Spring is the quintessential time to spruce up your house. This means you’ll probably be knee-deep in scrubbers, scouring pads, brooms and sponges soon. While you’re making your home feel more like a glistening castle, don’t forget that your carpets took a beating this winter along with the rest of the house. Most carpet cleaning issues – stains, shagginess, padded-down spots – can be DIY projects using these clever and non-toxic carpet cleaning hacks.


Vacuum

The best way to keep a carpet clean is to vacuum it s-l-o-w-l-y, back and forth in repetitive strokes. How slowly? Carter says it should take about 15-20 minutes to properly vacuum a 300-square-foot room. Doing so removes 83 percent of the dry soil in the carpet. In the average household, vacuuming should be done at least twice a week.

Professional cleaning

Now here’s a surprising bit of advice. If you want to extend the life of your carpets, it is important to have the carpets cleaned by a professional at least once a year. Most carpet manufacturers recommend the steam-cleaning method. This penetrates deep into the fibers and lifts out the dirt and the many pollutants we track in on our shoes. Also, it removes most of the moisture, so carpets dry fast. (Always check with your carpet manufacturer before cleaning.)

DIY steam cleaners

Sure as the sun rises, there will be times when your carpet needs an emergency cleaning. For larger messes, a DIY steam cleaner works, but do not use the cleaning solution that comes with the steam cleaner to shampoo carpets. This leaves behind a soapy residue that will attract dirt. Instead, use water and, if you need a boost, a drop of dish detergent or even a bit of white vinegar when you steam cleam. Also advises that you take care not to apply too much water when using a DIY steam cleaner. Water left in the carpet can cause mildew and odor.