For many decades, a carpet may look like new to the envy of neighbors and friends. And for this it is not necessary to use expensive means and regularly hand over this bulky thing to dry cleaning. The durability of the carpet directly depends on the proper and timely care of it, reliable storage and accurate repair.
The carpet is not as "capricious" as it might seem at first glance. But still there are rules that it is better to remember the owners of the carpets - and strictly observe. The carpet cannot be laid and stored in rooms with high humidity, as well as near places of storage or use of corrosive chemicals and household chemicals. It is forbidden to place furniture with sharp legs on it. When putting it away for storage, it should never be folded: the carpet should be rolled up in a tight roll together with leafy moth products or orange peels, then put in a dry, dark place and periodically unfold and dry. And another thing: when arranging the interior, you need to remember that no carpet can withstand the daily effects of direct sunlight.
For the first six months, it is better to clean the new wool carpet with a soft brush or an ordinary broom to collect small fibers remaining after cutting the pile surface. You can then proceed to vacuuming. It is desirable to knock out the carpet with an elastic knocker, throwing it over the round crossbar with pile down. After that, cover it on both sides with a soft brush.
The Persian carpet should be vacuumed regularly, then cleaned on both sides, and several times a year - thoroughly knocked out in the open. An important rule of caring for "fluffy" carpets: they can not be cleaned against the pile and can not be knocked out, throwing them over the rope, as this can stretch them out. It is best to clean such a carpet, spreading it on a flat surface, and in winter - in the snow.
Winter is the best time to clean the carpet. First, they lay it down on clean dry snow and knock it out slightly, then turn it over and proceed to clean the front surface. Having sprinkled the carpet with snow, you need to walk along it with a brush in different directions (except for carpets with high pile). During cleaning, the contaminated snow is swept away and replaced with clean snow. The carpet is taken out into the street and brought home rolled up. Before laying on the floor, it must be thoroughly dried.
Tufted carpets, in which fine fabric is stitched with a pile thread, and knitted carpets in the snow are not cleaned. Such products are only shaken out, holding hands by the edges.
For wet carpet cleaning, you can use ordinary table salt: it must be evenly sprinkled over the carpet, and then slowly rinsed with a wet broom.
Any liquid spilled on the carpet must be removed without delay: the longer it stays on the carpet, the more difficult it is to get rid of it without a trace. A fresh stain of coffee or tea on a wool carpet can be removed by putting a thick white towel moistened with water on it or dabbing it with a napkin.
Before removing old stains from the carpet with a chemical or home remedy, you should make sure that this method of cleaning does not harm the carpet - for this, the agent should first be tested in an inconspicuous area. Grease stains are removed from the carpet with gasoline, a mixture of equal parts of hot water and ammonia, or sawdust soaked in gasoline. Sawdust is recommended for a while to leave on a stain.
You can try cleaning the carpet with small table salt: first, sprinkle it on the pile, then sweep it with a broom dipped in hot soapy water or a weak solution of washing powder (1/2 tsp per 1 liter of water). Contaminated salt is replaced several times with clean salt. At the end of the work, it is advisable to knock the carpet out or walk along it with a vacuum cleaner. Contaminated unpainted areas of the carpet are cleaned with a solution composed of 5 g of hydrogen peroxide and 2 g of ammonia in 1 liter of water; then the carpet is washed several times with water.
A carpet that has darkened from time to time can be “restored to youth” by brushing it with a warm decoction of wheat bran or a weak bite solution. It is enough to wipe a slightly soiled pile surface with a terry cloth dampened in a detergent solution.
If the carpet lying on the floor is turned at least 90 or 180 ° at least every six months, then uneven wear can be avoided in those places where it is often walked on. And one more thing: the abrasion of the carpet will decrease if you lay a felt lining under it.
You can smooth out the curving edges in the following way: for several days, spread the film under an upturned corner and put a wet rag on it, and cover this edge of the carpet with another film on top and attach it with a flat weight.
If the carpet is in some places "bald", rubbed or hesitated, it does not matter! You can take a chance and try to restore it on your own. For example, like this: take a skein of wool (or several skeins), the color of which is close to the carpet, and cut a lot of short hairs from it - substitutes for villi. Gently apply a small amount of universal glue to the damaged area of the carpet, sprinkle the prepared “pile” on it and iron it with a warm iron. After 5-6 hours, when the wool is firmly fixed, remove excess with a soft brush.
Burned-out spots on the carpet can be “revived” with ordinary colored pencils, matching the gamut with the pattern on the carpet. And to freshen up a colored carpet, it is enough to wipe it with a cloth dipped in table vinegar or pickled cabbage brine.
