If your carpet does not have any contraindications regarding exposure to strong water pressure, then you can safely begin the process of using Karcher.
To wash a carpet with Karcher, follow this sequence of actions:
- First you need to find a suitable place for this. Cleaning will be easiest on a concrete or asphalt area. If you have one near your home, great.
- It is necessary to take into account that the place has the ability to connect the mini-wash to the electrical network. Use a regular extension cord for this.
- Sweep the area and wash it.
- Vacuum the carpet to remove debris.
- Lay out the flooring on the site, carefully straightening out all the folds.
- Wet the carpet and apply the cleaner evenly.
- Karcher, as a rule, is equipped with a special foaming agent. Thanks to this, you can easily distribute the foam in an even layer over the surface.
- After applying the foam, the floor covering should be rinsed with a stream of clean water under pressure.
- It is recommended to hold the device nozzle in such a way that the angle between the surface to be cleaned and the jet is 15-20 degrees. This way you can remove the maximum amount of dirt.
- After all the procedures done, the carpet should be thoroughly dried.
Cleaning carpets at a car wash
Cleaning carpets with Karcher is not always possible, because not every owner of such floor coverings has a similar device in their arsenal of household appliances. In this case, people often turn to a car wash that offers such services. Is this type of cleaning effective?
Advantages and disadvantages, as well as important nuances of going to a car wash:
- By taking this problem to a car wash, you save your energy and nerves. You just need to take care of transporting the flooring. This is quite a significant advantage of this choice of cleaning.
- Make sure that your carpet will not be left hanging to dry after cleaning, as such an arrangement can lead to deformation of the material.
- One of the basic rules for choosing a car wash for carpet cleaning is its distance from a major highway. Otherwise, during drying, the floor covering will absorb asphalt particles and toxic dust.
- Specialists working at a car wash do not always have the necessary qualifications, and chemicals used to clean car interiors can cause irreparable harm to the carpet pile and the base of the decorative coating. Therefore, it is worth making sure that car wash workers have sufficient knowledge and guarantee their work.
When planning to clean carpets with Karcher at home, be careful, because it is very easy to ruin the carpet. Listen to the recommendations given in this article, and you will protect yourself from disappointments, unplanned waste and make your favorite carpet fresh and clean.
Carpet washing is included in the list of services of almost every car wash, as this is a good opportunity to make extra money for those who want to wash their home carpets quickly and inexpensively. Therefore, in this article we will look in detail at what washing carpets at a car wash is, whether it is worth ordering this service and why.
Let's start with the most important thing - is it possible to wash carpets at all (regardless of whether in a car wash or not)? Many carpets, depending on their composition, are not recommended not only to be washed, but even to be wet cleaned (for example, viscose carpets). It is also not recommended to wash many carpets (especially handmade), as well as low-quality adhesive-based ones, since there is a very high probability that these carpets will be damaged (they will fade, lose their shape, dirt will be “preserved”, and an unpleasant odor will appear).
The next equally important step is to decide whether to wash your carpets in a car wash or not. Almost every car wash representative will tell you that washing the carpet with them is the best solution, since the price of this service is the lowest on the carpet cleaning market, after washing the carpets will be perfectly clean, and at the same time, many car washes offer additional services for transporting the carpet from your home to the car wash and back. It would seem that everything is just fine, BUT almost no one knows what disadvantages there are when washing a carpet in a car wash and what can ultimately happen to your favorite carpet.
Precautionary measures
The Karcher mini-wash is a device that supplies water under high pressure (from 120 to 160 bar). Often, owners of such sinks think about using them to wash dirty carpet. Indeed, such a tool can be used for cleaning, while carefully observing safety precautions. This cleaning is not suitable for all coatings, because high pressure can harm the material. Let's figure out in what cases cleaning with Karcher is not suitable.
Make sure that the rug does not contain wool fibers. If they exist, you will have to find another cleaning method, because such treatment is absolutely contraindicated for wool. Also, the products are often glued, when the loops of fibers are glued from the wrong side. Such things cannot be cleaned using a mini-wash - due to the intense supply of moisture, the adhesive structure may be damaged. Afterwards, the glue will crumble and come off in pieces, so the item may simply fall apart in pieces. Woven rugs can be cleaned by washing, as long as you do not use too much pressure. Otherwise, the fiber structure of the material may be destroyed. Experts recommend using Karchers with class K2 or K3 in this situation.
Proven detergents
The lion's share of success in cleaning coatings belongs to the correctly selected detergent composition. And the key word here is correct. Carpet detergent should be selected based on the nature of the soiling, type of washing and the product itself. After all, a carpet, especially an expensive one, can be ruined not only by improper washing, but also by using the wrong product. Let’s make a reservation: it’s better not to wash natural handmade carpets at home! Not every person can do this correctly, and not every store can find the appropriate product. There is only one way out - specialized dry cleaning. Therefore, we will talk about choosing a product only for factory-made coatings.
Let's start with the fact that each brand of household chemicals has its own carpet cleaner. We will list the most popular and working ones. So, what and how to wash the carpet?
Cinderella carpet cleaner
You can use:
- coating product “Cinderella”;
- "Vanish"
- Kärcher powder;
- means "Shine";
- Amway cleaner.
Vanish for carpets
“Cinderella” involves diluting the solution in water (4 caps), rubbing it into the carpet, drying it, and removing it with a vacuum cleaner. “Vanish” perfectly fights difficult, old, stubborn stains, has a pleasant smell, and washes out perfectly. The product is available in three forms: shampoo (for hand washing, antibacterial, for detergent-type vacuum cleaners), spray, powder. Each product is supplied with instructions, which you should read carefully. How to wash a carpet with Vanish? The shampoo is diluted in water, the foam is rubbed into the surface, dried, and removed with a vacuum cleaner. The same technology applies to the spray, which is sprayed and rubbed in with a sponge. The powder is intended for dry cleaning. It is scattered evenly over the carpet, lightly rubbed into the pile with a brush, left alone for the prescribed time, and vacuumed. Before use, be sure to find out in the instructions which product is suitable for your carpet.
Carpet cleaner “Shine”
The rest of the products are used in a similar way, with the exception of Kärcher powder, which is used exclusively in conjunction with a special spray device: the powder is diluted and poured into the tank. However, cleaning carpets with a detergent of this particular class at home is still possible: today there are devices on sale from this company that are intended specifically for domestic use.
Do you need a vacuum cleaner?
Most tips from experienced housewives for removing stains begin with dry cleaning the rug with a vacuum cleaner. Surprisingly, not everyone has such a useful device in their home even today. How to clean a carpet without a vacuum cleaner?
READ How to Operate a Gasoline Trimmer Properly
In Soviet times, in every house, every room in the apartment was decorated with several carpets at once, but a vacuum cleaner was a rarity. Our grandmothers did not lose heart! A broom, a soft brush, or a thick cloth do a great job removing dust. Of course, you can waste a lot of time with such assistants, but they cope with some types of lint better than a vacuum cleaner.
Under the hay
Use a disc as a cutting element, because meadow vegetation is tougher than usual. It is better than fishing line specifically for hay in that it cuts through dry grass better. This will prevent grass from getting stuck on the line, which could cause poor engine performance. The hay does not need to be cut small, it should be quite tall, so try to cut the hay at the root.
Wet carpet cleaning at home
As you already understand, you will have to learn how to wash a carpet at home if dry cleaning with improvised means did not help. It is worth knowing that the principle of wet cleaning is the effect of a liquid cleaning composition on the material of the carpet product.
Vinegar is an excellent carpet cleaner.
In this case, cleaning agents such as:
- a mixture of vinegar and lemon juice;
- sauerkraut juice;
Lemon juice for carpet cleaning
- soda solution;
- special synthetic cleaning agents.
Most instructions on how to wash a carpet contain the following description of this type of cleaning. First, you need to prepare the cleaning solution itself. To do this, for example, add juice squeezed from one lemon to a kilogram of salt and dissolve it all in water.
The pile and base of this product are susceptible to moisture, so the cleaning agent must be applied in a thin layer, avoiding the appearance of puddles
Secondly, use a brush or a vacuum cleaner to wash the carpet. At the same time, make sure that there are no puddles left on the carpet. The fact is that the pile and base of this product are susceptible to moisture, so the cleaning agent must be applied in a thin layer, avoiding the appearance of puddles.
Cleaning carpet with snow
Thirdly, the instructions on how to wash a carpet at home state the requirement that after wet cleaning, thoroughly dry and ventilate. Only after this can the cleaning be considered complete.
Beating out a carpet with a beater
If you don’t know where to wash the carpet, then you can easily perform this procedure outside. In winter, the product is cleaned with snow, and in summer, a full wash is performed using cleaning powder or shampoo. Outdoor cleaning can be done directly on pre-cleaned concrete or asphalt surfaces. In addition, if it is completely unclear where you can wash the carpet, use those structures that are located in the yard
Air washing begins with the carpet product being laid out face up and watered generously with a hose.
Air washing itself begins with the carpet product being laid out face up and generously watered with water from a hose. Next, a special washing powder is scattered over its surface or shampoo is poured. Take a mop and use it to clean the carpet. This can also be done using a regular brush.
After the cleaning is completed, your carpet must be thoroughly rinsed with strong water pressure, and using a mop, remove its remnants from the surface
After the cleaning is completed, your carpet must be thoroughly rinsed with strong water pressure, and using a mop, remove its remnants from the surface. Next, the carpet is hung out in fresh air for about 3 hours. It must be completely dry before you bring it into the house and spread it out. The same applies to those cases when you decide how to wash the carpet in your apartment using a washing vacuum cleaner.
Cold water/snow
Snow removal is the most low-budget way to get rid of dirt. The rug is taken outside and spread with the pile down, after which it is carefully beaten from the inside out with a stick. Then the product is turned over and rubbed with snow on the front side. They wait until the snow has absorbed all the dirt, sweep it away and drag the carpet to a clean place to start all over again. The process is repeated again and again until the fibers are clean.
Ice water saves from blood stains and traces of domestic animals. Simply dip the brush in water and then rub the mat with it. The brush should not be too hard and the stain should not be too old!
Long pile
How to clean a long pile carpet? It will hardly be possible to do this with a regular vacuum cleaner, and using a hard brush can easily ruin the product.
Long pile requires the most labor-intensive work. Soap foam will help to deal with dirt, which should be carefully applied with a rag and then left for a while. Next, problem areas are treated with a steam cleaner or more powerful professional equipment.
Cleaning light and dark carpets
Dark carpet should not be cleaned with light powders - soda, flour, potato starch. Such products are more suitable for light-colored pile, but unpleasant white stains may remain on a dark product. In addition, the structure of the product risks becoming more rigid and unpleasant for the feet. For such a rug, stain remover recipes based on ammonia, vinegar, and turpentine are better suited.
How to clean a white carpet ? White hair will not tolerate lemon juice, which leaves yellow stains. Other specific remedies, such as sauerkraut, will not work either. You should make sure that the folk recipe chosen by the housewife will not give the product greasy marks, which are more difficult to get rid of than dirt. But white powders (soda, salt, starch) and solutions based on laundry soap will help.
Make one like this for yourself!!!
Cost of services
As you already know, carpet cleaning at a car wash is a very attractive service in terms of cost.
Depending on the region of the country, prices vary from 70-200 rubles per square meter. The increase in cost comes from the cleaning method and detergents chosen by the customer.
The more professional the equipment and the more specialized the detergent, the higher the price.
The order may include delivery of the carpet, which adds cost to the total amount.
The carpet is one of the main symbols of home comfort. A wide covering with soft high pile certainly gives the living room or bedroom a finished look and evokes peace. But comfort can very quickly turn into discomfort, and the pride of the owners into a hazardous “collection” of dirt, stains, accumulated dust and allergens if the carpet is not given sufficient regular hygienic attention. The question of how to wash a carpet arises almost immediately after purchasing it.
And the answer to it may take much longer than it seems at first glance.
There is no need to delay cleaning the carpet.
The question of how to wash a carpet arises almost immediately after purchasing it.
And walking on a dirty carpet, not to mention lying, sitting, playing on it, is at least unpleasant, at most dangerous. Therefore, as soon as the need for wet cleaning arises, owners not only wonder where to wash their carpets, but are faced with a real choice:
- whether to take the product to the dry cleaner;
- use the services of a car wash;
- wash yourself;
- call a specialized team to your home.
Dry cleaning is a good option, provided that it is professional, and its workers know how to wash a carpet correctly, have solid experience and a corresponding reputation. Otherwise, you simply risk parting with the carpet forever, having spent twice: the first time on cleaning (stupid), the second time on buying a new covering. Car washes generally should not include carpets, especially expensive, handmade ones. Very few such establishments can boast of adequate washing/drying conditions and qualified employees.
Dry cleaning is a good option, provided it is professional
If you are still thinking about how to wash carpets at home, then this is reasonable. At least at home you can completely control the process, and you will have an impressive guarantee of a good result. If you still want to keep everything under control, but trust the professionals, call a specialized team to your home. With Kärcher equipment, for example. And then your carpet will be guaranteed a crystal clear future!
Can the carpet be washed? Not only is it possible, but it is also necessary. Even very expensive, handmade from silk or wool. Only in this case, if you have chosen the option of dealing with dirt yourself, you should definitely know how not to do this. You cannot wash off dirt, regardless of its origin, with hot water. The maximum threshold in this case is 50°C. At best, you can “steam” the dirt; at worst, you can dissolve the adhesive base and be left without a carpet at all. Also, boiling water is the enemy of natural and colored coatings. They become deformed and shed. Is it possible to wash carpets with a vacuum cleaner? Of course, if you know how to do it correctly.
Do not wash off dirt, regardless of origin, with hot water
When manually cleaning, do not use brushes that are too hard, which damage the pile, and also do not act against the direction of the fibers. Every guide on how to wash a carpet states that soaking such products is strictly prohibited. Moreover, after washing, all moisture must be immediately removed with a hairdryer, and placed on the inside of the coating. Moisture, especially in a poorly ventilated area, will cause the wicker to rot, causing plaque, odor and holes.
Powders and other powdery crystalline cheap carpet cleaners are contraindicated! It is difficult to rinse them completely, they “scratch” and damage the pile. It is better to use liquid, gel-like products. Any dishwashing compound can easily handle grease. Which is especially convenient if we wash the carpet at home. Now let's talk about how to do it correctly.
Powders and other powdery crystalline cheap carpet cleaners are contraindicated
Useful tips
Carpets should be vacuumed at least once or twice a week.- Dry clean regularly to restore the material's bright colors and pleasant aroma.
- Do not allow stains to eat in and dry out. It’s easier to remove them “without delay.”
- In winter, be sure to take carpets and rugs out into the snow.
- Do not use aggressive bleaches.
- Any new product should be tested on an inconspicuous part of the carpet (for example, under furniture).
How and how to wash a carpet: in the bathroom, with a Karcher machine, dry wash
Carpets, they give our home coziness and warmth. Walking on carpet is much more pleasant than walking on the most expensive floor covering. And in many apartments they are additional insulation for floors.
Every carpet owner eventually comes to the conclusion that regular cleaning with a vacuum cleaner is not enough. The colors have faded, the pile is not so soft, and traces of vigorous activity in your home remain on it in the form of stains. How and what is the best way to wash a carpet.
Choosing bath accessories for the carpet
The detergent for wet washing the carpet should be easily and completely washed out of it. It is very good to use special shampoos for cleaning carpets. Fortunately, there is a large selection of them in stores, from the well-known Vanish to Chistokovr. Dishwashing detergent and simple shampoo can also be used to wet clean the carpet. It is not recommended to use simple washing powder, as it will be very difficult to wash out of the carpet.
Cleaning products for dry carpet cleaning are salt, soda, dry vanish or similar products. Salt, soda, sawdust and much more.
So, we’ve sorted out the means for cleaning your favorite carpet. Let's move on to the most interesting part.
How to wash a carpet in an apartment?
It is better not to subject a carpet with an adhesive base, natural fiber or low quality to this method of cleaning. Because it may fade, the colors may float, the base may spread, or it may simply become deformed. Now let's move on to how to wash the carpet in the bathroom.
First of all, you need to thoroughly vacuum it or sweep it with a broom.
We roll up the floor covering and transfer it to the bathroom. We bend a small area and treat it with detergent. Then we turn away the next uncleaned area, and slowly begin to twist the washed one. And so on, they turned it away, washed it, and spun the clean one back. It turns out to be such a giant peeling parchment.
Rinse in reverse order. We do this with a powerful shower jet. Ideally, you need to rinse 2-3 times.
Next, roll up the carpet tightly and leave it in the bathroom to drain off excess water. Then we take it out into a good draft, ideally into the sun. The carpet must be completely dried. If you bring damp carpet into your home, a musty or holey smell may develop over time.
In general, after such washing, it is recommended to ventilate the room with the already dried carpet for at least 2 hours a day.
Dry washing floor coverings
Sometimes the rug is too big to fit in the bathroom, even when rolled up. Then you can wash it using dry washing. The operating principle for all cleaning products of this kind is the same.
- Vacuum or thoroughly sweep the floor covering.
- Apply the cleaning powder or mixture evenly to the surface. This can be done using a soft bristle brush, sponge or cloth.
- Leave it for a while. The length of this period depends on the cleanser you choose.
- Next, sweep away with a moistened broom or brush.
- Apply and sweep away the cleaner until it returns to its original appearance after contact with the carpet. For example, if you use baking soda or salt, it should remain white after sweeping.
- When you have achieved the desired result, you need to additionally vacuum the carpet.
But sometimes there are situations when the carpet cannot be cleaned using the dry method. And it's too big for washing in the bathroom. Then you can do this in the yard of your house using a Karcher or at a car wash.
How to wash a carpet with a Karcher?
If there is a concrete or asphalt area near your house with an area approximately equal to your flooring. It is also possible to connect a Karcher. This means you can wash it with relative ease. The sequence of your actions.
Sweep the area you have carefully selected. It is advisable to rinse it with water. Vacuum or sweep the carpet. Lay it out on the prepared area and wet it using a hose, bucket or Karcher. Apply detergent evenly. If you use a Karcher, then put on a foaming agent and apply foam to the surface of the flooring in an even layer. You can whip up the foam using a brush. Next, wash off the foam with a stream of clean water.
If you don’t have a Karcher, then you can wash the carpet at a car wash using the same procedure.
But there are several disadvantages to this wash. Car washes often use quite aggressive detergents. Therefore, washing with this method must be approached especially carefully.
Mowing rules
In order to mow the lawn efficiently and quickly, you need to follow the technique and know some features that will save your time and effort. You can work faster, now we’ll tell you how.
Divide your site into zones. This will help you understand how much work you will need to do. Also, you will not have any misconceptions about whether you have already worked here and whether you are going through it a second time. For the first time in a season, the lawn is mowed at a level of 4-5 cm, gradually reducing to 3-4. Set your own mowing standards. You can leave more or less. It all depends on you.
The disadvantage of electric trimmers is that if you mow vegetation during dew, water can get into the motor of your equipment.
If the motor is located at the bottom, then the likelihood of moisture getting in will be even higher. It is also not recommended to use a trimmer during rain for the same reasons. Water getting inside can cause a short circuit, which in the future can develop into a malfunction of the unit. Therefore, it is better to wait for more favorable weather for work.
It is recommended to work clockwise. It is this direction that will leave the grass you cut on the outside of the entire mowed area. During operation, hold the coil no lower than 5 centimeters. This is a safe mowing option that is well suited for those who have recently started using such equipment. When it comes to working near a fence or other areas where only a small portion needs to be mowed, use the edge of the line. This will help ensure that the engine does not overload and wear out.
How to make foam?
- The simplest option is a large sponge. Cheap, but a little tedious;
- Spray;
- Much better and more efficient is a foam nozzle. It is not always included with the device. Most often, a foaming agent must be purchased separately. Since this nozzle is specifically designed to produce foam, it is worth paying the extra money;
- Built-in tank. Some models of Kaercher car washes have a plastic tank for a chemical cleaning solution. This is where diluted auto chemicals are poured;
- The most convenient option is the plug'n'clean system, which we already mentioned above. It is well thought out and safe. The used container can be easily replaced with a new one.
Types of brushes
Various devices are used to clean carpets. As for brushes, you can choose the following models:
Manual. It is easy to use and accessible. You can choose brushes with optimal stiffness and bristle length. They help get rid of stains and pet hair.- Mechanical. With the help of rollers, the brushes move and collect small debris from the carpets. It accumulates in a special compartment. A good alternative to a vacuum cleaner.
- Vacuum cleaner attachments for cleaning hair . Quickly and effectively copes even with stubborn hair and is suitable for most types of carpets.
How to care for carpet
By adhering to the following recommendations, you can prevent damage to the carpet and maintain its original appearance for a long time:
- Do not use very hot water to clean the carpet;
- processing should be done only in the direction of the pile, but not against it;
- You shouldn’t clean the carpet too often, it’s enough to do it once every 3 months;
- dirt must be removed as soon as it appears, otherwise over time it will penetrate deep into the carpet and will be much more difficult to remove;
- It is not allowed to lay carpet on wet floors;
- the position of the coating should be changed periodically, since in places where it is walked on more often, abrasions and grease appear;
- if there are large objects in the room, rubber pieces must be placed under their legs to avoid deformation of the coating;
- it is necessary to control the humidity in the room, since its high levels negatively affect the structure of the carpet;
- The carpet should be cleaned with a washing vacuum cleaner at least once every 7 days;
- deep cleaning is carried out at least once a year;
- In winter, it is best to treat the carpet outside in the snow, since low temperatures destroy harmful microbes;
- It is better to cover rooms with high traffic with dark carpets.
If it was not possible to protect the coating from contamination, then you will have to work hard to remove not only the dirt, but also the smell. And for this you will need the best cleaning vacuum cleaners, designed specifically for washing carpets.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=7X98ckZYJn0
Vanish and other remedies
Today you can purchase many different products for cleaning carpets at home. Vanish is considered the most popular among them. But you should be careful, since the manufacturer indicates on the label that the product is suitable for various coatings, but this is not always the case. In some cases it is better not to use it.
It is worth noting that there are several types of Vanish shampoos: with antibacterial properties, functions of eliminating unpleasant odors, removing stains, and whitening (for light-colored coatings).
It is worth noting that all of the listed products can only be used on carpets made of synthetic materials, since they are less susceptible to fading and abrasion. As for natural carpets, under the influence of such chemicals they can lose their shape and color.
In addition, such products should be used to remove only fresh stains. Moreover, only foam is used for cleaning.
How to wash a carpet at home using Vanish:
- Before you start cleaning the carpet, you need to clear it of debris using a vacuum cleaner.
- You need to prepare a solution from Vanish. It should not be too concentrated as it may damage the coating. A weak one will not give the desired effect, since the dirt will remain on the carpet. The most optimal ratio is 1 cap of product to 9 caps of water. The water should also not be too hot - no more than 40 degrees.
- The solution must be whipped until a thick foam appears.
- Using a brush or sponge, you need to rub the foam into the carpet. This should be done in a circular motion.
- In order to avoid the appearance of stains on the carpet, you should not remove only the dirty stain, you should wash the carpet completely.
- After the product is applied, you need to wait about 2-3 hours for it to start working. After the coating has dried, use a vacuum cleaner to collect the remaining Vanish.
How to wash a carpet with Karcher
A carpet is different from other things in that it cannot simply be washed in a washing machine. However, it gets dirty just as often. There is no way to clean the carpet directly indoors. However, thanks to the Kärcher portable car wash, this becomes possible.
However, before using such a technique, you need to remember that a vacuum cleaner washes carpets under pressure of up to 160 bar, so if you do not clean according to the rules, you can ruin even a very thick carpet.
It is worth noting that this method is not suitable for washing carpets that have an adhesive base, since the jet will knock out all the glue and the carpet will simply crumble after it dries.
Here are some more tips on how to wash a carpet with Karcher:
- Do not soak the carpet for a long time.
- You can use water no more than 30 degrees.
- After washing, the carpet cannot be rolled or folded; it can only be dried unrolled.
- It is not allowed to wash carpets with car shampoo; only products specifically designed for this purpose are allowed.
Vinegar
Vinegar is no less popular in everyday life than soda. Thanks to vinegar, any carpet will return its original color, but only if you do not overdo it.
Before treating with vinegar, the product is thoroughly vacuumed, after which a weak solution (15 ml of acid per 1 liter of water) is applied to the stains. The carpet can be lightly rubbed with a soft brush in the direction of the pile, or moistened generously with a rag. After 20-30 minutes, the mat is dried with a sponge, then vacuumed again. The main thing is not to forget to ventilate the room after the procedure.
