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How to Clean White Carpets at Home - Quick Guide

woman using vacuum cleaner to clean white carpet at home
August 11, 2022

Everyone knows that carpets on hard surface floors are prone to accumulating a great deal of dust and debris within their fibres. Even if you are a fan of clean carpets and remain diligent in regards to cleaning and maintenance, the fabric will show signs of wear over time because of foot traffic and dust and debris accumulation. This is especially notable with a white wool carpet, which calls for special attention.

The important aspects of cleaning your white carpet

a man shampooing a white carpet at home

There are several important steps that we will dive into in regards to carpet cleaning and maintenance. You have to stay on top of frequent vacuuming, in order to prevent dust and surface dirt from building up, especially in high-traffic areas. From time to time you can pour baking soda over the carpet, let it sit for 30 minutes and then use the vacuum cleaner. It will remove any unpleasant odours. You also have to be vigilant in dealing with stains the right way in a speedy manner.

And finally, you have to consider deep cleaning, which is an ideal thing to contact a professional carpet cleaning company for. If you lack the necessary equipment, you can always rely on a professional carpet cleaner to do it for you with a single phone call to arrange the service.

The kind of maintenance and cleaning your carpet needs

First and foremost, it is important to understand that carpets attract dirt and dust, meaning that cleaning is a major aspect of maintenance. On one hand, you should be regular in your vacuuming efforts, as a proven way of dealing with debris within the carpet fibres. Just make sure to empty the vacuum bag often.

There is also one simple rule you can implement for your home: no shoes inside. Such preventative measures work against embedded dirt and other pollutants from ending up on the carpet in the first place. Just place a shoe rack next to the door and ask visitors to leave their shoes there.

Yes, it is impossible to fully prevent trampling dirt and dust. But you can greatly protect carpets by vacuuming regularly and following the no-shoes-inside policy. When you vacuum regularly and use baking soda from time to time, the dust and ground in dirt will not have a chance of getting embedded deeply in the fibres and the machine will remove these particles before they can build up.

Dealing with pets

woman with a dog sitting on the floor on a white carpet

There are a few ways pets can be an issue to your white carpet. Your beloved cat or dog does not wear shoes, so it is easy to bring in mud, dirt and other pollutants onto the carpet when they venture outside.

You can be pre-emptive about it and just remove dirt from your pets’ paws before you bring them into the house with a towel or rag. This will help reduce the number of pollutants on the carpet and also spare you a few mud stains on a rainy day.

You probably already know this, but if you have a pet, you should not forget to vacuum frequently. It helps to keep pet hair and dander under control. Applying baking soda on the carpet and then vacuuming it also tends to help.

Dealing with stubborn stains

red wine spill on a white carpet

A lot of people rush for a towel or some rag and start rubbing a stained area the moment they see it. While it is true that a speedy reaction is a good idea for removing carpet stains because the more a solution sits, the more difficult it is to get off, it is also important to point out that the proper technique is spot cleaning stains by blotting.

This means applying gentle pressure on the stain with a paper towel, cloth rag or a towel, working from the outside towards the centre of the mess. That way you can ensure the stain won’t just get embedded deeper into the carpet fibres.

How to clean a white carpet stain?

White carpets are very beautiful, but they have a serious weakness: difficult stains can ruin them. Thankfully, there are a few tips and cleaning methods that you can try out:

White vinegar

bottle of white vinegar

Vinegar is one of the best carpet cleaners to try on water-soluble stains. It works great when you find yourself dealing with stains from milk, soda, jelly, mud, fruit, wet paint, alcoholic beverages and pet accidents. The way it works is simple.

  1. First, you mix 2 tbsp. white vinegar into a litre of cold water into a spray bottle.
  2. Give it a good shake and then spray on the stained area.
  3. Use a sponge or a clean cloth to compress the solution and repeat until the stain is gone.

Cleaning with ammonia

If vinegar is not to your liking, you can use an ammonia solution for stains of blood, chocolate, wine, tea, coffee and vomit. Mix a single tbsp. of ammonia into a spray bottle and apply to the stain. Blot the area with a clean towel or sponge. The sooner you act with stains, the better chance you have of removing them.

Iron the stain

If there is a stain on the white carpet made of wax, fat or oil, you can remove it with an iron.

  1. First, put some white paper towels on the stain.
  2. Put your iron on the warm setting and run it over the area.

The goal is to have the spill transferred from the carpet onto the paper towel.

Rubbing alcohol and paper towels

Rubbing alcohol is a fantastic tool to use for tough kinds of stains like glue or red wine stains for example. If there is glue residue on the carpet, you can get it off with isopropyl alcohol. Spritz a few drops from a spray bottle filled with the product and gently rub the stain with a cotton ball. The glue should come off after a short while.

Freeze the stain

Ice cubes are particularly useful when you are dealing with chewing gum and wax stains. Essentially, you want to freeze the stain and then remove it. For this, you will need an ice pack that you will leave on the stain for 10-15 minutes.

This will freeze the gum/wax and then you can carefully cut it from the carpet pile but be careful to remove it as close to the residue as possible. A frozen gum/wax stain is much easier to remove this way.

Mix mild detergent and vinegar solution in a spray bottle

One way of dealing with urine stains on the carpet is by using a cleaning solution of white vinegar and mild dish soap/neutral detergent. To start off the process, you need to mix equal parts white vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle. Apply the mixture to the stain and blot it.

Follow up by mixing half tsp. non-bleach clear dish soap in a cup of water and spray it on the stain afterwards. Blot again with a sponge and dry the area with paper towels. Repeat this process and apply more non-bleach detergent as necessary, if the stain persists. You can then apply some baking soda or table salt to the area, if there is a distinct smell of urine, and vacuum it after it has done its job.

Apply hydrogen peroxide

This cleaning solution can help you clean stains like nail polish and blood. It is effective even when faced with a dried stain. You should first apply a small portion of hydrogen peroxide to a hidden area to see if there is any issue with the fabric. You should then proceed by spraying some of it on the stain and blotting with a white cloth to transfer the stain onto the cloth. Repeat if necessary, until the stain disappears.

Will your white carpet remain white?

a room with a big white carpet

The answer depends on your best efforts to maintain the carpet clean. If you stay on top of vacuuming and dealing with stains the right way, your white carpet can remain a beautiful part of the interior for a longer period of time.

Then there is also the professional cleaning service factor. For more thorough cleaning, you should get professionals, who have the knowledge and the tools to get you the clean carpet you want. It is highly recommended to contact professionals to clean your carpet once every 12-18 months.

Such a deep clean gives the carpet a reset, removes most of the embedded dust and debris and utilises steam cleaning technology that makes short work of any allergens. It is always great when you enter a room with a carpet that has just been treated with a steam cleaner.  

What does a carpet cleaner do?

close-up view of cleaning white carpet with professional vacuum cleaner

The process of deep cleaning involves the application of carpet shampoo to the carpeted area. Then the carpet cleaner sprays a fine mist of water solution, which makes it possible for a cleaning agent to penetrate the carpet fibres.

There is a process of drying, which is usually about 24 hours long, during which you should not step on it. It is the same if you rent a carpet cleaning machine or contact the experts. It is a good idea to do a deep clean in the summertime when you can increase circulation in the room by opening your windows and doors wide.

It allows the carpet to air dry quickly. If you want to speed up the drying process, you can also place some fans in the room with the deep-clean carpet.

Hire a professional carpet cleaning service

Depending on the amount of cleaning required, your best bet may be to hire a professional carpet cleaning company like ours to do the cleaning for you. You can easily take advantage of our carpet cleaning services. We can deep clean your carpet by contacting them and booking our service. Once you have arranged the date, a professional cleaner will come to your address and steam clean your carpet to perfection.

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