Carpeting is, undoubtedly, the most demanding flooring type in terms of care. Only hoovering it will not be enough to retain its beauty and structure for long. Point being, if you have or plan on having carpets installed in your home, you’d best learn how to properly clean and disinfect them.

Before we get into the main bit, however, it’s important to firstly establish...

How often to clean a carpet?

We should first confirm that hoovering of carpets at least once or twice a week is an absolute must, not only to keep them looking good, but for your own personal health as well. In terms of disinfection, it’s something worth doing once a season. For homes with crawling children or playful pets, disinfection must be performed even more frequently.

How to disinfect your carpet

How to prepare for carpet cleaning?

There are two very obvious things you should do before cleaning your carpets. The first being the removal of smaller furniture and items. We’re speaking about coffee tables, dining chairs, etc. By removal, we, of course, imply getting them out of the rooms or placing them on top of the unmovable furniture, like beds.

The second preparation necessary is to thoroughly hoover the carpets. Ensure the beater bar is switched on and just give them a go-over. Additionally, if you haven’t changed or disposed of your vacuum bag in a while, now might be a good time.

You may also like: Top 7 Carpet Cleaning Tips

How to disinfect a carpet with a steamer

How to disinfect a carpet with a steamer?

Before the carpet can actually be steamed, it would firstly require pre-treatment, and more specifically pre-treatment of the stains. You can either do this with natural products you already have in your kitchen cabinet or with a store-bought chemical.

Disclaimer: Regardless what route you take, always test the solution in an inconspicuous area to ensure it does not cause discolouration. To do this, you just need to spray the carpet, wait 5 minutes and blot with a clean white cloth. If the cloth changes colour, you must not use the product.

Now, if you prefer to go green, grab a spray bottle and add equal parts distilled white vinegar and water. If not, we recommend going with SurSol’s Anti-Bacterial Carpet Cleaning Spray. Once you have a spray handy, lightly mist the open area carpet, focusing on the stains, and wait for it to dry, which shouldn’t take more than 5 to 10 minutes.

Then, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on your steam cleaner, i.e. how much water and product is required to be poured into the tank, and simply steam clean the carpet. Start from the end of the room, working your way to its entrance. Once that’s done, simply wait for the carpet to dry – leaving windows open will significantly speed things up.

How to disinfect a carpet without a steamer

How to disinfect a carpet without a steamer?

If you have been following our blog for a while, you’re aware of how effective white vinegar and baking soda are as cleaners. Not only that, they are also cheap and extremely delicate to the carpet fibres. Because of that, it should come as a surprise to no one that they’re also a part of this cleaning remedy.

Kindly note that you would not be able to use the room for the good part of a day, maybe even a full 24 hours.

  1. Start by sprinkling baking soda over the carpet, until a very thin and even layer is achieved throughout.
  2. Mix 1:1 hot water and white vinegar, and transfer the mixture into a spray bottle.
  3. Spritz the carpet covered in baking soda and wait for 12 to 24 hours – the longer, the better.
  4. Vacuum the baking soda on the next day.

White vinegar and baking soda, especially when put together, act very well as disinfectants, stain removers and deodorizers. The only real downside to this recipe is the inability to use the carpet for said time period.

How to keep carpet clean after it’s disinfected?

  • Groom your pets and give them a bath every once in a while.
  • Vacuum several times a week.
  • Place mats outside and inside your entrance to capture dirt and bacteria.
  • Do not wear shoes inside the house.
  • Avoid walking on the carpet until it’s completely dry.

Read also: Effective Carpet Cleaning Tips for Parents

Should you call in professionals

Should you call in professionals?

As we already established, disinfecting your carpets requires you to either own a steamer, or to dedicate a whole day for the process. Not something everyone is able to afford or can be bothered to do. Hence, the existence of professional carpet cleaning companies!

A trained and certified expert with high-end equipment will undoubtedly do a better job in reviving the look and feel of your carpets. Not only that, but the cleaning products used are also much more effective in dealing with germs, bacteria and viruses, as opposed to store-bought chemicals and homemade cleaning solutions.

Due to the abundance of professional carpet cleaning companies, especially in London, professional carpet cleaning services don’t nearly cost as much as they did two decades ago. Now, a standard 2-bedroom house with carpets throughout can be done for just as little as £120. No hassle, no elbow grease, and more time for family and oneself!