Fall Cleaning Tips for your Carpet

It’s that time of year again when we think of spring cleaning to get our homes as fresh as can be. Your carpets maybe looking a little dull. Keeping carpets clean and stain free is a challenge, especially in high traffic areas that become the stomping ground for winter’s mix of slush and sand.

Before you know it, your carpets are shades darker than they were just one season ago. Here are my favorite natural spring cleaning tips to liven up your carpeting:

1. Always vacuum first

It’s important to vacuum regularly – try for once a week if you can – which keeps deeply embedded dirt, sand and dander to a minimum. Use the changing of the seasons to do a thorough, detailed vacuum of the nooks and crannies: Under furniture, around furniture legs and across your baseboards.

2. Get rid of stains

While we all do our best to deal with carpet stains as they happen, there are always those pesky spots we didn’t have time to tackle or that take several treatments.

One of the coolest spring cleaning tips I came across last year helped me get rid of stains I thought I was stuck with forever – and all you need is an iron. •Throw a solution of 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water into a spray bottle and spray the stain. •Place a damp rag on top of the spot. •With your iron on the steam setting, iron the rag for about 30 seconds. •Voila!

Depending on how long the stain has been there, you might have to repeat these steps, but it’s an impressive transformation!

3. Bust out the steam cleaner

Mix equal parts water and vinegar and add to your steam cleaner just like you would any cleaning solution. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil if you’re concerned your carpet’s going to smell like salad dressing. For high traffic areas that need more power, use a higher ratio of vinegar to water.

4. Keep your carpets fresh

Between deep cleans, you can prolong the freshness of your carpet by creating your own carpet freshener. Mix the below ingredients and store in a shaker: •1 cup of baking soda •10-20 drops of your fave essential oil •If you have pets, add ½ cup of borax to keep fleas at bay

Before your subsequent vacuuming sessions, lightly sprinkle the mix onto your carpet, let it sit for 10-15 minutes and vacuum as per usual. (Just make sure to do this on a dry day so the baking soda doesn’t pick up any moisture.)

Who knows? After taking these spring cleaning tips for a spin, you might even enjoy cleaning your carpets! (Okay, that’s probably a stretch.)