Countdown to Spring: Vacuuming and Caring for Your Carpet
Welcome back to our Countdown to Spring: Spring Cleaning series...only 4 days to the new season! So I gave you guys a break...did you take the time to tackle some spring cleaning in your home? It's been a little distracting over here because we just had the most gorgeous summer weather weekend. It's almost a shame to stay indoors to clean, but it's gotta be done. Needless to say, I have some catching up to do.Today, I wanted to talk about vacuuming.Confession: I was one of those people who really enjoyed vacuuming when I was younger. I loved seeing the vacuum lines. It made me happy. I know, I should seek help, but honestly, vacuuming is an easy task and needs to be done regularly to maintain the life and health of your carpeting, area rugs, and just to suck up cobwebs and dust in hard to reach places.A few weeks ago, I finally had my carpets professionally cleaned and it was long overdue (a little over 2 years since it was last done). Depending on how you live in your home, it's probably best to get them professionally cleaned at least once per year. We don't wear shoes in the house, especially not on the carpet so that eliminates excess dirt being tracked onto our carpets. If you do wear shoes in the house, you will need to clean your carpets more often - perhaps every 6 months or my suggestion is, just start removing your shoes when you're at home. It really makes a big difference. Think about all the crap your shoe picks up from walking around outdoors. I like to sit on my carpet, do yoga on my carpet, my daughter does gymnastics on the carpet...I would not want to do all that if it were not a clean surface. Here's a previous blog post that I wrote about this very subject.Although we don't wear shoes on the carpet, the carpet has fallen victim to other stains...food spills in particular (especially after a party...just part of the fun!). One cleaning product I always keep on hand is Resolve Spray Carpet Cleaner, but here's a recipe for a homemade solution. I have not tried this myself, but will once I finish my bottle of Resolve.DIY Carpet Stain Remover
- Mix equal parts ammonia and hot water
- Pour or spray mixture over stain and cover with a white towel
- Iron the towel over the stain. The stain should lift from the rug.
Besides just regular carpet cleaning, during this Spring cleaning process, take the time to move furniture and vacuum under it like your sofas and your beds. I recently had the cable company come out to move my satellite dish and I also had them remove the cable box from my master bedroom because I rarely watch TV in my room so why pay the extra fee every month right? Well, while removing the box and undoing the cables, I noticed how dusty it was under my armoire...yuck! That is definitely on my list of things to vacuum for sure.
Another thing I'm going to do and you may want to do as well is sprinkle baking soda on your carpets and let it sit for at least 30 minutes then proceed with vacuuming. The baking soda actually acts as a carpet freshener and absorbs stale odors from carpet. Someone also suggested sprinkling some cinnamon as well which would add a nice, rich scent. The baking soda process is fantastic for every home, but probably especially great for homes with pets. I dare you to try it.Here's a great video by Melissa Maker of Clean My Space on how to clean your cleaning tools including your hardworking vacuum cleaner! When was the last time you did this? Nuff said...get to it!
