8 Carpet Cleaning Hacks to Make Your Life Easier

When you live in a house with carpets, accidents happen. No matter how savvy you are, we've all faced that one pesky stain that threatens to ruin the carpet forever. Having these eight carpet cleaning hacks under your belt will help you keep a cool head next time you have a carpet crisis.

1.  Don't rub stains – blot them

Rubbing stains can just drive them further into the carpet fibres. Instead, press an absorbent cloth to the stain and dab it gently. This will allow the material to collect the stain instead of damaging the carpet.

2.  Use rubbing alcohol on nail varnish

No matter how careful you are, it just takes a drop of nail varnish to ruin a carpet. All is not lost, though. Loosen the stain with rubbing alcohol, and then you can blot it away.

3.  Remove furniture impressions with an ice cube

When you rearrange a room, the impressions of the old furniture placement take away from your hard work. Completely cover the dents with ice cubes and leave them there to melt. Absorbing the moisture will help the carpet fibres swell back up. Blot away as much of the liquid as you can, and then use a coin to fluff the area back into shape.

4.  Unstick gum with ice cubes

Ice cubes provide multiple carpet cleaning hacks, as they are helpful for gum too. Place some ice cubes in a freezer bag and hold them against the gum. This will cause it to harden and lose its grip on your carpet fibres. You can then scrape it away with a spoon or credit card.

5.  Vacuum shag carpets with the hose

Shag carpets lose their long fluff very easily, particularly when vacuumed. By only vacuuming your shag carpet with the hose extension, you can clean it while still maintaining its fluffy texture.

6.  Remove wax with an iron

If a candle drips onto your carpet, you can use an iron to rescue it. Lay baking paper or a paper towel over the stain and then iron over it on the lowest setting. Keep lifting the paper to check the stain, and after a few repetitions, it should melt the wax away from your carpet and onto the other material. remove wax with an iron, advocate the use of baking paper or a paper towel and iron over the candle wax with the iron on a low setting. Please be extremely careful if you do choose to use an iron and move it constantly to avoid damage, if the iron heats one spot for too long  it, could risk the pile being melted.

If you don’t have an iron handy, you can use a hairdryer instead.

7.  Use preventative measures for future stains

Being proactive is key to maintaining a pristine carpet. Consider using protective sprays or treatments on high-traffic areas and places prone to spills. These products can create a barrier that makes it easier to clean up spills before they become stubborn stains. Additionally, encourage family members or housemates to remove shoes before entering carpeted areas to minimise the risk of tracking in dirt and stains. Remember, a little prevention can go a long way in preserving the beauty of your carpets.

8.  Call in a professional cleaner

If you've got a stain that's proving too stubborn – even for our carpet cleaning hacks – a professional cleaner might be the answer. The National Carpet Cleaning Association (NCCA) makes it easy to find local carpet cleaners you can trust.

Every member has passed a strict selection process, including training and full insurance. Our seal of approval means you can trust a business with your carpet. Start searching our directory to get your carpets back to their best.