Carpet cleaning

[Bluecat]

We have a very nice large oriental rug given to us before we left the UK.  However, it does need a good clean.  Any recommendations beyond housemaid's knee DIY; either to buy a small cleaner that does the job or where to hire an appropriate piece of kit from.  Alternatively, I could suggest Ernie gets on his hands and knees!!

Margaret

[hindo]

Carpets

should only be shampooed 4 times a year at most. Constant exposure to

water and soaps will degrade the carpet and pushes the dirt into the

padding, which, if you don't extract all the water, will end up moldy.

Vaccuum weekly, spot clean where necessary but save the deep cleaning

for special occassions.

[gosub]

Most of the large supermarket chains have a carpet/floor cleaner hire service, you may have to ask.

[babcock]

[quote user="hindo"]Carpets should only be shampooed 4 times a year at most. Constant exposure to water and soaps will degrade the carpet and pushes the dirt into the padding, which, if you don't extract all the water, will end up moldy. Vaccuum weekly, spot clean where necessary but save the deep cleaning for special occassions.[/quote]

4 times a year! Ours get done once a year after the fire is put out for the last time. Wood burning fires are mucky - even an insert- and the amount of sludge that we throw away is astonishing.

[Evianers]

We hired a suitable machine, plus two bottles of chemicals which did the job splendidly. However, after experiencing this DIY method for the first time, we feel that it is necessary to add don't put too much water on the carpet as this tends to make it "wavy" afterwards. Having said that, we shall hire the same machine next year.

[hindo]

I dunno if it will work for your stain, since its been sitting for a week, but I have found that using baby wipes, if you have any, have gotten out pretty much any stain for me when it was still fresh, and some when its set-in. They work great. Have gotten out red fruit punch and many other things, without leaving a hint of the stain behind. If you happen to have them, it definately not hurt to try!

 

[Edward Trunk]

In the countries where these carpets are made, they are washed with cold, clean water - nothing else.

[mint]

Is that right, Edward?

I, too, have a very unusual and fine (fine in texture) oriental rug that could do with a clean.  I had a look at the costs of having it done professionally and got frightened off by the price.

[Quillan]

Sorry Swissie the new post preceding yours was an advert and when I deleted it yours went as well. Sorry about that.

[Swissie]

No problem Q - thanks for telling me. Just said that if it is a good oriental rug that you like, it is best not to use a machine- and personally I'd ask a professional to be safe. Or put the rug on the lawn and clean with a soft brush and cool water mixed with a bit of vinegar. Bonne chance.

[arjaycore]

Never rub rashly and carelessly at a carpet stain, this may only cause it to smear and become permanent. Also, doing this will weaken the fiber causing your carpet to wear out quicker

[arjaycore]

Never rub rashly and carelessly at a carpet stain, this may only cause it to smear and become permanent. Also, doing this will weaken the fiber causing your carpet to wear out quicker.

Stains that are not treated well often reappears at the surface of your carpet. You may have thought you've cleaned the stain, but soon after you'll see the same making its way to the surface of your rug. To prevent this, cover the stain with a thick cloth and weigh down with something heavy overnight, allowing the cloth to absorb the stain, then, clean as usual.

[sid]

The last post was a year ago; I think the carpet has been cleaned or ditched by now. [Www]

[AnOther]

Actually we settled for the shabby chic look, I don't get on my knees for anyone [:D][:D][:D]

[Christine Animal]

For the dusty stuff, wait until it snows (next time around!), place it face down on the snow and give it a good beating (the rug I mean)!

 

[sid]

OooooH, Christine! You animal! [:D][:$][:$]

[nomoss]

[quote user="Edward Trunk"]In the countries where these carpets are made, they are washed with cold, clean water - nothing else.[/quote]

Actually, in Iran, in the 60's, one of the oriental countries where "these" carpets are/were made, they used to chuck them out in the street, face down, for the traffic to run over them. We used to try to drive around them until we were told the owners wanted us to go over them.

To be fair, I think this may have been intended to "age" the carpets while beating out the dust. In other places we saw them thrown into the shallows of convenient rivers.

We were always amused by the care and respect shown to the carpets back in Europe. We are now wishing some of ours would wear out, as we're getting tired of looking at them.