When it comes to living in an apartment, it can be quite a hassle to keep everything clean, especially if your apartment owns carpet. Carpets can take lots of damage from shoes, pets, spills, even kids. Fabrics in carpet can also be a pain to take care of, and you don’t want to think about it. Well… but you have to. Cleaning apartment carpet needs some special treatment that you have to understand before doing it.
Unlike rugs, carpet isn’t usually removable, which means you’ll have to slide things around to get a comprehensive cleaning. And unlike hard floors, you’ll have to be a little more careful with cleaning products, and work a little harder to make sure you’re really getting the fibers clean.
Before You Begin
If you rent your apartment unit, you may have wondered who is responsible for cleaning apartment carpet and its correct way to do so. Well, when it comes to ice cream or food stains on the carpet in the apartment, the landlord isn’t necessarily the responsible one to make sure the carpet is cleaned.
Now that you know, you still have several options to do your carpet cleaning: Whether you want to hire a professional cleaner service to do the task or you’re doing by yourself, the choice is up to you. But if you’re on a tight financial budget, you surely want to do most effective cleaning with a minimum budget. And here’s your final choice: Do it by yourself!
Ssst, with just a few supplies you probably already have, you can clean your carpet by yourself with an effective homemade carpet cleaner. Just be prepared for the struggle and have some patience while you’re cleaning apartment carpet and waiting for the carpet to dry.
What Will You Need
Materials
- Distilled water
- Distilled white vinegar
- Dishwashing liquid
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Oxygen bleach powder
- Label
Before you use any carpet stain remover or cleaner, test it first in an inconspicuous spot. Moisten a cloth with the solution and apply it to the carpet. Wait at least eight hours for the area to dry – overnight is better. Then check the color of the carpet. Some dyes are unstable and some materials can discolor the fibers, especially dark colors. Be aware and always check your manufacturer’s guidance or website before you begin. And it is always safe to consult your landlord first for cleaning apartment carpet.
How To Clean Your Carpet, Step by Step
Fuuuh… Take a deep breath! It probably won’t be as difficult or time consuming as you think! Here’s everything you need to know about how to clean your carpet:
- Declutter
Start by removing any clutter and furniture from your carpet, so you can cover the entire space.
- Vacuum
Use a vacuum to effectively clean your carpet by removing the dirt and dust. Vacuuming is important because if you skip this step, those dirt particles may end up back into the carpet fibers.
- Pre-treat any stains
Stained areas on your carpet will need extra care, so don’t forget to treat them first before cleaning. Treat any visible stains with a stain remover and vacuum the carpet as well to remove loose soil. Stain remover can be made home-made, by mixing one cup distilled water, one cup distilled white vinegar, and one teaspoon dishwashing liquid.
- Get your steam cleaner ready
If you want to make a home-made carpet cleaning solution, you can heat distilled water and mix one-half cup of distilled white vinegar, one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid, and one-fourth cup of powdered oxygen bleach. Stir them together, and pour the cleaning mixture into the steam cleaner.
- Steam clean the carpet
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for operating the steam carpet cleaner. Gently move the steam cleaner from front to back, until you cover the entire surface. Work slowly and pay attention to cleaning apartment carpet, especially in stained and high-traffic areas.
- Wait for the carpet to dry
Allow the carpet to air-dry. Don’t walk on the carpet until it’s completely dry. Expect it to remain damp for up to 24 hours. But if you want to speed up the process, you can add a circulating fan and place plastic down in walkways if you have to do activity in the room.
After finishing the cleaning, remember to dispose of the water from the steam cleaner responsibly afterwards. You can contact your local water treatment plant to ask how to dispose of all wastewater.
That’s all you need to know for deep cleaning apartment carpet. Maintenance is the most important part of keeping carpets clean. And if you keep up your routine, you can save time when the inevitable big clean comes along. Vacuuming regularly is recommended to do once a week, or if you have kids, it’s better to vacuum your carpet twice a week.