What not to do when cleaning your carpet

Ok… so you’re thinking about saving a bit of money and getting down on your hands and knees to remove some of those stubborn stains that have been driving you to distraction…

Some common carpet stains can be successfully removed if you act quickly and use  the correct stain removal procedures.

But, there are also some carpet cleaning mistakes you’ll want to avoid.

Here’s what not to do when cleaning your carpet or attempting to remove individual stains…

1. You fail to take immediate action. Stains can set if they are allowed to seep deep into the carpet fibres and dry. Deal with the spillage as quickly as you can.
2. Using a shop bought stain remover. I’ll get straight to the point: They are useless! In fact, many of these products cause damage to the fibres, can cause colour changes and potentially set stains. I see the damage these products do on a daily basis. Please don’t use them!!! Use a home based mix as I detailed here.
3. Forgetting to test your stain home made stain remover. I always suggest testing an innocuous patch of carpet (behind a sofa) when making or using a stain remover so if it causes any problems it’s not going to be visible.
4. Scrubbing a stain. All this achieves is to spread the stain and potentially make it worse. It may also embed the stain and if you scrub too vigorously, you may wear out the carpet fibres. Blot, don’t scrape.

And finally…

Don’t hire a cheap carpet cleaning rental machine. The results are rarely satisfactory, you are not covered for accidental damage, and they arenot cost effective!

If you are thinking about attempting DIY stain removal, I’m happy to give free advice over the phone. Simply call me today and I’ll help you identify the best method of removal. Or if you’d like a free quotation for carpet cleaning Cardiff or South Wales, please do get in touch.