I have heard that cleaning a carpet with a quot;carpet cleanerquot; can actually harm the carpet. How do I clean my carpet, which is brand new, without harming it? I heard you have to put scotch guard or something on it.....idk please help! Thanks!
Steam clean it. Buy one, rent one or hire a professional. They are perfectly fine on carpets. I have my own steam cleaner and it's gets used constantly. Don't waste your money on scotch guard products. They are surface only and once you wipe up a spill or clean the carpet, the scotch guard is gone. Probably one of the most over rated products on the market. The main things that harm carpet are not cleaning regularly, not vacuuming regularly or choosing the wrong carpet pad.
If it's just a little spot, clean it with warm water and dish soap. Then pat it with a bath towel to dry.
TileX cleaner does a great job on localized stains. If you want to clean the entire carpet rent a carpet cleaner from your local supermarket, or call Stanley Steamer!
My partner and I run a successful Carpet Steam Cleaning business and have heard every rumor going over the years. First a professional Steam Cleaner that knows what he is doing will never 'ruin' your carpet. Many less professional cleaners may not re-extract all of the detergent out of the carpet correctly and as these detergents are designed to attract dirt you end up with what is called 'resoling' with the carpet getting dirtier much faster than before but this in itself does not damage any of the fibers nor is it dangerous to any children or pets and much more likely to occur with a hired machine as the vacuum is usually not strong enough. However we have received many calls over the years by people who have incorrectly used hired machines and permanently damaged their carpets (Usually water related damage) in the process. Personally I wouldn't let one of those machines anywhere near my carpet they run too cold and have limited suction Call in a professional it's like comparing a moped to Harley Davidson Do not attempt to scotch guard your carpet yourself this really does need to be done by a professional (Most Carpet Cleaning Companies will do it for an extra fee) The scotch guarding itself is not difficult or dangerous however it needs to be done immediately after a professional clean. It works by creating a protective membrane on the surface of the carpet to prevent dirt from getting through but it works both ways any dirt still in the carpet cannot get out after application until it wears off in 3-4 years time In most Countries the local health authorities recommend getting the carpets cleaned Once or Twice a year
Here's the best way: Cleaning a carpet is almost a calling, you must consider many things. What is the carpet made of? Wool, nylon, synthetic materials, combinations of wool and silk and or cotton fibers. It makes a great deal of difference what the carpet is made of, in your approach to cleaning it. If its some sort of synthetic fiber like nylon, for example, forget about ever getting that spot out. If its a natural fiber such as wool or silk or cotton you can clean it First you need a pail, tepid water and a decent sponge or two. Of the utmost importance is real soap, not detergent or dish soap but liquid soap that you can whip into a sort of froth. The soap should be either castile soap that has been grated or the gentlest sort of liquid hand soap on the market. What you need to do now is place some soap in a jar or the pail and make a large amount of froth or bubbles. You will only be using the froth to clean the stain. You can use one of the sponges for this, soak the sponge in the soap bubbles. After absorbing as much material as possible from the actual stain. Don't rub or scrub the stain, just sponge the soap into the fibers with a gentle press and lift motion. Repeat until the spot disappears. Now, the second part, pour a few tablespoons of white vinegar into a pail of tepid water and using the second sponge moistened with vinegar and water, remove the soap on the carpet. Using the same method mentioned above. It takes time and effort but in the end, if you have a carpet worth keeping this is the way to do it. You may have to do this a multitude of times to remove the stains, never leave soap on a carpet, it matts the fibers and dirt is attracted to the sticky soap residue. Try not to use too much force either when cleaning it, gentle is the key, as it destroys the nap of the carpet.
