Keeping Carpet Clean

Carpeting is soft to walk on and provides a certain amount of insulation to the floor. It’s also prone to staining and can trap allergens, bacteria and viruses in the fibers. Homeowners can still enjoy all the benefits of carpeting while keeping it clean, healthy, and disinfected with a little extra effort. One of the most important steps toward sanitizing and disinfecting carpeting is not to hurry through the process.

Vacuuming

The biggest mistake that people make when vacuuming is moving too fast across the floor just to get the task done. To effectively clean carpeting, individuals should take their time to ensure the brushes are bringing up and collecting all the dust, dirt and debris that lies just below the surface.

Steam Cleaning

Anyone with carpeting or area rugs will also want to invest in a home carpet or steam cleaner. There are many affordable home models that offer adequate cleaning capabilities. Bear in mind that they won’t provide the deep down clean available with a professional model. A steam cleaner is essential for quickly tackling spills before they have a chance to stain the fibers.

A steam cleaner will also be a requirement for individuals that want to disinfect to eradicate viruses and bacteria. A variety of cleaning solutions are available, but while they typically kill bacteria, they may not be effective for disinfecting against viruses. It’s important to read the labels to determine if the chosen product kills viruses.

For those that prefer an organic and more eco-friendly alternative, a solution of equal parts of hot water and white vinegar can be used in steam cleaners. The white vinegar is effective for killing viruses and it also deodorizes. For individuals that don’t have a home carpet or steam cleaner, an alternative is to use a spray bottle to mist white vinegar over the carpeting. Be careful to simply mist and not saturate the carpet. Let the carpeting air dry.