A Guide to Maintaining Stair Carpet Runners

Over time, carpets usually gather dust and start looking dull or develop a foul odour. Stair carpets are especially susceptible to this given the amount of traffic that goes through them throughout the day. Indeed, they are often the dirtiest and hardest part of the house to clean. It is therefore important to know the best tips and techniques for cleaning your stair carpet, to have them looking and smelling clean and new in no time. 

Sweep

The first step should always be sweeping over the stairs with a hard brush broom. Due to the shape of the stairs, dust and dirt often embeds itself in the corners and crevices. Using a hard brush forces the dirt particles ingrained in the carpet to lift and get off. For the little corners, a hand held hard brush or a strong old toothbrush can be used to dust the hard to reach areas.

Wipe

After sweeping, a slightly damp cotton cloth can be used to wipe over each section of the carpeted stairs. This will help to lift any leftover dust that was left behind by the brush. It is important not to use a wet cloth for this process because it might leave moisture on the carpet and have it smelling damp for days on end.

Vacuum

Third, if you have a vacuum cleaner at your disposal this is the point at which to use it. The suctioning force of the vacuum cleaner will pick up deeply ingrained dirt that was not reached by the brush and cloth. Having a smaller machine will make the cleaning easier compared to hauling a huge vacuum cleaner over the stairs. The vacuum bag should be empty and the process should be carried out twice in both directions.

Brush

Go over the stairs again and check for stains. If any, mix some powder laundry detergent with water and dub the stubborn stains and spots. If they do not yield, gently scrub them with a hard brush after applying a small amount of stain removal treatment and leaving it to soak for 5 minutes. During this stage, it is important to avoid wiping but rather dub to avoid spreading the stain.

Dry

Finally, spread out cotton towels to absorb any moisture left on the carpet from the cleaning. Once every few months, consider taking out the carpets for thorough cleaning or have a professional carpet cleaning company clean them with shampoos and treatments. To keep the odor in check, put baking soda in the vacuum bag before starting to vacuum.