How to Disinfect a Carpet
Your home or furnished apartment is your sanctuary. You and your family’s health depends on maintaining a clean environment, including carpets.
Carpets are one of the most popular home decorations. However, they’re also known for collecting dirt, dust, and other unsanitary substances.
One way to limit the spread of bacteria and contaminants from your carpet is to clean it regularly. You may DIY or hire carpet cleaning services for this.
We’ll be discussing everything you need to know about disinfecting a carpet in the following.
How often should you clean a carpet?
Vacuuming and deep cleaning your carpet are two different things, but both are important for maintaining the life of your carpet.
How often you must vacuum depends on the frequency you use the space, how many people and pets use it, and whether babies and toddlers crawl on it.
If there are many people or if someone in your home has a compromised immune system, you should vacuum your carpet several times per week. Otherwise, one to two times per week is sufficient.
You should deep clean your carpet twice every year. It’s ideal to have it done seasonally—once in the summer and again in the winter.
If someone has been ill with an infectious disease in your home, you may want to have your carpets deep cleaned more often than that.
Materials and Tools You’ll Need
- Vacuum
- Spray bottle
- Steam cleaner
- Circulating fan (optional)
- Cleaning-strength distilled white vinegar
- EPA-approved sanitizer or disinfectant
Steps to Disinfect Washable Carpets
- Before washing it, you should always remove loose debris from the carpet. This is usually done by either taking your carpet outside and shaking it or using a vacuum cleaner to suck the debris out of the carpet.
- First, consider the size of your washer. A front-loading washer or a top-load model without a center agitator will accommodate a large carpet better than a standard top-load washer.
- Next, use a heavy-duty detergent since it contains many enzymes to break down dirt. You may purchase a laundry disinfectant such as Lysol or chlorine bleach on your next payday for this.
- There may be different cleaning recommendations depending on what kind of carpet you have. For example, you can clean a shag carpet with a wet/dry vacuum cleaner or a carpet shampooer.
- If your carpet is not made from entirely cotton and has delicate fibers, don’t wash it in a washing machine.
Cleaning and Sanitizing Your Carpet
The best way to keep your carpets clean is by vacuuming regularly. This will help reduce the number of bacteria on the fibers.
If your carpet isn’t visibly soiled, vacuum well and spray with an antimicrobial fabric sanitizer, such as Febreze Antimicrobial Fabric Spray, in managing and controlling bacteria. Here are some steps to do this:
- If you can possibly move your upholstery furniture out of the room, the better. If not, simply slide small pieces of plastic under each leg to minimize damage during the cleaning process.
- If plastic doesn’t work in your situation, use aluminum foil.
- Before you start your deep cleaning and attempt to sanitize that large carpet or wall-to-wall carpeting, vacuum away as much loose soil or dust as possible. You’ll be amazed at how much dirt you can pull out of the fibers before even beginning to scrub.
- Carpet cleaning products can do a lot for your carpet because they contain enzymes and surfactants. They can help you lift stains, remove soil, and even get rid of bad smells.
- For sanitizing, you may spray with distilled white vinegar. While you may use the same solution for disinfecting, it’s more effective on hard nonporous surfaces.
Cleaning your carpet regularly helps prevent bacteria, mold, and pests.
If you don’t have the time to clean, sanitize, or disinfect your carpet yourself, you may hire a professional to do this. They have the expertise needed to get the job done.
For more home maintenance tips, feel free to visit this page.
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