Carpet Cleaning - Ultimate Carpet Cleaning Guide

People often spend a lot of money on their home. The right paint is selected and all furniture is carefully selected. When everything is in place, you find out that something is still missing, but you don't know exactly what. Until you are at the neighbors house and see what beautiful things they have under their coffee table. A Persian carpet. That's exactly what your house needed. You will then look for Persian carpets , Oriental carpets or even rare onespieces. You are completely happy with your new carpet and you take great care of it. Unfortunately, an accident is in a small corner and your carpet also has to suffer. One moment of inattention and you have a big stain in your beautiful carpet. You have your hands in your hair and you are afraid that you have to say goodbye to your Persian carpet. Fortunately, you don't have to! Cleaning a Persian carpet is very possible. There are all kinds of home remedies for this and there are professional companies that specialize in cleaning Persian carpets. But when will you get started? And when is it better to hire a specialist? This question and more questions will be discussed here.

1. The characteristics and properties of the rug

A Persian carpet is a broad concept. There are many types and sizes, all of which require different maintenance methods. What are the most striking features of these carpets and which properties have the most influence on the cleaning requirements?

• Material

• Size

• Quality

We start with the material. The raw materials in your carpet obviously play a major role in the maintenance of the carpet and for carpet cleaning. So make sure you are aware of the materials used in your carpet. In fact, the materials in your carpet are a decisive factor when it comes to cleaning Persian carpets. Some carpets are made of wool, you can clean these carpets yourself without the intervention of a professional and have a carpet clean.

The colors in the carpet will not run through, because the dyes can penetrate much better into the fibers of the woolen carpet. However, the carpets are more often made of silk, or of a combination with silk. Cleaning Persian carpets made from silk is a different matter. You could try this yourself, but because silk does not accept natural dyes, you can probably throw the carpet away after cleaning. The rule of thumb in this one is actually as follows: Is there silk in your carpet? Always call a specialist. Read here how you can discover the different types of materials .

In addition to the material, it is also important to look at the size. Cleaning a Persian carpet gets a lot more complicated when it's a decent size. A small rug that is on the hall cupboard can be cleaned a lot easier. With a large Persian carpet it is better to enlist the help of the people who really know about it. Finally, we look at the quality of the carpet. In a way, this resembles the properties of the material used. A Persian carpet made entirely of silk is more precious than a Persian carpet of wool. The carpets are often also a bit more expensive as the quality improves. Make sure you call in a specialist, especially if it concerns a high-quality product. A higher knot density naturally makes a carpet more expensive. Read here how toPersian carpets can calculate knot density.

2. Cleaning a Persian carpet, what does it all involve?

Now that you are aware of all the important things it is time to look at the actual process of cleaning. Cleaning a Persian carpet sounds like a big job and it is. What can you do yourself if your carpet needs a makeover? Before you start anything, it's good to know that you have to be very careful with the temperature of the water you use. As with clothes, washing too warm is a very bad idea. We all know what happens when you put colored and white laundry together and wash at too high a temperature. All colors will mix and everything can go straight into the trash. This is also the case with a carpet. If you use too hot water while cleaning, the colors will run through the carpet and that cannot be made up for.

3. Cleaning with shampoo

The most important means of cleaning your carpet yourself is ordinary shampoo. That may sound crazy, but think about it. Wool is made from animal hair and shampoo is made for our hair. So it is actually quite logical that with a little water and shampoo you can go a long way when it comes to cleaning your carpet. If you are not confident in regular shampoo, you can always purchase a special carpet shampoo. However, it is important to first look closely at the label. It would be a shame if you found out at home that the shampoo you bought is not suitable for your wool carpet. Whatever type of shampoo you use: the method is the same. Take a bucket and mix the shampoo with water in it. Use about one tablespoon of shampoo for every liter of water. Stir this well until a foam forms on the liquid. We will use this foam to clean the carpet. Using a wet cloth or clean sponge, gently apply the foam to the area you want to clean. Gently rub the surface of the carpet about four times. While doing this, it's important to be careful not to get unnecessary amounts of water on the carpet. The more water used, the greater the risks of color bleeding. You can also seriously damage the fibers of your wool carpet if you keep rubbing the same spot too much. If you make sure you don't rub the same spot more than four times, you can hardly go wrong. Using a wet cloth or clean sponge, gently apply the foam to the area you want to clean. Gently rub the surface of the carpet about four times. While doing this, it's important to be careful not to get unnecessary amounts of water on the carpet. The more water used, the greater the risks of color bleeding. You can also seriously damage the fibers of your wool carpet if you keep rubbing the same spot too much. If you make sure you don't rub the same spot more than four times, you can hardly go wrong. Using a wet cloth or clean sponge, gently apply the foam to the area you want to clean. Gently rub the surface of the carpet about four times. While doing this, it is important to be careful not to get unnecessary amounts of water on the carpet. The more water used, the greater the risks of color bleeding. You can also seriously damage the fibers of your woolen carpet if you keep rubbing the same spot too much. If you make sure that you don't rub the same spot more than four times, you can hardly go wrong. While doing this, it's important to be careful not to get unnecessary amounts of water on the carpet. The more water used, the greater the risks of color bleeding. You can also seriously damage the fibers of your wool carpet if you keep rubbing the same spot too much. If you make sure you don't rub the same spot more than four times, you can hardly go wrong. While doing this, it's important to be careful not to get unnecessary amounts of water on the carpet. The more water used, the greater the risks of color bleeding. You can also seriously damage the fibers of your wool carpet if you keep rubbing the same spot too much. If you make sure you don't rub the same spot more than four times, you can hardly go wrong.

4. Carpets upside down in the snow

This is a familiar story to many people: Lay a Persian carpet upside down in the snow and the carpet will be clean. This statement is partly true and partly false. This story has its origins in the Eastern Bloc, especially in countries like Russia and Moldova. Decades ago, all carpets with Persian motifs were considered genuine Persian carpets. The carpets in the houses were machine carpets. These carpets were inspired by Persian carpets, but were not made from natural fabrics such as wool. Polyester was the raw material for these carpets. In the cold winter time, these synthetic carpets were taken outside and laid upside down in the snow. Next, the back of the carpet was tapped hard, for example with a carpet beater. This made all the sand and dust come out of the carpet. Because it was so cold in these countries, the snow was dry and the carpet was even superficially cleaned with it. In the Netherlands this becomes a very difficult story simply because it is never that cold here. In order to get dry snow, it must be at least twenty degrees below zero, and that almost never happens in the Netherlands. Another reason why this will not work is the weight of the carpet. A machined carpet is much lighter than a Persian carpet. So do you want to bring out a real wool carpet? Then that will be very heavy. The carpet will also become much too wet and you run an additional risk of colors running through. All in all, cleaning with snow in the Netherlands is strongly discouraged and thorough cleaning of a carpet in this way is really impossible.

5. Cleaning after years of use

It often happens that a carpet will only be cleaned for the first time after many years of use. If this is the case with your carpet, a mixture of shampoo and lukewarm water probably won't have much of an effect. After all, the carpet is completely full of sand and other dirt. This is especially true if the carpet is in a location in the house where people walk around with their shoes on. Before you know it, there is a fair amount of sand and dirt in the carpet. How are you going to clean such a Persian carpet?

If it concerns a small rug, it is possible to knock out this sand yourself. Please do this in a calm manner. If you are going to hit your carpet with all your strength, there is a very good chance that a tear will occur. An antique carpet is especially sensitive to this. This tear then needs very little to continue tearing and before you know it you can throwing away your carpet and that is of course a shame. If you have a large carpet, it is practically impossible to remove all the sand and dirt yourself. It is therefore better that you have it cleaned. There are plenty of companies that specialize in carpet cleaning.

6. Engaging the specialist

In the case of a large carpet, it is of course a lot wiser to call in the help of a specialist. Inform well in advance whether they also have equipment and resources and knowledge to clean Persian carpets. This is of course possible with a quote request. No one is happy if the carpet is damaged during cleaning and both parties get into trouble because of this.

The companies that specialize in cleaning Persian carpets have a lot more tools at their disposal and you can have a carpet cleaned by them with certainty. Most households still have a carpet beater, but the specialists have advanced equipment in their arsenal. These devices use just the right amount of power and precision to remove the sand and dirt from the carpet without damaging it. When this is done, the carpet is cleaned very thoroughly with a mix of soap and water. Immediately after cleaning, the carpet goes into a large centrifuge. As a result, the carpet dries as quickly as possible and the risk of colors running through is virtually nil. Of course, there are also carpets with a specific stain. This requires a completely different approach. In the event of a stain, it is better to call in the specialists in this area. Every stain has to be removed in a different way and this is very precise. So rather not do this yourself, but look for a good professional cleaner. It is always smart to first request a quote so that you are not surprised with a high bill afterwards.

7. Carpet Cleaning Grandma's Tips

Grandma's tips: everyone knows them. Whatever the question or how difficult a problem can be, grandma always has a solution for Persian carpet cleaning too. Many people like to have tried everything themselves before calling in a specialist. Even if you want to clean a carpet, there are plenty of tips that you can apply. There are many remedies that can be very effective when it comes to cleaning your carpet. Imagine the following: you are cozy with a friend drinking a red wine on the couch. Before you know it, you accidentally bump into your glass of wine. To your shock, this glass falls on your Persian carpet. Do not panic! You can solve this easier than you think. Salt is a good solution for these types of stains. Make sure you put salt on the stain as soon as possible. As soon as the salt turns red, you can carefully remove it with a vacuum cleaner and do not use a wet cloth. Keep repeating this process until the stain is gone and you can clean the carpet afterwards.

8. Cleaning Persian Carpet Vinegar

An important home remedy when it comes to cleaning a carpet is vinegar. Before you start, you will need the following: A bucket, a sturdy sponge or cloth, vinegar and water. Now take one part vinegar to ten parts water and mix it well. Then you put the sponge or cloth in the mixture. Then wring it out well, because it is important not to get too much water on the carpet. After all, going through colors remains a real risk. Now you can start gently rubbing the carpet. After cleaning, let the carpet dry for about an hour. It's also a good idea to open a window to let in plenty of fresh air. After this treatment, your Persian carpet will be significantly improved and colors will become brighter!

9. Regular maintenance is the solution

The most important thing is the maintenance of your carpet. Make sure you handle it properly, so you can avoid a lot of misery. A Persian carpet can last for years, especially if you handle it in the right way. Make sure that you get started with the above tips after a fixed period. Depending on your home situation, you could carry out maintenance every two years. For large families or people with a dog or other pet, two years is probably not enough for Persian carpet cleaning. In that case, you could choose to thoroughly clean your carpet every year. In this way it is not necessary to call in a specialist. And if you unexpectedly find yourself with a stain that you really can't get out of, you now know what to do. Consult Grandma's tips first, then call the professional.

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