White carpet can be a very attractive finish in a home. It can brighten up a room and it is an easy neutral backdrop to decorate around. Though it is very aesthetically pleasing, it can be tough to keep it clean (especially if you have a white shag carpet).
Stains on white carpet stick out like a sore thumb. White carpet owners often wonder what to do when it comes to cleaning their carpet and keeping it that way. Here are some things you can do if you have white carpet in your home.
Spots/Stains/Spills
The most important thing to do with stains is to treat them as soon as they happen or as soon as you see them. Many stains can be cleaned with a simple all-purpose carpet cleaning solution of a few drops of mild hand dishwashing solution and water. Always use a plain white colored cloth or towel that is clean to blot from the outside of stains working in toward the center to prevent spreading. If the stain is water soluble like soda, juice, milk, etc. Try using white vinegar and water and spraying it on the stain with a spray bottle. Whatever the stain just make sure not to leave it and get to it later. Look up a home remedy cleaning solution for the specific stain and get it taken care of as soon as you see it.
Frequent Vacuuming
Vacuuming gets rid of surface dirt at the top of the fibers and helps it prevent dust/dirt/debris/gunk etc. from settling down further into the carpet. Minimally the carpet should be vacuumed once a week and more often and routinely is better. Once a day for white carpets is optimal especially in high volume places or if you have a high pile or shag carpets.
Remove Shoes
This is a great policy for all carpets not just white ones. Most of the gunk on your floor is tracked in on the soles of shoes from the outdoors. To drastically reduce the amount of gunk coming in contact with your white carpets take your shoes off before they even touch the carpet.
Deep Cleaning
At the very least once yearly your carpets should be deep cleaned by a professional. As mentioned above regular vacuuming catches a majority of the surface level gunk on your carpet. With time the dirt that has settled deep down into the carpet will need to be professionally cleaned out. Some people like to buy at home machines or rent equipment to try to do it themselves, but the only guarantee the carpets are truly clean and not over shampooed is to hire a professional carpet cleaner.
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