If you want your room to look refreshed, start by caring for your floors. You can avoid replacing tired carpet by cleaning it correctly and strategically arranging your furniture. Thinning areas where tread patterns are worn can be covered with rugs or tables, but dirt, stains and furniture depressions require a bit more effort.
Things You’ll Need
- Vacuum cleaner
- Ice cubes
- Carpet shampooer with carpet shampoo
- Water
- Odor-removing carpet powder
Instructions
- Move all of the furniture out of the room so that nothing is sitting on the carpet.
- Vacuum the room thoroughly and make sure there are no small pieces of flotsam on the surface.
- Rub any depressions left by your furniture with an ice cube. Fluff the carpet with your fingers as it lifts.
- Buy or rent a carpet shampooer and carpet shampoo.
- Fill your shampooer with water and shampoo according to the directions on your particular machine.
- Beginning in the farthest inside corner, shampoo the carpet in straight, even lines. Work toward the door so that you do not have to step on the damp carpet to get out of the room.
- Allow the carpet to dry completely.
- Sprinkle the carpet with a carpet powder that is meant to be vacuumed up. Choose a scent that pleases you, as there are many available.
- Vacuum the carpet in straight lines. Move diagonally, horizontally or vertically. As you did while shampooing, work your way out of the room.
- Return your furniture to the room and arrange it so that the freshest-looking parts of the carpet are shown to advantage and any threadbare areas are covered.