8 Ways to Refresh and Restore Your Carpet’s Appearance

The looks of your carpet can easily make your room look stunning or unattractive. This is especially true for old carpets.

So, do you just throw the old carpet away and buy a new one? No! You can quickly restore it to its former glory using effortless carpet cleaning methods.

Deep cleaning, stain removal, steam cleaning, and DIY solutions are some of the most effective. But there’s more! In this guide, we’ll discuss these methods and share some in-depth tips to achieve a flawless carpet appearance.

8 Carpet Cleaning Methods to Refresh and Restore Your Carpet’s Appearance

Unlike other stuff in your room, carpet endures the most wear and tear. Thanks to high foot traffic and furniture indentations, carpets can easily wear down within a few months.

But don’t panic! Most of the time, the damage can easily be reversed, which is why we’re here.

You’ll need a few tools and equipment to complete these home carpet care methods. Here’s a list to make it easier for you.

• Ice cubes.
• Cold water.
• White vinegar.
• Baking soda.
• Hydrogen peroxide.
• White rags.
• Sponge.
• Lemon and salt.
• Vacuum cleaner.

Vacuum Cleaning for Dust

Here’s an easy one before we start talking about the serious stuff. Vacuuming your carpet is the most easy and safest way to clean it. Here are some vacuuming tips to enhance the appearance of your carpet.

Always use vacuum cleaners with HEPA (high-efficacy particulate air) filters. These advanced filters can catch even the smallest dust particles, resulting in a clean carpet. HEPA filters also filter out viruses and bacteria, so that’s a plus point.

Vacuuming your carpet once or twice a week also increases the carpet’s fluffiness. Since the vacuum slowly lifts the carpet fibres, it removes any stubborn grime or dirt stuck on the fibres.

It loosens the fibre in the process, which makes the carpet look more lush. Vacuum the corners thoroughly since dust accumulates there the most. A beater bar vacuum can also help with carpet rejuvenation.

Ice Cube for Indentation

If you put heavy furniture on top of the carpet for long enough, it can cause the carpet to flatten down. You can also call it carpet indentation. Carpets in high-traffic areas can also face this.

The problem may look severe, but it’s effortless to fix. The ice cube method is proven to restore a carpet. All you have to do is put an ice cube on the indentation area and wait for the cube to melt.

You could use a dryer to melt the ice quickly, but we don’t suggest that. High heat can help melt ice, but it can also damage the carpet’s fibres, so just let it melt naturally.

Once the ice melts, take a brush and scrub the area. Remember that you should only wash the area if it’s already been cleaned. Don’t scrub stained areas. Blot instead!

Baking Soda and Vinegar for Stains

Vacuuming can only remove dust and grime, but what about stains? Not even ice cubes can help here! You need a stain remover. Baking soda and vinegar solution is an age-old DIY carpet cleaning method.

We suggest applying baking soda or vinegar if you have mild stains on your carpet. Don’t mix them yet! Either one should be pretty acceptable for the job.

Don’t force the vinegar or baking soda onto the carpet. Apply and give them time to sit on the carpet. Allowing them to sit on the carpet enables them to break down the dirt or stain.

After an hour, use cold water to slowly remove the residue. Don’t rub the stained area. Slowly blot it using a clean white rag.

Don’t use any coloured rag. Anything other than white will transfer dye to the carpet, causing carpet discolouration in the process.

White is the safest option. If applying vinegar or baking soda separately doesn’t help, you can try mixing them into a 1:1 ratio.

Lemon and Salt for Bad Odour

Worn-out carpet not only looks bad but can smell bad as well. In this case, odour elimination should be your priority. A lemon and salt mixture is the best carpet deodoriser you can create in your home. Lemon juice is a cleaning agent, bleach, and deodorant.

Mixing salt with this 3-in-1 cleaner gives you a boost. Mix the lemon juice and salt using a 1:1 ratio. The procedure is kind of the same as before.

You apply the lemon-salt solution onto the carpet, let it sit there for a while, and then rinse it off using cold water. If there’s no stain, you can scrub using a brush. Or else blot using a white rag.

Hydrogen Peroxide for Stubborn Stains

If you have stubborn stains on your carpet like dried blood, oil or grease, hydrogen peroxide is your best bet. Don’t be scared of the name, though! It’s pretty safe to use.

6% hydrogen peroxide is best for removing blood stains, but 3% will also work. Once you get it, pour it into a sprayer and spray it on the stains. The peroxide will foam up if we’re dealing with fresh blood stains.

As for other types of stains, the peroxide might not foam up, but it’ll still work. Since hydrogen peroxide is a potent oxidising agent, it acts as a powerful bleach, breaking down all sorts of grime and stains.

It’s a phenomenal carpet cleaner! Don’t rub it onto the stain, though. Let it sit on the carpet for a few minutes.

Use cold water and a white rag to slowly blot the stained area as usual. Repeat it multiple times if required.

Essential Oils for Freshness

Essential oils work flawlessly as a carpet freshener, and they’re pretty easy to use as well. All you have to do is mix 20 to 30 drops of essential oils with baking soda. Give the container a thorough shake.

Now sprinkle the mixture onto your carpet and let it sit for 30 minutes. If you have a horrible smell, sprinkle the mixture and let it sit overnight.

Baking soda or bicarb soda is a natural deodoriser and cleaner, and essential oil adds a good smell. By combining both of them, you get a fresh carpet that feels precisely like new. Now, just use a vacuum cleaner to remove the mixture residue.

Consider Hiring Professionals

Carpet restoration isn’t always as easy as it seems. Especially if you don’t have any prior experience with it. Yes, you can follow our guide, but even a small mistake can lead to discolouration or damage to the carpet fibres.

You can always go for professional carpet cleaning if you’re not confident enough. They have years of experience doing it, so you can rest assured you’ll get a clean and fresh carpet. They also know which cleaning method suits your particular issue.

As of now, there are almost 2,400 carpet cleaners employed in Australia. So, finding a professional team for your carpet maintenance shouldn’t be hard.

Effective Edge Trimming

Pet owners, especially cat owners, face carpet snags regularly. Unfortunately, this one has no vinegar, lemon mix, or hydrogen peroxide solution. The best way to deal with carpet snags is to cut them down.

Take a pair of scissors and carefully cut the loose carpet snags. We understand that you might be hesitant to do this in the middle area of your carpet. This is why we recommend carpet edge trimming. Since cats like to hang out at the corners, there are likely more snags on the edge of the carpet.

Since we’re on pets, using a carpet rake to clean fur is also very effective. Make sure to use the rake in a single direction.

Final Words

Follow these 8 carpet cleaning methods to breathe new life into your old and worn-out carpet. Before doing anything else, we always suggest vacuuming the carpet first. This way, you won’t have to deal with light dust and debris.

Not feeling confident enough with these methods? You can always rely on Eco Cleaning Brisbane. Our team has more than 20 years of experience serving all over Brisbane. We do everything from eliminating stains to neutralising bad odour to deep cleaning your carpet. Not to mention, we use non-toxic cleaners, so no health concerns.