How To Clean Different Types of Carpets

Carpets get dirty. It’s a fact of life. No matter what we do, the time will come when the tea spills onto the living room carpet, or mud gets tracked across the halls. The big question is, how do you clean your carpet when this situation arises?

Well, the answer is both simpler and a little more complicated than you may think. Different kinds of carpets, whether that be the colour, weave, or material, will need a slightly different approach. That’s why we’ve made this quick guide to help you figure out the best ways to approach each of these factors so you can keep your home looking great.

Firstly, the colour of your carpet affects just how stains and dirt show up. Lighter tones will show any potential spilled drinks, tracked mud or other kinds of grime a lot more than darker tones. If you’re considering getting a new carpet installed, take into account how messy your home can get due to pets, children, or just general wear and tear. With that in mind, let’s get into the colour variations when cleaning.

Cleaning Lighter Coloured Carpets

Compared to darker coloured carpets, stains will show up easier on lighter coloured carpets. Keeping vigilant on maintenance is key here. Spills should be cleaned immediately, not left to dry. Vinegar solutions can often be used on lighter tones with little issue, though spot testing before-hand is always advised. Lighter-toned carpets such as our Meribel Twist carpet can pick up dust and hair in a much more visible way, so hoovering more often is advisable to help cut down on this.

You may still spot some strange markings even if you keep up with hoovering and other maintenance. This “carpet ghosting”, as it is often called, is a discolouration that happens from gathering dust along the edges of the carpet or at the doors. It can be tricky to get to these parts of the room, so getting a professional in to help sort this out can be the best solution.

Cleaning Darker Coloured Carpets

Darker coloured carpets hide a lot of stains and dirt quite easily, but that doesn’t mean they come without risks. You should avoid using harsh chemical products including bleach. Why? Bleach will lift the colour out of the threads. While this can work on brighter carpets to help remove pesky stains, it can leave more of an issue than the original stain on darker-toned carpets. The same applies to acidic cleaning products and vinegar. Always do a spot test before applying to a visible part of your carpet, to make sure they won’t lift the colour straight out.

Whether you’re choosing a new carpet or have one already installed, using the correct products to clean your type of carpet is important. At Carpetright, we list five main types; Saxony, Twist, Pile, Wool and Tweed. There are others of course, but learning what cleaning products you can and can’t use on each, can make a world of difference!

Saxony

Whether it be the Tennessee Saxony Carpet or any other in its class, the Saxony carpet type is the most commonly seen across homes due to being a great multitasker. This soft, yet hardwearing carpet type has a tufted construction and is easy to clean. It can even withstand light bleach solutions if the stains are heavy. Just don’t go overboard and remember to always test a sample when it comes to new carpet care before spreading something out across a room.

Twist

Twist carpets are durable and very resistant to spills and stains, making them a great choice for a busy home. The Duchess Twist Carpet is a prime example of its type and is very easy to clean. Like Saxony, you can use mild bleach on this material.

Loop Pile

This type of carpet is suitable for hard-wearing places, such as a children’s bedroom or hallway. This carpet type needs to be cleaned quite often due to the natural stains and spillages. The good news is, thanks to the short loop pile (as can be seen on the Gala Loop Pile Carpet) it is very tough, and the thicker yarn makes it very resistant to cleaning products causing extra damage.

Wool

Wool is a very natural option, great for rural homes. Sadly, rural homes often come with muddy paths outside, which can make their way inside more easily than we’d all like. Thankfully, wool carpets like the Natural Haze Loop Pile Carpet are able to withstand harsh stains. As this is a natural material, it is best to avoid any bleach substances and to spot test tough cleaning solutions before applying them to a stubborn stain. Still, it is very pet resistant, which helps in homes with a dog!

Tweed

Finally, we have tweed. Like wool, it is best to avoid bleach when it comes to cleaning out stains, but for easy carpet care like hoovering, this is a great option. The textured appearance isn’t only for looks, as options like the Berber Tweed Carpet are very stain resistant and hard-wearing.

Now you have the general knowledge for dealing with carpet care, it’s time to think about more specific examples. Coffee, tea, chocolate, and mud stains can strike anywhere across the home, and having a good idea on how to deal with them can save any kind of carpet in a sticky situation. There are, of course, other potential stains that can happen, but we’ve chosen three of the most common to show different methods of carpet care to give a good review.

How To Clean Coffee and Tea Stains From A Carpet

Both tea and coffee drink sillages can be removed from a carpet in pretty much the same way. First, remove the excess liquid with a kitchen towel or a cloth, using a blotting method. Do this until no more liquid soaks in. Then, pour a small amount of water on the spill and then blot out until the stain is gone. You can also try diluted vinegar on the spot if it is stubborn, but test this somewhere less visible on your carpet first before you do so. Leave the vinegar from 5 to 10 minutes, then flush with water and blot with a cloth again.

How To Clean Chocolate From A Carpet

Picture this: Your child is eating a treat, and it melts in their hands. To clean themselves, they wipe their hands on the carpet. Now you have it smeared all over the place, and need to get rid of it. First thing, don’t panic. Chocolate is stubborn, but if you blot it with cold water you can get a lot of the big mess off fast. Follow this up with washing up liquid blotted on to break up the fats in the stain, and use small circular motions to remove it. After this, simply remove any excess with a clean cloth, use a soft brush to align it back into place, and all should be well! If any stain persists, repeat the steps.

How To Clean Mud From A Carpet

Mud is the most common issue in the entryway and hallways of the home and can be irritating to remove if it builds up. Firstly, let it dry before you begin to thoroughly vacuum the area. This will loosen the material from the carpet and remove any big chunks of dirt. After this, you’ll want to apply carpet shampoo to a cloth. Having this on hand is useful, which is why we include it in our carpet cleaning kit. Use the cloth to blot until no more dirt transfers to it, and then apply a spot cleaner to a different cloth and repeat the process. After that, repeat again with water and dry the area with a cloth before using a brush to align the pile.

You can achieve a lot with cleaning your carpets if you know what you have and how best to treat them. Whether they are newly installed or inherited within your home, you can find a method that will help keep looking as good as new. However, there may come a time when all the effort in the world won’t get rid of a stubborn stain, or they may just be too worn to properly clean.

Carpetright has an extensive range of carpet types to suit all type of interiors within your home.