Carpet products made from pure silk and mixed fibers based on it are among the most expensive. In addition, many silk carpets are made by hand, which makes them even more expensive. But natural silk is a very capricious material, and improper care won't tolerate it. We will tell you how to clean a silk carpet at home so as not to harm it. With proper cleaning, you will always have it delightfully beautiful, bright and silky.

This amazing silk

Silk fibers are both extremely strong and fragile. Let’s say that silk is tensile strength 5 times stronger than steel and 2 times stronger than Kevlar, from which modern military helmets are made. In ancient times, bulletproof vests were even made from durable silk fabrics! Therefore, a silk carpet is a very durable thing; with proper care, it can retain its presentation for centuries. But some “minor” mistake by the owners can irrevocably damage even a new product.

Thus, silk does not tolerate friction at all - its fibers are scratched, “ruffled” and gradually fray. Do not rub the carpet with brushes, rags, sponges, sweep with a hard broom, etc. With this treatment, the material will first lose its silky shine, and then literally wear through holes. He also does not like overheating (above 60 °C), temperature changes, exposure to moisture and aggressive chemicals (both alkaline and acidic).

The dyes used in the production of yarn deserve special attention. Most silk carpets are distinguished by very bright, complex patterns with small details. Moreover, for piece goods self made oriental masters As a rule, unstable natural dyes are used. Yes and carpets machine made rarely have a durable color, since natural fibers generally do not dye well. Water spilled on the pile can “blur” the fine pattern, and acidic liquids (juices, wine) leave indelible faded stains on the surface.

Everyday care: how to properly clean a silk carpet from dust

Dusty carpets do not last long. Dust penetrates deep into the pile, gets into the base, makes the carpet hard and heavy, and deprives it of its pure shine. But the worst part is that fine sand and large dust particles damage the silk fibers every time you walk over the carpet. They literally fray the silk, the pile quickly wears out, the base weakens, bald spots appear, and then holes.

Moths are also more damaging to dirty carpets. She especially likes to hide in dark places, such as under furniture. Therefore, it is imperative to clean the carpet completely, without missing a centimeter. By the way, if you are going to use a special moth repellent, make sure that it is safe for silk products and test its effect on a small, inconspicuous area of ​​the material.

Proper care of a silk carpet will prevent its rapid wear. What you can do:

  • Shake out wall hangings and tapestries about once a month. Do this by hand, very carefully. Never knock them out or hang them on crossbars or railings for a long time.
  • Clean floor carpets with a vacuum cleaner without a brush, with a smooth attachment. It is important not to cause mechanical damage to the product. To do this, do not put pressure on the pile and set the power so that the vacuum cleaner does not “suck” the carpet. The nozzle should move easily, without effort and only in the direction of the pile. No hard friction and, especially, no turbo brushes.
  • All carpets can be cleaned by hand with a soft brush or nylon cloth. Be very gentle, do not rub the surface and always move in the direction of the pile.

First aid: how to remove a fresh stain from a silk carpet

Any liquid is a terrible enemy of silk carpets. Silk fibers, when moistened, immediately lose strength and are easily damaged even by weak mechanical influences. Therefore, rubbing a wet stain on silk with a rag is a big mistake. It's so easy to make a hole in the carpet.

How to clean up accidentally spilled water or other liquid?

  1. Act quickly before the carpet is soaked through. If moisture penetrates to the base, the product may become deformed due to shrinkage of the fabric.
  2. First, carefully remove thick dirt and solid particles (coffee grounds, tea leaves) from the surface.
  3. Then apply a clean cloth or paper towel and blot the liquid. Repeat this several times, each time with a new dry cloth, to remove as much moisture as possible. Do not rub the carpet with cloth or paper!
  4. When removing liquid, move from the edges to the middle of the stain so as not to spread the contamination over a large area.
  5. Next, if clean water has been spilled, provide the carpet with conditions to dry. At the same time, do not hang it, do not leave it in the sun and do not use heating devices (hair dryer, fan heater, etc.). You can only use a stream of cool air. Make sure that the carpet is laid out evenly, otherwise the base may become deformed while drying.
  6. A stain from another liquid (tea, coffee, wine, juice, urine)? Contact specialists immediately. The sooner you start dry cleaning, the higher the chances of completely removing the stain.
General cleaning of silk carpets at home

Warning! Cleaning a silk carpet yourself is a very risky endeavor. According to experts, the risk of spoiling it reaches 95%. As can be seen from the properties of the material, almost no “home” methods and means can be used on it. And for some types of silk carpets, any wet cleaning, even professional cleaning, is contraindicated!

If you decide to clean the product yourself, first of all check the stability of its colors. Gently dampen a small area of ​​the carpet in an inconspicuous area. Use your fingers to ruffle the wet pile and see what happens to the ornament. The paints remain in place - you can take a chance with home cleaning. But a floating pattern will be a strong argument in favor of professional dry cleaning.

You can clean a carpet at home:

  • diluted vinegar;
  • weak soda solution;
  • baby soap or shampoo.

Cleaning a silk rug with vinegar or baking soda:

  1. Prepare a cleaning solution. The concentration is selected individually - you cannot just guess the composition of fibers and dyes and predict how the carpet will behave after treatment. Try mixing vinegar with water in proportions from 1:1 to 1:10 and remember that too acidic a liquid can discolor the fibers. The main thing is that the vinegar is normal, transparent, and the water is cold. Soda is also dissolved in cool water, the concentration is determined experimentally.
  2. Test the effect of the solution on a small area of ​​the product.
  3. Take a soft sponge, soak it in the product and squeeze it well.
  4. Treat the carpet with a sponge using a blotting motion. Don't rub.
  5. After cleaning a small piece of the product, rinse the sponge in the solution, wring it out again and continue cleaning in a new place. Treat particularly contaminated areas several times.
  6. Take dry soft cloth and dry the cleaned carpet using blotting movements. Instead of fabric, you can use soft natural suede. Use it to gently wipe the carpet in the direction of the pile to remove excess moisture.
  7. Dry the product.

Silk carpets cannot be cleaned with household chemicals. All kinds of “carpet” powders and shampoos are designed for synthetic materials. As a last resort, they can be used for wool blends, but not for silk.

Some silk products can be cleaned with baby soap or shampoo with a neutral pH (alkaline products with a pH above 8 destroy silk fibers). But here it all depends on the drawing. The fact is that soap fluffs up the pile very much, and small elements of the ornament simply “mix”. As a result, the overall pattern is slightly blurred.

If your carpet does not have small patterns, try this method:

  1. Dissolve shampoo or soap in water.
  2. Treat the carpet with soapy water in the same way as described for cleaning with vinegar or soda (steps 2-5).
  3. Remove excess moisture with a dry cloth.
  4. Take clean, cool water and scrub the carpet surface again with a sponge. Rinse it in water often to remove as much soap as possible from the carpet.
  5. Blot the moisture again with a dry cloth.
  6. Dry the product.

When planning to clean your silk rug yourself, keep the following in mind:

  • It is impossible to completely remove the cleaning agent from the pile manually. Be prepared that the vinegar left on the carpet will smell for several days, and the baking soda and soap will make the silk a little sticky.
  • After any wet cleaning, the silk product must be dried in less than 12 hours. Otherwise, mold will settle in the carpet, and this is completely new problem. Removing microbes from silk is not easy, since it cannot be treated with either a steam generator or strong “chemistry”.
  • You need to dry the carpet correctly, in a place with good ventilation. If possible, it is best to take it outside and lay it out on a flat, dry surface, but under no circumstances in the sun.
  • Don't expect a miracle from cleaning. If the pattern on the carpet has faded due to exposure to ultraviolet radiation, faded from acids or simply from old age, no remedy will return the colors to their former brightness. Cleaning can only remove dirt from the surface of the pile and thus refresh the colors.
  • A “silk” carpet may in fact be woven not from pure silk, but from a mixture of fibers. Then, when cleaning, you need to take into account their characteristics (usually wool, viscose or cotton).
  • Silk carpets should not be wet cleaned too often. This increases the risk of mold development and accelerates the wear and tear of the fibers.

If you do not take care of your carpet, stains and dirt will significantly ruin the appearance of the product. Dust and waste products of mites cause serious allergic reactions. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly contact specialists or try to clean the carpet at home yourself.

Carpet cleaning products

Manufacturers offer products in the form of sprays, shampoos, and powders. You can make effective solutions yourself from components that you can find in your household. Moreover, they are safer than their chemical counterparts. Let's look at the most popular cleaning product options.

Soda and vinegar

Vinegar restores brightness to flowers. Soda (sodium bicarbonate):

  • removes traces of iodine, coffee, silicate glue;
  • perfectly absorbs fat;
  • refreshes the appearance.

Spread a thin layer over the surface and leave overnight. In the morning, the powder is removed with a vacuum cleaner or broom.

To clean the carpet, solutions are prepared using soda and vinegar. They need to be poured into a spray bottle and sprayed generously. Wipe heavily soiled areas with a brush. The mixture is left until completely dry, then removed.

Here are the trusted recipes.

  1. Mix sodium bicarbonate and detergent (1 tbsp each) with 2 liters of cold tap water, add 2 tbsp. vinegar essence (70%).
  2. Pour 0.5 cups of soda into 5 liters of water, stir, pour in 3 tbsp. vinegar.
  3. Take sodium dioxide, washing powder (a tablespoon) and 4-5 tbsp. l. vinegar. Pour in a liter of warm water.

A solution made from baking soda, finely ground salt and liquid laundry soap works great for removing stains. The ingredients are combined in proportions: 2:2:1. The product can be stored for a long time and used to get rid of fresh stains.

Important! Baking soda can be replaced with soda ash. This is a stronger alkali. It makes it easy to clean a very dirty carpet. You cannot use soda for woolen, silk, or handmade products.

Vanish

Under the Vanish brand, the Reckitt Benckiser (USA) brand produces several types of carpet and rug care products.

  1. Moistened powder is intended for large surfaces. It cannot be further moistened. It is applied in an even layer and dries in 20-25 minutes. Then it is collected with a vacuum cleaner for dry cleaning.
  2. Sprays for removing stains.
  3. Shampoo for manual cleaning is diluted with warm water, temperature up to 40°C, in proportions 1:9. The mixture is whipped with foam and applied with a sponge. Heavily soiled carpet should be moistened with undiluted product. There is antibacterial Vanish, which additionally disinfects.
  4. Shampoo for washing vacuum cleaners is diluted with water (1.5 caps of product per liter of liquid). The carpet must be completely dry after treatment. Then it is cleaned again, without shampoo.
  5. Active foam removes stubborn dirt. The product is available in cans. It is sprayed at a distance of 0.7-0.9 m from the surface. After complete drying, remove with a vacuum cleaner.
  • on carpets made of natural fibers;
  • on handmade products;
  • on coatings with unstable paint.

After the procedure, thoroughly ventilate the air in the room!

Ammonia

Ammonia (ammonium hydroxide) – effective improvised means. It:

  • rids the floor carpet of dirty shoe marks;
  • copes with fresh stains of juice of berries, fruits, wine, tea and coffee;
  • refreshes color.

The following recipe is suitable for cleaning individual areas. Dissolve a tablespoon in a liter of water detergent and ammonia. The procedure should be carried out with the windows open. A solution of 5 liters will help treat a large carpet. water, 3-4 tbsp. l. washing powder and 2 tbsp. ammonia.

Hydrogen peroxide

Peroxide is a cheap drug that perfectly removes traces of blood and copes with the smell of pet urine. To prepare the stain remover, you will need:

  • 1 tbsp. warm water;
  • 150 ml hydrogen peroxide;
  • 0.5 tbsp. baking soda.

The ingredients are mixed. The solution is poured into a spray bottle and stored in a cool, dry place.

Hydrogen peroxide mixed with vinegar and lemon juice is also effective. The solution will be less aggressive if you dilute it with plain water 1:3.

Important! Ammonia and hydrogen peroxide often discolor dark textiles. Be sure to check their effects before use!

Snow

This simple method allows you to quickly and effectively clean the carpet, remove odors, and fill your home with a natural aroma of freshness. It does not require material costs. You just need to take the carpet outside and choose an area with dry, untouched snow.

  1. Place the product nap side down.
  2. Cover the underside with snow, then sweep it away with a stiff broom.
  3. Work the surface with flexible beaters.
  4. Turn the carpet over and move it to a clean place.
  5. Repeat the procedure on the front side.

The result of the work can be judged by the dirt that remains on the ground. The benefit of such a procedure is that microbes, bacteria, and moths die in the cold. At the end, you need to carefully remove any remaining snow from the surface of the product.

Cleaning different types of carpets

To properly clean a carpet at home without damaging the product, you should know its composition and take into account the peculiarities of the pile structure. In any case, it is important to follow the rules:

  • start removing dirt only after preliminary cleaning of dust and dirt using a broom or vacuum cleaner;
  • try products on a small area;
  • choose brushes of soft or medium hardness so as not to damage the coating or create snags;
  • vacuum or wash the floor under the carpet.

It is necessary to dry on a perfectly flat, rigid crossbar. If you leave a wet product on a fence or bent wire, it will not be possible to avoid deformation. It should be stored in a roll, in a horizontal position.

The following life hack will help you get rid of dust from a carpet on the wall.

  1. Cover the product completely with a well-wrung out damp old sheet.
  2. Knock him out.
  3. Rinse the rag if it becomes dirty.
  4. Repeat the procedure if necessary.
  5. Vacuum the carpet.

It is convenient to remove greasy stains and dirt with sprays and foam. Folk remedies are also suitable for this purpose. It is important to ensure that the solution does not spread.

Large and old carpets should not be beaten on the crossbar. Due to heavy weight and active mechanical impact, the structure of the base may deteriorate.

Long pile carpets

Fluffy carpets with long pile up to 10 cm are also called shaggy or shaggy (from the English shaggy - “shaggy”). They are beautiful and warm, but they are more difficult to care for. The difficulty is that dirt gets clogged into the fibers, which is difficult to remove later. When treated wet, long-pile carpets get wet quickly and take longer to dry.

Shaggies need to be vacuumed twice a week. It is preferable to carry out deep cleaning without water:

  • professional equipment;
  • foam penetrating solutions (Nordland);
  • gentle shampoos (Carpet Shampoo);
  • dry powders (Sunlux).

Products with high pile need to be taken outside and knocked out more often. It is better to do this from the wrong side so that dirt and small particles do not clog even deeper.

Silk carpets

Durable, thin, lightweight products made from natural silk:

  • resistant to damage;
  • hypoallergenic;
  • look expensive.

It is allowed to remove dust only with a soft sponge, manually, without a vacuum cleaner. You can shake it out very carefully without knocking it out. If the pile is combined (for example, with an admixture of viscose or wool), it is allowed to vacuum cleaner in the minimum retraction mode, without the use of turbo brushes.

Important! Silk carpets are afraid of moisture, sunlight, cleaning agents, and strong mechanical stress. To remove stubborn stains, you should contact a professional dry cleaner once a year.

Wool carpets

Soft wool carpets provide incredible tactile sensations, provide noise and heat insulation. But they are whimsical and require frequent, careful cleaning to prevent the appearance of mold, moths, and mildew.

Natural dyes are used for expensive products. Do not use bleaching agents on them. Wool carpets should:

  • vacuum twice a week with a smooth attachment;
  • Unroll periodically to ensure even wear;
  • If moisture gets in, dry with a hairdryer at the most gentle temperature setting;
  • clean in the direction of the lint;
  • use special delicate products, intended for this type of coating.

It is easier to care for products impregnated with antistatic, antifungal, anti-moth agents and compounds that repel dirt. With proper care, they will last for decades.

Natural carpets

Natural carpets are afraid of moisture. Exposure to warm or hot water causes uneven shrinkage. As a result, bubbles, folds, and stripes appear. For such products it is not recommended to use a washing vacuum cleaner; dry cleaning is preferable.

The pile of a viscose carpet is not elastic and is easily damaged. When cleaning, use a soft sponge and foaming agents. Cotton products:

  • fade in the sun;
  • sensitive to chemicals;
  • prone to deformation when dried using heating devices.

Fungus often appears on jute rugs. To get rid of it, use a lime solution (proportions 1:6).

Synthetic carpets

Such coatings are inexpensive, easy to maintain, and do not accumulate static electricity. They usually contain synthetic fibers (acrylic, propylene, nylon and polyamide) that are resistant to chemical reagents. Therefore, it is not difficult to clean the carpets on the floor in the apartment using Vanish and other household products. But it is necessary to take into account that:

  • nylon products quickly lose color when exposed to sun rays, they should be washed and dried in the shade;
  • polyester options do not return to shape after deformation;
  • It is not recommended to knock out polypropylene coverings while hanging.

Due to their low thermal insulation, they serve a purely decorative function. Easy maintenance makes synthetic carpets ideal for offices and high-traffic areas.

Light and white carpets

Light carpets look stylish, transform the interior, and visually expand the space. But they get dirty faster. They need to be vacuumed in the direction of the pile, otherwise marks may remain.

But if you locally clean the carpet from dirt and stains, a “halo” may form that is difficult to get rid of. To avoid problems, it is important to use water carefully and in measured doses. It is worth giving preference to active foam and professional sprays.

A spray will help to refresh the color, remove the gray tint, and remove unpleasant odors without removing the light-colored carpet from the floor. It is prepared at home. To do this:

  • dissolve 100 ml of peroxide (3%) in 200 ml of water;
  • pour into a spray bottle;
  • Sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda;
  • Spray the spray evenly over the surface;
  • leave for 5-10 minutes;
  • Clean the carpet with a washing vacuum cleaner.

You cannot clean a white carpet with lemon juice. This product causes yellowness.

Important for all types of carpets! Plan cleaning during the warmer months or heating season. Avoid prolonged wet conditions to prevent unpleasant odor, destruction of the base structure. Do not lay the carpet on a wet floor.

Methods for removing various types of contaminants

Stains should be removed immediately. To do this:

  • blot excess moisture with dry wipes or a paper towel;
  • dirt is collected from the edges of the stain to the center, preventing its further spread and absorption;
  • apply products in accordance with the composition and color.

If the stain gets on expensive products: silk, handmade, you must contact the cleaning company within the next three days. Often even professional products cannot cope with old dried stains.

How to remove urine smell from carpet

Urine quickly penetrates the carpet fibers. An old stain serves as a favorable environment for the growth of bacteria. To prevent damage to the product, to clean the carpet from the smell of urine, you should:

  • remove all moisture;
  • apply a solution of vinegar and water, prepared in proportions 1:3, to the wet area
  • leave it for 2-3 hours;
  • sprinkle the stain with an absorbent, such as soda;
  • treat the area with a soap solution (1 teaspoon of liquid soap per glass of water, 80 g of hydrogen peroxide);
  • remove dried mixture with a broom, brush or vacuum cleaner
  • You can lightly spray fabric softener.

Glycerin effectively removes the smell of urine from dogs and cats. This substance dissolves uric acid, which is resistant to water and alcohol. Alternative options:

  • water and vinegar in proportions 4:1;
  • potassium permanganate;
  • lemon juice;
  • laundry soap (glycerin).

Remember that the effect of these strong oxidizing agents must first be tested on the most inconspicuous area. If you do not wash away the traces of the “puddle” in time, there is a high probability that the pet will mark the territory again.

Most fresh stains can be easily removed with a soap solution to which a spoonful of ammonia is added. The following will help remove complex stains:

  • alcohol, lemon juice (pen ink);
  • soap solution (glue stains, dirt, chocolate);
  • glycerin (tea, coffee);
  • White spirit (will remove paint).
  • heated iron and paper napkin(wax, paraffin).

Absorbents work well with fat: chalk, salt, talc. When the powder no longer picks up dirt, try treating the stain with fairy or another dishwashing liquid. Soda and starch should not be used on dark surfaces. They can leave stains.

Pre-treatment with a steam cleaner, such as a Karcher, will help remove old stains. The procedure will soften even dried, stubborn dirt. Steaming also:

  • disinfects;
  • straightens creases;
  • lifts the pile, making it fluffier.

Steam vacuum cleaners combine the functions of steaming and collecting garbage. With their help, it is easy to clean the carpet at home with maximum efficiency.

How often should you clean your carpet?

In pursuit of immaculate cleanliness, it is important to adhere to moderation. For example, wet treatment (of synthetic surfaces) should not be carried out more than once a quarter. To maintain a decent appearance of the product, it is enough:

  • vacuum it weekly or clean it with a broom or brush;
  • once a season, knock out dust in the fresh air;
  • Thoroughly clean the underside every six months.

Many car washes offer inexpensive carpet cleaning services. But such advertising should be treated with skepticism.

  1. Car washes use high-pressure machines that destroy the texture of the pile.
  2. Exposure to hard brushes and improper drying lead to damage to the product and deformation.
  3. The carpet absorbs all surrounding odors of gasoline, oils, etc.

The best solution is to entrust an expensive carpet to competent specialists. They have equipment for deep cleaning using a professional vacuum cleaner and carefully selected detergents. Annual intensive treatment of the carpet will return the product to its ideal condition.

How much does it cost to clean a carpet at home?

All of the above methods are not always effective. Dry cleaning folk remedies, household chemicals cannot compare with the work of professionals.

The cleaning company “Clean and Fresh” offers to evaluate the effectiveness of the deep extraction method. It is carried out in several stages.

  1. The detergent composition is distributed over the surface of the carpet under high pressure.
  2. It penetrates deep and causes chemical reactions with pollution molecules.
  3. Remains of the cleaning solution along with dust particles are removed with a powerful vacuum cleaner.

Special equipment and chemicals are used to remove stains and grease, and to wash the fringe.

If you need to clean your carpet in Moscow, invite specialists from Clean and Fresh to your home. In doing so you:

  • choose any convenient time;
  • observe the process and control it;
  • pay half as much as for similar services with removal.

We keep competitive prices and guarantee impeccable results. The cost of processing a square meter starts from 150 rubles. You will receive pleasant discounts for repeat orders and gifts for large orders.

Of course, a clean carpet will give your apartment a certain homeliness and beauty. But just imagine what kind of appearance your room will have if various stains of dirt appear on it without cleaning it at least once. What if the carpet white, then this may look simply catastrophic. To keep your home always tidy, of course, you need to clean this product. But not everyone knows how to clean a carpet at home.

To remove all stains, first study all the requirements that will tell you how to wash floor coverings, which differ from each other in different ways:

  • pile length
  • type of fabric
  • color.

How to wash a carpet that has different pile lengths

Naturally, it is much easier to clean stains from a carpet with short pile. After all, it lends itself well to both dry and wet cleaning. But the long-pile coating is very finicky and unyielding. Tiny particles of debris get stuck in it, which are difficult to get out even with a vacuum cleaner. It is not recommended to scrub it vigorously with a brush. It is best to use foam and a steam cleaner.

So, let's figure out how to clean a carpet at home? Both folk and chemical substances will help you remove stains from the product yourself.

Traditional cleaning methods

You can wash a carpet at home using the following traditional methods:

The most effective chemicals

Experienced housewives who use household chemicals will tell you how to wash a carpet at home easily and quickly. The most effective of them include:

  • Carpet shampoo. Wash your flooring with it and you will be satisfied. This product copes very well with contamination, but its use may cause the material to fade. Therefore, before applying it to the entire surface, you should test the shampoo on a small area. It penetrates perfectly into the pile and copes with many types of stains. To do this, it is applied to the floor covering and left for some time. Then use a vacuum cleaner to remove all remaining dirt and this product.
  • "Vanish." With it you can expect easy cleaning, which will not cause many problems. But it is only suitable for synthetic products. "Vanish" will cope with almost all contaminants. This product can only be applied after the coating has been thoroughly vacuumed. Then wash the product.
  • Special cleaning powders. They are used for the dry cleaning method. Such powders are simply rubbed into the fabric and then collected with a vacuum cleaner. The advantage of this type of cleaning is that the product does not require time to dry.
  • Cleaning foam. It is also rubbed into the floor decoration, and then left to dry and the remains are collected with a vacuum cleaner.

Caring for wool products

All of these products are excellent for cleaning carpets made of synthetic fabric. How to wash a carpet at home if it is made of wool? Of course, this sensitive tissue reacts negatively to aggressive agents and requires special attention. How to clean a wool carpet without ruining it?

There are several ways that will tell you how to quickly clean a wool carpet:

  • For this type of material, the most effective is the use of snow. To begin with, such a carpet is beaten out, and then spread out on the snow, after which snow is swept onto it. After a third of an hour, the snow is swept away and new ones are piled on. The action is repeated several times. This method will rid your flooring not only of dirt, but also of dust mites.
  • In addition, the above methods, which use semolina, salt and soda, will also help to clean woolen products.
  • Various chemicals also help fight pollution. Only they must be dry; wet cleaning can damage the product.

Cleaning silk flooring

We have already talked about ways to clean woolen fabric, now we should discuss how to clean a silk carpet. After all, this is also a delicate material that requires special care. Be sure to remember that silk material is afraid of moisture and the ideal option for it would be to clean it with a vacuum cleaner.

We save products of light and dark shades

How to clean a light-colored carpet? Surely this question interests many housewives.

Unfortunately, light-colored products are very finicky, and they can be ruined by products such as lemon juice. Not only can it bleach the item, but it will also leave yellow spots. You should not use tea leaves either. It will leave dark spots.

  • How to effectively clean a light-colored product? The best detergent for it is soap. A good soap solution can tackle the worst stains on a white item within 2 hours.
  • The best type of fabric to clean is the white Vanish type. It will serve as the best bleach for him.
  • We've sorted out the light product, now let's talk about how to clean the carpet with a handy product if the covering is dark in color.
  • It is better not to wash it with soda and starch, as they will leave light stains behind. One of the best helpers in getting rid of stains from dark rugs will be ammonia, which will not only wash the product, but also fluff it up a little.

Of course, all the above methods will help you clean your carpet at home. You just need to choose the most effective and best among them, which is suitable for cleaning your specific type of floor covering. It is worth remembering: if you make it a rule to vacuum your carpets regularly, it will be much easier to remove dirt. And you won't have to use whitening products as often.

Floor carpets are more likely than other interior items to suffer from accidental stains and dust. Silk products are the most vulnerable - dirt gets stuck in them, making the coating heavy, unsightly, and shortening its service life. You can clean a silk carpet at home on your own if you know the rules. Mistakes can ruin it irrevocably.

How to check if the silk in a carpet is real

Before cleaning or otherwise processing, make sure that the product is natural and free of impurities. Manufacturers sometimes add viscose thread, which reduces the cost of the product but complicates maintenance. Silk and viscose threads have different hygroscopicity, sensitivity to light and alkali, and shrinkage during drying, so cleaning of such products will be different.

Verification methods:

  • Real silk, if you set it on fire, melts, curls into a ball, and smells like burnt hair. Synthetics crumble when burned, the aroma from it is like paper ash.
  • It is difficult to “perforate” a silk carpet, because this thread is stronger than steel. For 1 sq. see, you can count more than 40 nodules; through a magnifying glass they are clearly visible as tubercles - this is a sign of naturalness.
  • When twisting, cracks appear on the artificial fabric and the fibers diverge into strips; silk in a roll has a smooth, uniform surface.
  • The fringe along the edge should be a continuation of the braided part. If it is sewn on and made of cotton, then the creation is hardly natural.

Synthetic carpet requires a special approach when cleaning. Don't risk cleaning it up yourself.

What harms the floor carpet?

Pollution is a natural process: children play on a warm soft surface, pets love to lie on it. Natural fibers absorb dust, dirt, and moisture faster than synthetic fibers. Silk cannot withstand mechanical damage: tiny grains of sand grind the fibers when they walk on the contaminated fabric. Litter, when packed into the base, makes the carpet heavy and rigid.

It is enough to spill a drink or drop a greasy piece of food and stains form on the rug. The appearance of moths that love “natural products” is also considered pollution. Moisture encourages the growth of fungus or mold. The presence of foreign substances destroys the product and harms people's well-being, causing dust allergies.

For hygienic reasons and for preservation purposes beautiful product, you need to keep your silk carpet clean.

What not to do when cleaning carpets

Silk carpet should not be cleaned with hard brushes.

Dirty carpets do not last long. Daily care of an expensive item should be thoughtful and correct. It is possible to tidy up silk items without harming the fabric, but there are several taboos:

  • Do not remove dust with a broom, hard brushes or rub the surface.
  • Drying in the sun or using heating devices is contraindicated.
  • Cleaning silk with aggressive compounds and household chemicals is unacceptable.
  • It is forbidden to do wet and steam treatment, because... natural paints easily washed out. Washing is also not possible.

When choosing a moth control product, make sure it is safe for silk bases. However, this applies to any care products.

Never knock out natural silk rugs. They also do not tolerate vacuuming.

Proper daily care of a silk carpet

You need to clean a silk carpet with a soft nylon brush.

Most safe way– carefully shaking out dust and other debris. Washing a silk rug yourself is risky.

To prevent wear, you should follow these tips:

  • Do not lay a carpet where there is a lot of foot traffic, high humidity, or bright sunlight.
  • Do not place heavy furniture on silk products.
  • Turn the carpet 90° several times a year to ensure even wear.
  • Do not pull out any puffs or loose threads that appear. Trim them carefully.

It is better to clean the carpet with a soft nylon brush, without rubbing, but combing in the direction of the pile. The use of a vacuum cleaner is possible, but without a brush, so as not to cause mechanical damage to the base. The power should be kept to a minimum so that the cleaning item is not sucked into the nozzle. You can’t press, don’t move the nozzle against the grain. An effective way– vacuum from the base side, but without pressing or rubbing.

The owner carries out any independent actions to clean a natural carpet at his own peril and risk. The correct option is to take it to a dry cleaner, where the product will be cleaned safely, without loss of color, appearance or correct contour.

It is enough to clean a floor carpet once a year, a wall carpet – once every one and a half to two years: the fibers in the product are tightly intertwined, and with proper care there will be no debris at the base.

What to do with a stain that appears on the carpet

A fresh damp stain on a silk carpet should be blotted immediately with a clean cloth.

It happens that a pet or small child used the flooring as a toilet. To prevent a wet stain from becoming embedded in the structure of the base, you need to immediately blot the liquid with napkins without rubbing it. Then send the item to the dry cleaner, since it will not be possible to remove the smell of the house.

If clean water accidentally gets on the carpet, just blot the wet spot and leave the carpet to dry naturally. No batteries, hair dryers - only air circulation, ventilation, or a non-critical increase in room temperature.

Preparing for cleaning at home

To remove difficult stains that appeared during the party - wine, coffee - you need to act quickly. They can be absorbed overnight without any chance of removal. Eat traditional methods cleaning, but no one can say how they will work on an exclusive product. There are no guarantees, but you can try.

Before deciding to clean it yourself, check how durable the paint on the product is. Moisten a small area, stroke the wet fibers against the grain and see if the pattern has blurred. This can also be seen where the stain appeared, if it is not coffee or wine.

Natural dyes, especially blue, burgundy, and green, are washed out of the ornament very quickly. If the moistened area has spread, or the above-mentioned colors predominate in the pattern, there is no point in tidying up the product at home, because you will ruin an expensive item.

Do-it-yourself stain removal

Only proper cleaning will return the brightness of colors to a silk carpet.

If the test shows that the paints are fast, you can risk cleaning the pattern with a small pattern, although there are not many ways. To quickly remove fresh stains from the carpet at home, prepare one of three solutions:

  • weak acetic;
  • low soda;
  • foam-soap or shampoo.

The concentration is determined experimentally: you can start from a weak one - 1:10. The strongest solution is 1:1, but remember that excess acid will discolor the fibers. The water is taken cold, clean, vinegar without impurities, not apple cider vinegar.

Test the effect of the composition on a small area of ​​contamination by touching the pile with a sponge soaked in the solution. If the paint has not floated and the stain has lightened, you can clean the entire contaminated surface. If nothing happens at all, increase your concentration a little.

Basic cleaning of finely patterned carpet consists of the following steps:

  1. Soak the sponge in the solution and squeeze until it is damp but not wet.
  2. Clean the silk using a blotting motion. Don't rub.
  3. After each small area, soak the sponge in the solution, wring it out and continue working.
  4. When finishing cleaning, use a dry cloth—suede is best—to gently blot the cleaned area to remove moisture.

Dry the carpet naturally.

Soaps and shampoos are not always healthy. It's better to take a nursery household chemicals, it is the safest. The composition must have a neutral alkaline balance; pH above 8 corrodes silk. The soap fluffs the fibers and the ornament blurs.

You can try the soap solution on a large drawing. The processing process is identical.

Folk remedies for caring for silk carpets

Snow will refresh and clean a silk carpet well

People's advice must be treated with caution. They are not always useful. No matter what they write on the Internet, dry cleaning professionals do not recommend sprinkling the stain with dry soda, starch, salt, fresh grated potatoes, rubbing with ammonia, ice with sawdust, or pouring lemon juice. This way you will do more harm than help.

Fresh fluffy snow, but not wet - effective way. Here's what to do:

  1. Place the product with a pile on the snow, lightly tap the base, and sweep it.
  2. Transfer to a new area and iron the base again.
  3. As soon as the snow under the product remains white, gently shake it and dry it.

If a carpet is left outside on a dry, frosty night with its pile facing up, all germs and dust mites will die, according to popular councils. And experts say that silk repels all kinds of bacteria and is not liked by microorganisms, so this method is useless.

Frost does not harm the carpet; you can ventilate the product on the balcony to prevent odors. But only at night.

Rules for caring for a silk carpet

It is better to dry a silk carpet in the fresh air

Carpet – not an obligatory accessory of modern housing, since there are many other ways to cover the floor, much more convenient and less expensive in terms of maintenance and maintaining the external condition. But this type of coating has one undeniable advantage over others - it creates an atmosphere of comfort and changes the very interior of the room.

A fluffy carpet belongs to a room where people spend the best part of the day, relaxing with family, loved ones, or just alone.

To keep your carpet looking good, you need to take care of it. Cleaning and washing takes time, but is a procedure without which it will not be possible to use them.

What kind of carpet can it be?

This is a woven material, the main purpose of which is to insulate and decorate the house. The aesthetic function of carpeting is important, as it decorates the room and gives it an individual look. Without this covering, a person’s home seems cold and empty. The following materials are suitable for making carpets:

  • wool;
  • viscose;
  • cotton;
  • jute;
  • silk.

These materials are natural and are traditionally used in the manufacture of carpeting. But today products made from polyamide, polypropylene, and polyester are more popular. These are synthetic materials, durable and wear-resistant.

Washing a carpet made from these materials is not special labor. But remember that for surfaces made of natural fibers, washing in the literal sense is unacceptable. Other cleaning methods are used for them, giving the same result as washing. In fact, this is a deep, gentle effect on matter in order to cleanse it of impurities.

Many housewives say: “I clean the carpet regularly, but it loses its appearance.” So how to wash a carpet at home correctly so that it remains beautiful and neat?

Washing a wool carpet

This type of carpet is not easy to clean, as the wool gets dirty quickly. Remember that wool is easily damaged, so it is recommended to handle such carpets with extreme care, especially when washing. You can wash a woolen carpet, but you shouldn’t, it’s better to use special means who will clean it up.

  1. In winter, it is easy to clean the product with snow. This is done like this: the coating is covered with snow, then it is cleaned off. All the dust and dirt remains on the snow.
  2. Used in summer liquid soap, it is applied to those places where there are stains , then wash it off, but without wetting the carpet too much.

Wash woolen items only in cold water, hang them to dry, using a mild detergent will effectively affect the final result.

Wool carpet

Washing a viscose rug

It is a cellulose-based fabric, so it is considered somewhat natural material. It is widely used in light industry, including for the manufacture of rugs. Such products are often bought, they are inexpensive, but we must remember that viscose requires careful care.


Viscose carpet
  1. We shouldn’t even think about how to wash a product made of viscose, because it is absolutely forbidden to do this. Any washing will ruin the carpet, you will have to throw it away. Therefore, this idea will have to be abandoned.
  2. If a stain appears on the surface of a carpet product, carefully moisten it with water, then take the product to the dry cleaner.

The main condition for the safety of viscose products is proper care behind them. If you follow all the rules, long service life of the coating is guaranteed.

Washing a cotton carpet

Cotton coverings are soft, last a long time, and strongly absorb odors. They get dirty quickly, so cleaning them is a prerequisite use. For such products, only dry cleaning is suitable; they cannot be washed, they will shrink, lose their appearance, and all you have to do is throw them away. Daily care involves regularly removing dust with a vacuum cleaner. If it is heavily soiled, it is better to take the carpet to a dry cleaner, where it will be cleaned deeply and thoroughly.


Cotton carpet

How to wash a silk carpet

Silk is an expensive material, and accordingly, products made from it cost a lot and are often made by hand. This material is durable, strong, and by properly caring for it and cleaning it in a timely manner, you can achieve good results in its preservation. Cleaning products are not suitable for silk, as the design on such products may fade. The following options are used:

  • cleansing with a solution of vinegar diluted in a ratio of 1:10, without rubbing the surface, but only getting wet; after the procedure, wipe with a dry cloth and dry;
  • Clean the carpet in the same way using a soda solution, blotting it with a dry cloth at the end;
  • apply baby soap or shampoo, the method is the same: blotting the carpet fabric, then drying.

It is clear that everything described is not suitable for serious cleaning, but in order to remove individual pockets of contamination. Cleaning silk carpets is a labor-intensive process; under no circumstances should such products be washed. The correct way is to gradually remove contaminants, as described above. or dry cleaning.


Silk carpet

Washing jute products

This fiber is made from the wood fiber of the jute bush. Coarse fibers become the basis of the coating, which today is used more often in combination with synthetics in the manufacture of carpets. Such coatings can be washed, but technically this is not easy to do, since the fabric becomes heavy when wet. Difficulties arise when drying jute products. It takes a long time to dry, and after drying the fiber structure changes.

The example of a jute carpet once again confirms the idea that you need to take care of it regularly, then you won’t have to resort to washing it. If liquid gets on the jute covering, instead of washing the carpet, you need to wait until it dries, then simply remove the resulting stain with water.


Jute carpet

Machine washable

In all approaches to cleaning carpets, it is clearly visible that direct washing for most natural products is unacceptable or not recommended for various reasons. For natural fibers best option- This is gentle cleaning of the surface using various means or dry cleaning in dry cleaning.

But there is another type of carpet - carpet. This is also a woven material, but dense and lint-free, its use is purely utilitarian - in the form of a carpet in the hallway, kitchen, dining room. It is durable, reliable, and unpretentious in maintenance. Just washing synthetic rugs is an acceptable option, unlike carpets, which can be damaged by such actions. Small rugs can be washed in washing machine without harming them at all.

There are special machines for washing carpets that thoroughly clean the surface, but such machines are only available in specialized establishments and dry cleaners.

There are portable carpet cleaning machines that apply steam and air to the product. At the same time, harmful inclusions are simultaneously and effectively cleaned and dirt is eliminated.


Carpet washing machine

What about synthetic-based carpets?

Synthetic fabrics have been widely used since the 1960s. Fibers of such materials are included in the composition of carpets. natural basis. The same polyamide has a number of varieties: nylon, Jordan and others. But in addition to polyamide, polypropylene, acrylic and other synthetic fibers are also used.

Such materials are much cheaper than natural ones and are widely used as floor coverings. They have many advantages: they do not fade, are easy to clean, do not absorb moisture, and are durable.

This type of carpet can be easily washed and cleaned using various cleaning products. This will not harm them, it will only help restore their original appearance. Synthetic coatings are the most practical in a modern home.