Do you have a bad spill on your otherwise pristine carpets? Perhaps a rogue food stain or the dreaded red wine?
You're Googling every possible option for removing it, right? These stain removal hacks can be a godsend, but are you finding things that will work, or are you finding things that are going to make everything worse?
There are plenty of carpet cleaning myths that get spread around on the web. If you want to avoid this we've got a list of some of the most common carpet cleaning myths out there. Keep reading to learn more and remember, these are myths!
1. Just Use Water
We should preface this by saying that water in and of itself isn't harmful to the average spill. Water is as basic as you can get and there's no harm in giving a damp rubdown to most carpet spills.
This isn't universally true, though, and you need to be careful.
Water can spread certain stains around. Instead of having one concentrated red wine spot you can have a whole patch of pink carpeting. This isn't ideal.
If your stain is oil-based water can drive the stain deeper into the carpet, making it more difficult to remove later when you have the appropriate materials or help.
Before you take that damp sponge to the carpet, identify your stain and read up on best practices to remove it.
2. White Vinegar Fixes Everything
Vinegar (especially when combined with baking soda) is often lauded as the best possible natural cleaning solution.
Vinegar can be helpful for many household purposes, but it isn't the best "cure-all" choice for your carpets.
Baking soda and vinegar combined will give you a paste that needs to be removed from your carpet. Will the paste remove the stain? It's possible, but it's more likely that the stain will be driven deeper into the fibers and you'll have to find some way to remove the new mixture.
3. All Soap Is Good Soap, Right?
Wrong.
In a pinch, many people use dish soap (or worse, hand soap) on their carpets. These people may forget that soaps and shampoos need to be rinsed after they're used, not just scrubbed and left alone.
A water scrub afterward isn't likely to remove all of the soap and then you have soapy carpets.
The exception to this is if you're going to do a deep clean after you put the soap down. You may get a good rinse from this method. For a quick fix though? Don't bother with this DIY carpet cleaning hack.
4. Soak That Carpet!
This goes alongside the water problem but many people soak carpets with their cleaners (or the dreaded vinegar). Why does this matter?
It can be valid to do a full-carpet rinse. Steam cleaners can even leave carpets a little bit damp. The difference here is that excess water gets extracted from the carpet so that the dampness evaporates quickly enough to not cause harm.
Your carpet isn't just fibers. There's a base and underneath it, there's some kind of foundation. Too much moisture left out over time can lead to mold or even losing carpet dye.
5. Carpets Look Clean? Don't Assume They're Clean!
Most people only do a deep cleaning of their carpets when they look dirty. Anyone who's ever moved furniture around their living room knows that this can be deceptive. What do your "clean" areas look like in comparison to the areas that have gotten foot traffic?
Aside from this, spills and stains that have been "cleaned" can still carry fungus or bacteria. This isn't dangerous to the average person at first, but if it builds up over time it can be harmful and cause illness. This is more true if you have pets or small children that spend a lot of time on the floor.
6. Vacuuming Too Often Ruins the Floor
How aggressive are you with your vacuum? As long as you're not pressing down so hard that you're crushing your carpeting, vacuuming often is great for your floors. Some people choose to vacuum every day if they get a lot of foot traffic or crumbs on their floors.
Some people are under the impression that if you vacuum more than once per week you're going to ruin your carpet fibers and destroy the longevity of your precious floors.
Sure, carpets need to be replaced eventually, but keeping them clean isn't the cause. Consider how much wear and tear your carpets get from your average day. If your body weight isn't crushing your carpets the vacuum isn't either. It loosens the fibers and clears them of dirt that can be causing them to appear more sparse or flat.
7. You Can Professionally Clean Your Floors Yourself
Let's face it, most carpet stains and dirt marks can be cleaned at home with carpet cleaner and a good steam cleaner (invest in one, you'll thank us later). Carpets are durable and they're meant to get dirty sometimes.
When you're moving house or you have difficult stains it can benefit you to hire a professional. They know how to keep your carpet fluffy and in like-new condition. They're also the best choice for getting rid of tough stains like wine or pet urine that can ruin an otherwise perfect carpet.
Do You Buy Into These Carpet Cleaning Myths?
There are plenty of carpet cleaning myths on the internet. They spread because they work from time to time, but you almost never hear the stories of when they make things worse.
Save yourself some trouble and stick to the products that are tried and true. Old-fashioned methods hold up for a reason: they work!
If you're looking to get some new carpets in your home, visit our site. Get a free in-home estimate so we can start working with you!
