Carpet and Rug Care

I'm a sucker for a care guide or manual.
I confess like I like manuals.
I even made a manual of sorts when we first had our twin boys and had the help of various college students. It also came in handy on those rare moments when Big Daddy would watch them alone.

So now that we will be (finally) moving into our new home (don't ask when or I will break out in hives or go bald) I am obsessed with researching the proper way to clean all the shiny new stuff our new home has.

I know, I need to get a hobby.

Anyway, several months ago I shared a great Laundry Symbol PDF I found and now I'd like to share this carpet and rug care pdf from the Carpet and Rug Care Institute. Who knew there was an institute for this?! Its worth downloading just for the in-depth stain removal charts.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, let me say that I'm not really a fan of carpeting. But we did put it in our children's bedrooms and while I want to keep them clean, I'd like to avoid the chemicals used by professional carpet cleaners.

There are some great tips for those of you too lazy to click on the link and download the document yourself. You'll have to download the guide yourself to see the stain removal suggestions!

Daily vacuuming is the most important cleaning activity, but restorative cleaning must be performed to remove stubborn or embedded soil. The Carpet and Rug Institute recommends that carpet be cleaned using a restorative cleaning method every 12 months before soiling shows.

Properly vacuuming carpet is the easiest and most effective way to keep your carpet clean. It may be surprising, but something as simple as regular vacuuming can also have the largest impact on the cleanliness of your home and the air you breathe.

Occasionally a yarn tuft will rise above the pile surface of a carpet.
Just snip these tufts off level with other tufts. Do not pull them out.

Happy vacuuming.