We have a shag carpet that we're not quite sure how to rescue — after taking in two stray cats it's becoming an issue! Some research deep into the Apartment Therapy archives have uncovered some advice and tips from readers. See what we found and leave your own tips for serious carpet cleaning in the comments!
Carpet cleaning can be somewhat tricky, considering carpets comes in so many different shapes and sizes. Here's what we found:
• Good Questions: Small Apartment Carpet Cleaning Tips "I've used the Capture system with great results. I pretreated spots with a spray, then used this damp powder&mdashsimilar in texture to sawdust. I scrubbed it into the carpet with a stiff push broom reserved only for this use, then let the powder air dry for half and hour or so, then vacuum it up. It worked very well, and was considerably less expensive and faster than the steam cleaner"
• Good Questions: Inexpensive, Simple, Dog Friendly Rug "My solution to a similar dog and carpet mess issue are the FLOR tiles, I got mine from CB2 but you can order them from FLOR.com as well. The Fedora tiles are the ones I have which are low pile and washable. If my dog makes a mess I simply run it under cold water ASAP and let it air dry before putting it back in its place."
• How to Clean Stains With Shaving Cream "Did you know shaving cream can also be used to clean up spills and stains on carpets or rugs? Neither did I, until a friend mentioned it to me this weekend."
• Good Questions: Cleaning Tips for the Shag "There's a Formula 409 rug cleaner foam that you spray on, scrub in, then vacuum up."
• Good Questions: How Do I Deep Clean My Carpets "I also have dust mite allergies (and nothing else), as does my mother. I've purchased allergy-control products."
What's your advice for carpet cleaning?
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Be careful what you use. If spotter or cleaner feels sticky it will leave a sticky residue on your carpet. This will attract more dirt to that area. For an ethical, good carpet cleaner in your area go to www.ethicalservices.com.
I love that wall!!!!
With low-pile commercial carpet (and only commercial carpet, not residential grade or anything with a larger pile) you can use windex to spot clean.
To clean my carpet, I use a dry scrub brush and brush it as if it was a horse. It's Astounding how much dust comes out... Dunno if that would work on a shag though.
Chuck the carpet. Lay hard flooring: vinyl, tile, wood, laminate, linoleum.
I'm not being (wholly) facetious. Hard floors are easier to clean and you can clean them more thoroughly.
If you have pets, children or, really, if anyone walks on your floors or you ever open a door or window, do yourself a favor and get rid of the soft flooring!
The old fashioned way works best for me: hang them over a balcony railing or an outdoor laundry line and whack them with a broom. Then let them air out in the breeze for a day or so to get dust and dirt off it. If all else fails, have it dry cleaned or run it through a car wash. Seriously. It's very common for people to do that in Turkey, where I live.
Barbara Isenberg, I think the poster is talking about installed wall-to-wall carpeting, not "a carpet"...
I use commercial Carbona carpet spot cleaner -- I get it at the supermarket in the cleaning products aisle. There is a red bottle and a yellow one for pet accidents. I do NOT get the pet variety, I hate the way it smells, and the other kind does just as well, especially when I also use "Simple Solution" enzyme cleaner (from the pet store.)
Shag carpeting is a whole different story from other kinds, though. (I personally hate shag, but that's beside the point!) I'd have shag commercially steam cleaned maybe once a year or as needed. Vacuum often, and maybe use a rake to fluff the fibers. My parents house still has some amazingly ugly 60's shage in orange and gold, and nobody can stand being in the room!! It gets all matted down and unattractive if not attended to -- more work than it's worth, by far.
Fantastic wall
i love the carpet on the wall, how can i get that going up my stairs?!
I have a medium pile shag carpet and I use Bissel's Pet Spot Bot. It works really well for little spots and spills. You don't have to do much work and it doesn't take long. Just make sure you go over the wet spot with the manual hose when it is done because it doesn't get up all the water.