The challenge to keep carpet clean in the wintertime comes from the fact that you have so much ice and snow outside which can end up being tracked inside on shoes and boots. But it’s not just the moisture that can have a negative impact on your carpets, there are things such as salt and dirt which can also get into the fibers and end up leaving behind ugly stains.
Sure, you can always insist that you family and friends remove their shoes before entering the house and that will probably reduce the potential for stains and soiling. However, you know what they say about the best laid plans and when it comes to your carpet, you can never be too careful.
So let’s take a look at the biggest stain challenges facing your carpet during the winter:
Salt
The best method for clearing away snow and ice along sidewalks, driveways, walks, and assorted thoroughfares that see moderate to heavy foot traffic is salt. But while salt is ideal for making the outside less slippery and perilous, it’s a real nuisance when it gets into your carpeting.
Fortunately if that happens, you don’t have a lot of work to do to lift salt stains from your carpet fibers. All it takes is equal parts warm water and white vinegar, mixed together in a common spray bottle. Spray the soiled areas thoroughly and gently dredge the salt out of the fibers with a brush or cloth.
Once you’re done, get a towel and blot the areas you moistened with the water and vinegar mix. Just blot, never wipe. Afterward, vacuum the area completely but don’t do so until the carpet is dry.
Dirt and Slush
These two are pretty much one in the same. Most slush is just dirty snow and you will most likely find yourself stepping in both at some point in the winter. The trick is not to bring all that grime and gunk into your carpet.
But it happens and when it does, you need to be ready. The good thing is that you’re not dealing with a serious problem for cleaning these types of stains. All you need is some soap and hot water to clean your carpet after you’ve walked over it from the dirt and slush.
Just be very careful about washing your carpet fibers, it’s important to remain gentle at all times and to avoid saturating your carpet with too much moisture. This is critical to keep in mind because you’ll be using hot water to start and cold water after to rinse. So be sparing about your use of water and always take great effort in making sure the carpet dries fully. You don’t want too much moisture getting trapped in the fibers and under the backing material.
Another great option for eliminating these types of salt, slush, and dirt stains is by calling a professional carpet cleaning service summerville and having the experts come in and take care of the mess for you instead.
