How to Steam Clean the Carpet: Step by Step Guide

A beautiful carpet not only enhances the overall look and feel of living space but also provides comfort to our tired feet. It can be one of the best investments but make sure you maintain its longevity by keeping it clean on a regular basis.

The accumulated dust deep inside the fibres of your carpets and rugs needs to be removed to ensure a clean and hygienic home environment. Vacuuming alone can’t pick up the dust, grime and tough stains locked between the layers of the floor coverings.

After vacuuming, you can get into the steam cleaning process to remove tough stains and accumulated grime from your carpets. For that, you need a steam cleaner, water and the right method. Without the correct process, you can’t get rid of mould spores, germs, fleas and bad odours from your delicate floor covering.

It is necessary to keep your carpets clean and germ-free, especially if you are preparing your rental property for a final inspection. It is good to hire professionally-trained people who can perform a thorough end of lease cleaning in Canberra. They clean everything, including carpets and rugs, using the best methods and high-end machines to give your sparkling results.

But if you want to steam clean on your own, we have compiled a complete guide that will bring back the lost shine of your carpets without much elbow grease.

Here is the Step by Step Guide for Steam Cleaning Filthy Carpets:

Believe it or not! Steam cleaning is one of the easiest processes to remove dust, dirt, stains and bacteria from carpets.  If they are not heavily soiled, then you can clean and sanitise them at home with a steam mop. For that, you need the right attachment that can make things easier for you. So, let’s get into the process:

1. Empty the Room

Before getting into the steam cleaning process, it is good to empty the room. Remove furniture and other items from the carpet. Keeping it clutter-free can make the pushing of steam mops quite easier.

If the furniture is heavy to lift from the carpet, then cover furniture legs with a waterproof tape. This will protect them from hot steam. You can also use aluminium foil instead of flex tape.

Quick Tip: Don’t forget to wipe off your baseboards before jumping to the next step. Use a damp cloth to get rid of dust and grime from the surface.

2. Vacuum Clean your Carpets

Vacuuming is one of the easiest ways to get rid of loose dirt, dead skin, food crumbs and other dust particles from the carpet. You can do it twice before steam cleaning your carpet because it is not capable of eliminating solid dust and dirt particles locked deep in the fibres of the carpet.

First, run the vacuum in one direction to fetch as much dirt and dust particles as possible. After that, vacuum it in the opposite direction. Make sure you thoroughly run the machine to pick up the large debris and embedded bed bugs.

Quick Tip: Vacuum cleaning loosens the fibres and prepares your carpet for thorough steam cleaning.

3. Treat Tough Stains Before Steam Cleaning

Getting rid of carpet stains such as wine spills, pet urine, coffee and other stubborn marks can be quite tough without spot cleaning. A vacuum cleaning machine works wonder in removing loose dirt, bacteria and other debris. But it won’t help you remove tough stains. For that, you need to treat them carefully before steam cleaning.

You can consider the following process to get rid of unpleasant stains from your carpets:

• Blot a clean microfiber cloth with an eco-friendly stain remover.
• Dab the affected area to let the stain soak the solution.
• Let it sit for 15 minutes before you begin steam cleaning.

Quick Tip: Never scrub the stain as it can embed deeper into the fibre and makes it difficult to remove the stain even with thorough steam cleaning.

4. Prepare your Steam Cleaning Machine

After treating spot stain, you can prepare your steam cleaner by filling the tank with water (according to the instructions mentioned by the manufacturer)

It is recommended to add mild dishwashing soap or white vinegar solution into the tank to achieve clean and shiny results because water is not enough for removing tough stains.

Now, attach the tack onto the steam mop and let it heat up to steaming temperature. If you want to kill germs, dust mites and bedbugs, then 212°F is an ideal temperature for steam cleaning.

Quick Tip: Instead of using a chemical-based carpet cleaning agent, you can use a natural solution such as white vinegar and baking soda.

5. Steam Clean your Carpet

Run the steam cleaning machine on your carpet. Begin from one corner to another for better results. It is good to run the mop in straight lines to get rid of filthy and stubborn spots on your carpet.

Many professional carpet cleaners in Canberra prefer running the steam cleaner farthest from the door as this makes it super easy to move into the next room without stepping on the cleaned floor covering. You can also follow the same to achieve professional finish without extra efforts.

Quick Tip: If your cleaner uses cleaning agent, then it is good to run over the same line twice for thorough cleaning of your carpets.

6. Leave the Carpet to Dry

Though steam cleaning doesn’t leave much water behind, make sure you give enough time to dry up completely. It is good to allow your carpet 5 to 12 hours to dry – this can easily evaporate all the moisture from your carpet.

Quick Tip: You can use table fan to let moisture escape quickly, or you can also open up the windows to allow your carpets to dry.

Conclusion

Steam cleaning is one of the best ways that can help you bring back the lost shine of your carpets and rugs. With the help of this guide, you can steam clean your carpets at home without any professional assistance. Follow these steps carefully and make your carpets look cleaner and shiner.

In case, you are running at the end of your tenancy and want to get your full bond money back; you can hire experts for an affordable end of lease cleaning in Canberra because they come fully-equipped with latest tools to give you sparkling results.