While curry is a delicious dish with an aromatic scent, it's less enjoyable when it seeps into your carpet. This appetising smell can stick around for a long time, and the vibrant colour of the sauce creates a stubborn stain. Read on to find out how to handle a curry stain on carpet.
Your best chance of success is acting as fast as possible. The longer that curry has to soak into the carpet, the more likely that it will stain it. This isn't always possible, but try to tackle the stain as soon as you discover it.
Use a spoon to scrape up as much excess sauce as possible. This will be much easier early on, but may still be possible with dry sauce. If the curry has dried, you may find that a knife is a better tool for scraping.
Blot the stain with a sponge or dishcloth soaked in warm or sparkling water. It's important not to rub the stain, as this can drive the stain further into your carpet and cause it to spread. Instead, gently dab the area to remove the sauce.
Make sure that you wring out the material you use to prevent saturating the carpet. Without doing so, it may take a long time to dry and lead to mould or further discolouration. Work from the edge of the stain to the centre to avoid smearing it.
If this doesn't remove the stain, you can try a mixture of washing-up liquid and white vinegar. Mix one tablespoon of washing-up liquid, one tablespoon of white vinegar and 500ml of warm or carbonated water. Leave this to soak for up to 30 minutes, then blot the area clean with more water.
If nothing above helps, you can use rubbing alcohol. Use the same blotting method as before, applying a small amount of rubbing alcohol to a dishcloth and blotting the stain. Then, clean the area by blotting it with water, and blot dry with a towel.
Curry stains are most visible on very light carpet, but this is also the kind of carpet that you might be able to get away with using slightly more intense methods. Always do a patch test on a hidden area of your carpet to avoid damaging a visible area.
You can make a stronger mixture with one teaspoon of washing-up liquid, one tablespoon of ammonia and 500ml of warm or carbonated water. Make sure you wear gloves and use a sponge or dishcloth to apply the mixture to the stain. Reapply more mixture every five minutes for a total of 30 minutes, then leave the carpet to air dry.
To avoid potentially damaging your carpet, the safest option is always to hire a professional carpet cleaner. They have experience with all kinds of stains – including curry stain on carpet – and will be properly trained to handle them.
Curry stains are some of the most difficult to remove from carpet – and may be permanent. Even many professional carpet cleaners can’t successfully remove them, so it’s important to find the best cleaners in the business – to protect your carpet as well as giving you the best chance of removing the stain.
The National Carpet Cleaning Association has a directory full of qualified, insured carpet cleaners all over the UK. Search our directory to find carpet cleaners near you today.
Choosing a carpet is a big commitment. The right carpet can complement your home perfectly, while the wrong carpet can be high maintenance and even cause health issues. It's easy to underestimate the importance of pile length when making decisions about your carpet, but it's a key aspect of any carpet. In this article, we’ll explain the difference between low-pile vs high-pile carpet.
Carpet fibres come in different lengths and the word “pile” is used to describe this length. High-pile carpet is characterised by tall, loose fibres, while low-pile carpet has tighter and shorter fibres. The different pile lengths come with different advantages.
High-pile carpet is strongly associated with luxury, due to its full, fluffy texture. This helps give rooms a warm, comfortable feel, and is soft underfoot.
Carpets with a higher pile tend to be less easily flattened than other carpets. They hold their shape well, keeping that new-carpet feel for longer. This is great for entertaining, creating an inviting environment to be envious of.
Due to their thickness, high-pile carpets help maintain warmth and reduce heating bills. They also prevent noise such as footsteps from spreading through your house, making them ideal for upstairs rooms. This thickness means that the floor is slightly padded, helpful for homes with children prone to tumbles.
For a luxurious carpet to elevate a living room or bedroom, high-pile carpet is the best choice. The luscious texture adds interest to a room, both visually and tactilely. This also makes it a popular choice for rugs, as they can complement a room with a splash of extravagance.
On the other hand, there are some benefits of low-pile vs high-pile carpet. If you're looking for a low-maintenance carpet for a high-traffic area, you may prefer low-pile carpet. It's typically a cheaper option, with a smooth feel.
For rooms with chairs, low pile is the best choice – it's easier to slide chairs back and forth across. This includes studies, dining rooms and anywhere that children are likely to be moving toys around on the floor. It's also durable even when faced with high traffic, so it works well in hallways.
If you have pets, low-pile carpet is less likely to get caught in their claws. Treatments for fleas – and other pests that your pet might bring in – are easier on low-pile carpets, as the roots of the fibres are easier to access.
In terms of cleaning, low pile is the easiest option. The shorter fibres are easier to vacuum for day-to-day maintenance, and easier to remove stains from. Low-pile carpet is also less likely to collect allergens, due to the reduced density of fibres.
If you're worried about the best way to clean your carpet, a professional carpet cleaner can help. Members of the National Carpet Cleaning Association are trained to handle all kinds of carpet, ensuring your carpet remains in top-notch condition. Every cleaner in our UK-wide directory is insured and accredited for the best possible experience.
Browse our directory now for someone to clean low-pile or high-pile carpets.
Everybody knows that you shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet – and this is especially true when it comes to cleaning tips. What may seem like a cheap carpet cleaning hack can end up making the situation worse or just wasting your time and energy. To make your life easier, here are some popular carpet cleaning hacks: debunked.
Renting cleaners is often recommended as an easy way to deep clean your carpet by yourself. However, without the right expertise and know-how, these machines can cause further problems for your carpets. Often, they can take a long time to dry, giving mould and mildew the opportunity to grow.
Many people believe that with enough elbow grease, you can scrub out any stain. This is far from true. Scrubbing your carpet can flatten the fibres and even spread the stain.
When you spill something at dinner, it's common for someone to grab the table salt. However, this carpet cleaning hack isn’t really worth its salt. It can cause a stain of its own – salt leaves behind a residue that can even crystallise.
Many deodorisers promise to cure a stinky carpet, but the truth is that they only last so long. Deodorisers only cover the smell, not remove it, leaving the problem to fester.
Many websites recommend dish soap, laundry stain remover or other household cleaning products to clean carpet. These products are not designed to be used on carpet, so they can cause damage or discolouration. This can even become dangerous when chemicals like peroxide and ammonia are used without proper care and protection.
It's true that shaving cream may help with some stains, but there's a catch. Many types of shaving cream contain dyes, which can soak into your carpet and change its appearance. Shaving cream is also greasy, meaning that you'll be left with residue on your carpet that needs cleaning.
Coffee is a persistent stain, but don't fall for the suggestion of using beer to clean it. The smell of beer can hang around, leaving your home smelling like a pub.
Another of the most common carpet cleaning hacks involves the water from soaking and boiling beans, which is said to remove oily stains. However, it's incredibly time-consuming for an only mildly effective method. Save your time – and your beans – by getting a professional in to remove your stains.
Some people swear that white wine is the antidote to a red wine stain. While it's true that it can help break down red wine stains, it won't actually remove them. There are much more effective methods that don't involve pouring more wine onto your carpet.
With so much misinformation in common carpet cleaning hacks, it’s much safer to consult experts. Many of the hacks above fail because people have no way of rinsing them out. For example, shaving foam will degrade fibres if left in the carpet or upholstery.
A professional carpet cleaner can take care of stains or general maintenance without the risk of destroying your carpet. The National Carpet Cleaning Association has a directory of insured, accredited carpet cleaners all over the UK.
Search our directory to find a carpet cleaner near you.
First impressions are important – and your carpet cleaning company name is often the first thing that people know about you. This makes choosing a name a very important part of setting up a cleaning business. Here are some carpet cleaning name ideas to get you started.
Including a positive description in your name can tell potential customers that you're all about high-quality work. For example, Toogood Cleaning and Absolutely Brilliant Carpet Cleaning immediately sound like excellent services. You could also use something that denotes good quality, like 5 Star Floor Care or Carpet Miracles.
Business names don't have to be serious – everyone loves a good giggle! A well-thought-out play on words can bring a smile to people's faces and can be very memorable. Examples include Grime Scene Cleaning Services, Captain Rug Wash and Wat-er Result! Cleaning Services.
Including your area of operation can make you easier to find. Area-based carpet cleaning business name ideas include Carmarthenshire Cleaning and Gloucester Carpet Cleaning.
Another way to make your business memorable is by creating a mascot or character to represent you. This is especially effective if you include them in your logo. Existing cleaning mascots include Miss Maid Ltd. and Rhino Rocks Floorcare.
There's a long-running trend of naming businesses after mythological characters. Mythology is often well known, meaning you can evoke certain qualities through a name – for example, Hercules Services Ltd is associated with strength, and Green Man Carpet Cleaning with rebirth. You could also be less specific and just use a magical creature, like Wash Wizard Group.
A simple way to let people know what you do is to name yourself after cleaning objects. Mops & Buckets SW Ltd. is very clearly a cleaning business, as is Suds Cleaning. You could also name yourself after things you want to solve, like Stainbusters (Yorkshire) Ltd.
Avoid mentioning branded products such as Hoover, as you may land yourself in trouble!
Including your values in carpet cleaning company name ideas is a way to let people know what you're about. For example, Enviro Clean Bedfordshire and Green Carpet Care are both instantly recognisable as environmentally friendly companies, and Futurclean clearly makes use of the latest technology.
With internet search such a common way for consumers to find businesses, it's worth tailoring your name to key phrases. I Need My Carpets Cleaned is a good example of using a common search term as a name. You could also name yourself after a specific service, like The Persian rug cleaning co.
The National Carpet Cleaning Association is a network of carpet cleaners all over the UK. Whichever carpet cleaning name idea you land on, adding your company name to our directory allows customers to easily find you, while giving you our stamp of approval. Members also gain access to exclusive training and forums, supporting your business development.
Become an NCCA member today to enjoy these benefits and more.
The lifespan of a carpet depends on many different factors. Usually, the average carpet will last around 5-15 years, which is a huge range. Below, we’ll look at the different factors that impact your carpet's longevity, along with things that you can do to increase it.
Different carpet materials last longer than others. Wool can last up to 25 years, while nylon is more likely to last 10-15 years.
The colour of your carpet can also impact when it needs replacing. Dark colours hide damage, so wear may not bother you enough to replace it. Neutral colours also hide stains well, whereas light, bright and pale colours are most vulnerable to discolouration.
If your carpet is in a high-traffic area like a hallway, it is likely to age quicker. In contrast, a spare bedroom carpet will last a lot longer
Households with pets may find that claws, toilet accidents and muddy footprints wear their carpet down quicker. Wearing shoes inside can also damage a carpet, bringing in bacteria and mud from outdoors. Even the sun can discolour your carpet.
If you're particularly clumsy and regularly drop things like coffee, wine or nail polish onto your carpet, this will greatly impact the appearance of your carpet. If you don't dry your carpet after liquid spillages, this can lead to mould deep in your carpet. Similarly, if you steam clean your carpet yourself without proper drying, this can do more harm than good.
Sometimes, replacing a carpet is simply down to personal preference – some households change carpets in line with current trends. However, especially with the recent focus on sustainability and an ongoing cost of living crisis, this lifestyle isn't for everyone.
If the only thing wrong with your carpet is stains, it's worth trying to clean them before writing off the carpet. There are home remedies you can try for common spills like coffee, urine and blood. However, calling in a professional carpet cleaner can fix heavy staining.
If someone in your household suffers from allergies, they may find that their symptoms are worsened by mould or allergens embedded into old carpet. Equally, if your carpet is looking thin and threadbare, it might be time to replace it.
Hiring a professional carpet cleaner is the best way to keep your carpet fresh and extend its lifespan. The National Carpet Cleaning Association (NCCA) has a directory full of accredited cleaners all over the UK. Simply search using your postcode, and we'll show you carpet cleaners who are insured and experienced.
Search our directory now.
No matter how careful you are with candles, accidents can happen. While we usually think of the flame as the most damaging part of a candle, the wax can also damage your home when spilt. Hair removal wax, cheese rinds and earwax can also melt into your carpet, so it's important that you address the problem as soon as possible. Here is how to get wax out of carpet.
If your spillage is liquid wax from a candle, it's easier to clean if you let it harden first. You can speed up this process using a plastic bag filled with ice cubes. The plastic bag will make sure that your carpet doesn't get wet. Place the bag of ice cubes on the wax, and it should harden within about 10 minutes. If any water escapes the bag, use a paper towel to blot it away.
Your first line of defence against a waxy carpet is a blunt instrument like a spatula. Once the wax has hardened, break it up with a spatula. You should then be able to vacuum up the pieces.
Be careful not to scrape so hard that you damage your carpet. Loop pile carpets are especially susceptible to damage, so be gentle with them.
This technique is the best choice for coloured wax. If the wax has already begun to stain your carpet, it's best to call in a professional cleaner for help.
If the wax is clinging to the fibres of your carpet, you can use an iron to melt it away. However, this typically only works on wool-rich carpets.
Place some brown paper over the wax. As you heat it, the wax should adhere to the paper rather than the carpet. Make sure that your iron is not so hot that it damages your carpet fibres, and only use the tip of the iron. It's also important that you keep the iron moving, or this can lead to heat damage too.
If you don't have an iron, you can use a hairdryer. Make sure that you don't put this too close, as this can cause damage to your carpet, too. A terry-cloth towel can also be used instead of brown paper, but you risk ruining the towel, so an iron and brown paper are the preferable tools.
Don't try this method with coloured wax, as you could cause the colour to bleed.
To remove any wax residue, blot the area with a cloth soaked in surgical or white spirit. You can also use a mixture of vinegar and baking soda. Otherwise, the residue could lead to browning, resoiling and discolouration.
Whether your carpet is stained by stubborn residue or you need help with the wax itself, a professional carpet cleaner knows how to get wax out of carpet. Use the National Carpet Cleaning Association (NCCA) directory to find accredited carpet cleaners all over the UK. Every cleaner is insured and experienced in carpet cleaning and revitalisation.
Search the carpet cleaner directory