How to clean carpet – expert-approved ways to freshen up your floors without the hassle

There’s nothing like fresh carpet, but carpet can quickly go from fresh to tired in the space of a few weeks, months, and years. So, knowing how to clean carpet will get your floors back to tip-top condition, so all your rooms look lovely and clean from the ground up.

Our carpets put up with a lot, from muddy shoes and paw prints to everyday dust and debris that cling to our carpet fibres. And even if they don’t visibly look dirty, you can bet your bottom dollar that there are all kinds of microscopic nasties wreaking havoc under your nose, quietly damaging the fibres in the process. Of course, the best carpet cleaners can help with that.

But there’s so much more to cleaning carpets than simply buying an appliance and ticking a task off your to-do list. From pre-treatments to spot cleaning and even tips on cleaning carpets without a machine, this is how to clean carpets… properly.

The essential carpet cleaning kit

• Vacuum cleaners - if you're looking for an upgrade, there's a whole range of vacuum cleaners at Amazon to suit any budget
• Kitchen roll or clean cloths - stock up on microfibre cloths at Amazon
• Special stain remover - these carpet stain removers from Amazon have been formulated to remove even the toughest of stains
• Carpet shampoo - for an extra fresh scent, try these carpet shampoos from Amazon
• Or baking soda and white vinegar as a DIY alternative

Step-by-step

1. Prep your carpet

While you should clean your carpet as part of your weekly cleaning routine, it can be easy to rush the process and grab one of the best vacuum cleaners as soon as you begin. However, experts suggest taking a little extra time to prep your carpet first.

Lucy Rhead from Gtech, advises, ‘A great hack before you vacuum is to do a little bit of prep on your carpet first. This will help you get the most out of your vacuuming. So, start by using a coarse brush to help agitate the carpet and try to loosen any embedded hair. Drag the brush back and forth, wiping off the dust and hairs picked up on a tissue to get rid of them.’

As someone who lives with a shedding dog, I actually swear by this process to get pet hair out of carpet - and I use the Beldray Antibac Pet Plus Furrresh Cleaning Blade to get deep into the fibres of my carpets before I move onto the next stage of my carpet cleaning regime.

Lucy adds, ‘Not only is this a great way to get a deeper clean on your carpet, but it also helps to protect the longevity of your vacuum.’

2. Then, get vacuuming

If you’re just looking to give your carpets a quick refresh, vacuuming should be simple and easy. But even if you’re looking to get stains out of carpet, you still need to vacuum first to remove any loose dirt, dust and hair.

There’s good reason for this, too. 'Vacuuming is a fantastic way to stop the build-up of dirt and dust, which can lead to the dulling or damage of the carpet over a long period of time,' says Jack Ogden, Flooring Expert at ScS.

And if you're wondering how often should you vacuum, the experts recommend once a week as minimum, though high-traffic areas like the kitchen and living room might require more frequent cleaning. And if you have pets, use one of the best vacuums for pet hair every day if you can, or every other day if not. However, it’s important to choose your vacuum based on your carpet type.

Kirsty Barton, Brand Storytelling Manager at Alternative Flooring, explains, ‘If your carpets are made from natural plant fibres like jute, sisal or coir, it's best to use a suction-only vacuum (a vacuum without the rotating brush). Take your time to vacuum slowly and thoroughly to avoid damaging the fibres, making your home feel fresh and spotless.’ For all other carpet types, a rotating brush should be fine.

3. Tackle the stains

After a thorough vacuum, you might have spotted lingering marks, scuffs or stains, at which point you'll need to learn how to remove stains from carpets. However, it’s important to follow the stain removal golden rules to ensure that you’re cleaning your carpets safely and effectively, without compromising their integrity at the same time.

Gill Baker, Head of Décor at B&Q suggests, ‘For spot-cleaning or quick freshen-ups, a mix of white vinegar and warm water works wonders, especially for lifting odours and light stains. Astonish Shake & Fresh Pink Blossom Carpet freshener is also great for deodorising carpets — sprinkle it, let it sit for a few minutes, and vacuum it up. ‘

She adds, ‘For tougher stains, we’d suggest a ready-to-use carpet stain remover, like the Dr Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover or the HG Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner for a more specialist approach.’

Whatever stain remover you're using, apply and dab it with medium pressure for a few minutes. 'You shouldn't rub the stain or scrub it with force,' says Viesturs Silneiks from Chichester Carpet Cleaning. 'Instead, dab it gently with a dry cloth, starting from the edges.'

3. Give it a deeper clean

If you have a pale or neutral-coloured carpet or you simply want to ensure your carpets are as clean as can be, you can then use a dedicated carpet cleaner to get the job done. For this step, you’ll need to decide whether it’s best to rent or buy a carpet cleaner. However, you’ll need to proceed with caution during this stage as, in most cases, you can’t use a carpet cleaner to clean wool carpets.

That’s why Gill advises, ‘One thing to remember is just to make sure you carry out a test patch in an inconspicuous area first. Wait for it to dry and check the appearance before starting to clean the full area.’ In general, you should also use the recommended carpet cleaning solution to go with your carpet cleaner of choice.

And when you’ve cleaned your whole carpet, make the room a strict foot traffic-free zone to allow it to dry – anything from two to 24 hours as required – ensuring the room is well-ventilated throughout to prevent mould build-up or damage. Alternatively, you could consider investing in a steam mop with a carpet attachment to give your carpet a deep clean.

Lily Cameron, Cleaning Supervisor, Fantastic Services, says, 'The heat from steam cleaners disintegrates stubborn stains and dirt from the carpet’s fabric, leaving it clean and fresh. The water vapour it generates penetrates deep into the carpet’s fabrics, where other cleaning agents can’t reach. It can also eliminate germs without using chemicals.'

4. Maintain your cleaning regime

When you’ve followed the steps above, you can rest easy knowing that you’ve successfully nailed how to clean carpets - for a little while, anyway. If you want to ensure your carpet lasts as long as possible, you also need to maintain this cleaning regime.

You can also take steps to maintain the integrity of your carpets outside of cleaning. One tip is to place a large doormat - like this Argos Home Wavy Striped Coir Doormat - at external entrances for people to wipe their feet on before they enter. This will also help reduce the amount of dirt from outside being spread around the house.

Frequent movement of furniture can also affect the fibres of your carpet, so you can fit castor protectors or felt pads like these Felt Gard Premium Multipack Furniture Felt Pads from B&Q to the feet of your furniture to limit the extent of the damage. There's nothing worse than deciding to move your furniture around only to find that the old placement of the sofa has left semi-permanent marks.

Then, you just need to continue cleaning regularly and dealing with stains as soon as you spot them to keep your carpets in ship-shape.

FAQs

Is washing up liquid good for cleaning carpets?

'Using washing-up liquid or dish soap as a carpet cleaner is generally not recommended,' says Lily Cameron, Cleaning Supervisor, Fantastic Services. 'While it may be effective at removing grease and stains from dishes, it isn’t a product that’s formulated for cleaning carpets and can lead to potential problems and damage.'

You've probably used washing-up liquid before when something has spilt on your carpet, and it can be an effective way to lift stains in the first instance. The main problem though is that washing up liquid can leave a soapy residue behind, which can accumulate and attract more dirt over time. Try using a specially formulated carpet cleaner or upholstery cleaning products instead.

'To make sure your carpet is cleaned effectively and safely, it's best to use carpet cleaning solutions that are specifically designed for the purpose, because these products are formulated to address their unique requirements, such as maintaining the colour and minimising residue buildup,' says Lily.

What is the best DIY carpet cleaner?

There are two household staple items that the experts recommend using for how to clean carpet, and they come in handy for cleaning many areas of the home. Diluted white vinegar and baking soda are two effective DIY carpet cleaners, guaranteed to give your floor a second lease of life.

'Baking soda is like a DIY magic eraser that saves a lot of money around the house,' says Lily. 'A baking soda and water paste and a brush can clean a carpet without the use of expensive, environmentally unsafe chemicals.'

You can either create a baking soda paste by mixing it with water, or you can sprinkle baking soda over your carpet before vacuuming it up. You can also cleaning with white vinegar. Make a solution with equal parts vinegar and water, then spray this over the baking soda for an extra deep clean.

'Don’t underestimate the power of home remedies,' says Chloe from Dr. Beckmann. 'White vinegar with warm water can help sanitise, disinfect and deodorise your carpet without the need for a cleaning machine. Remember to blot rather than scrub so the dirt doesn’t go deeper!'

So, how will you be cleaning your carpets?