A beautiful rug or carpet can be a fantastic addition to your home and living room floor. Rather than see them gradually deteriorate due to dirt or stains, take care of your carpets and clean them regularly. There are plenty of things that people do to clean their carpets that would make any carpet cleaning expert cringe. But here are some tips that you can use that are guaranteed to give you results and will definitely keep your carpets looking brand new.

1.    Give your carpet a smack!
Take your carpet outside and give it a good old whack. Using a rolling pin or a similar type object, smack the back of your carpet. This should dislodge any dirt and dust from deep within the carpet fibres and make it easier to clean and brush later on. Alternatively, use a beater or a rotating brush which is a brilliant piece of equipment for removing deeply set dirt.

2.    Vacuum clean.
Vacuum cleaning is a quick and easy way to remove dust and dirt from your carpets. Today’s modern vacuum cleaners tend to come with a variety of different brushes and attachments, so read the manual and use the correct attachment for carpets. Once in a while, it’s also a good idea to vacuum the back of your carpet. Even though this side of your carpet is rarely seen, it does still gather dirt and dust, so every so often give it the once over with your vacuum cleaner.

3.    Tuck your tassels out of the way.
If your rug has any frilly tassels or material sticking out from the sides, tuck these out of the way before you vacuum clean.  If you don’t, and you’re using a vacuum cleaner with a lot of suction power, the tassels could rip off in the process. So just run your fingers through any tassels and fluff them up the natural way.

4.    Always read the labels before using any type of products on your carpets.
There should be a label attached to your carpet. Read this carefully and make sure that you’re a hundred percent certain of what material your carpet is made out of. Only then should you go and get shampoos and carpet sprays. Before applying, test them on a small corner first, so that you can be sure that the colour won’t run and they won’t adversely affect the carpet material. When you apply wet products to your carpets, don’t just pour them on and begin wiping. Take your time and gently spot the cream on the material. Then by natural means, dry the area as quickly as possible, otherwise dirt will stick to the wet areas and the process would have been futile.

5.    Blot – don’t scrub!
When rug cleaning and tackling stains and spillages, make sure that you blot at the stain and that you don’t rub or wipe. Scrubbing at a stain, particularly a liquid one will just cause the stain to spread and rub it deeper into the carpet fibres. Ideally, you should blot the stain as soon as you notice it. Depending on the type of stain, store-brought carpet cleaners can then be used to clean up any residual marks.

6.    Odour elimination.
Mix white vinegar with water in a 1:3 ratio, then apply to your carpet by blotting with a soft towel. This will eliminate all unpleasant odours.

7.    Cleaning agencies.
If you feel like your carpet is in need of a deep clean, call in the professional cleaners. There are plenty of cleaning companies out there all providing a range of different cleaning services, so do your research and pick the right company for you.