in it, wet it with water or club soda before adding more salt. Then blot with a water-soaked towel, followed by a dry towel. Repeat as many times as necessary to remove the salt that the vacuum didn't pick up.
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