Step by Step Method on How to Clean Your Carpet
I soon learned it was from leftover carpet cleaning detergent and fabric softener. The way I had been washing my carpet was wrong. There were steps to cleaning a carpet I had not known about, and I am here to share those with you.
These are the following steps I take to ensure my carpet stays clean.
Step 1: Pre-treat your carpet by going over it once with your carpet cleaner with hot water and carpet cleaning detergent. This will help loosen any stains so they come up easier.
Step 2: Go back over the carpet with fresh water and carpet cleaning detergent. This will bring up most of the dirt and yucky stuff out of the carpet.
Step 3: Put clean water without any detergents or fabric softeners in it and go over your carpet once again giving it a rinse to remove any leftover detergent.
Step 4: Repeat Step 3 if necessary, you really want your rinse water to be somewhat clear by this point.
Step 5: Allow your carpets to dry thoroughly without walking on it. (if you must walk on it, I suggest you place towels to create a pathway)
I recommend not using any fabric softeners in the rinse water (even though it will make the carpet smell nice and feel really soft on your toes) because it will leave a residue on the carpet which will attract dirt and other yuckies like allergens, which you want to avoid.
If you do decide you want it to smell pretty like flowers (which I do) a good way to do that is once your carpet has finished drying you can sprinkle some of that powder potpourri stuff they sell at the grocery store or Wal-Mart on it.
After following the steps listed above, my carpets are cleaner than they have been in a long time. Just taking the few extra steps like rinsing and drying the carpet thoroughly have helped tremendously. So if you have had problems like I did with my carpets staying clean, the steps above should help you get rid of the soap residue that causes those pesky spots to appear.
