Placing carpets on stairs is a beautiful addition to houses as they give your place a warm and adorable look. They make the stairs non-slippery, a safety element in homes with pets and children.
Cleaning the carpet on your stairs is crucial in maintaining the hygiene of your home. Stairs are prone to getting dirty and transferring the dirt to the rest of the house because of excessive foot traffic. It is better to clean your carpets regularly.
Easy Steps to Clean Your Stairs’ Carpets Efficiently
Here is the most appropriate and best procedure to easily clean your carpets without any professional help:
Vacuum the Carpets
Use a dry vacuum cleaner to remove all the dust contaminants and animal hair that can cause respiratory or other allergic problems.
The vacuum cleaner also controls bacteria growth, mold and mildew. You don’t have to manually remove dirt, as vacuuming does most of such work.
If you want a convenient vacuum, look for a cordless vacuum so you don’t have to panic about the cord while moving up and down the stairs.
Apply Carpet Shampoo
After vacuuming all the dirt and dust from a vacuum cleaner, apply the carpet shampoo, as cleaning the stairs is difficult. But home carpet shampoos make it a much more convenient process. So:
- After applying the shampoo on the stairs, leave it for about 10-15 minutes so that the carpet can soak the shampoo thoroughly, which will help to remove the smudges, stains and spills quickly.
- Use a towel or scrubbing brush to remove the stubborn spills or deep dirt in your carpet’s fibers. Don’t use a harsh brush as it can damage your carpet fibers.
- After scrubbing, rinse the shampoo with the help of water and dry your carpet in sunlight or with the help of a towel or some clean cloth before walking onto it.
- Carefully read the instructions before using it on your carpet, as it may harm your carpets if used excessively, and the carpet may lose its color or shine.
Use White Vinegar
After cleaning with shampoo, you can apply vinegar for extra cleaning as white vinegar has natural ingredients that protect your stairs carpet. Clean your carpet with white vinegar by following the steps:
- Mix a half cup of vinegar with a full cup of water and pour this mixture into a spray bottle.
- Spray your stairs with this solution and let it soak for a few minutes to work effectively and perfectly.
- After washing, use a stiff brush to thoroughly work the white vinegar solution into the living room carpet fibers. Ensure you have cleaned every corner and edge of the carpet, leaving no patch behind.
- You can also add baking soda for efficient cleaning in this solution. Use vinegar and baking soda in a limited amount.
- White vinegar is cheap and easy to get (like in the kitchen) and neutralizes odor because of acetic acid.
- Besides, it is not carpet-specific. You can use it on all types of carpets, whether soft or complex; it doesn’t cause any harm.
Steam Cleaning
If you are ready to invest extra time and effort, you can also clean your carpeted stairs with steam. Steam cleaning takes away all the remaining dirt or debris.
Before using a steam cleaner, be aware of the nature of your carpets on the stairs, as most carpets shrink due to hot water.
They can be found at a hardware store or other retail outlet renting such machines. Steam cleaners can make carpeting look spotless.
Fill your steam cleaner with hot water but not boiling, and don’t overfill the cleaner. Add soap, dishwasher or detergent within a controlled amount.
You can add soap directly into the water, or some machines have separate sections for soap. Do not use excess soap or detergent, as it may remain on the carpet.
A combination of up and down, side to side, and circular motions of cleaner should help penetrate deep into the carpeting and any stains or remove crumbs and debris in small side corners.
Disinfecting or Deodorizing the Carpet
After all the cleaning procedures, disinfect your carpeted stairs with a disinfectant spray or polish to keep yourself, your children and your pets safe from the infected air or allergens.
As disinfectants like phenyl have an irritating smell, it is better to use some deodorizer on your carpets to vanish all the foul smell and odors of the chemicals and disinfectants used in cleaning your stairs carpet.
Let Them Dry
Wait to use the stairs after cleaning their carpets. If they can be dispatched from the stairs, dry them in sunlight, or if they cannot be removed from the stairs, leave them for about half a day after cleaning and let them air dry.
Ensure the carpets have been dried thoroughly, and do a final vacuuming at the end before using the staircase again.
Conclusion:
Cleaning the carpets requires a lot of dedication, time and effort to do it efficiently. You can easily clean your carpeted stairs by following the above-detailed procedure that will save your cost to a greater extent and give your home stairs a clean look.