Carpets make for cozy additions to your home with their soft, plush feel that can make any room more comfortable. Many Singaporean homes choose to add carpeted floors in their rooms, bedrooms, and dens as these provide soft cushioning to your feet when walking on them.
Acrylic carpet flooring, made from synthetic fibers, have been popular choices for carpeting since the 1950’s due to the material being low maintenance and durable. However, acrylic carpets tend to wear down over time, resulting in a flat, dense feel to the carpet.
What You’ll Need
In this guide, we’ll show you a few tips on how to clean acrylic carpet floors using some standard household supplies and equipment, as well as detailed instructions. All you’ll need are:
- Baking Soda
- Commercial Carpet Cleaning Powder or Liquid/Foam Stain Remover
- Laundry Detergent
- Carpet Cleaning Brush (we recommend a bristle broom with a long handle)
- Dry or Wet and Dry Vacuum Cleaner
- Steam Cleaner with Carpet Cleaning Solution (follow the manufacturer’s instructions)
- Soft Dry Cloth or Sponge
- Paper Towels
Carpet Cleaning: A Multi Guide
1. Vacuum Cleaning
Vacuuming is the easiest and simplest way to clean your acrylic carpet. Daily vacuuming is recommended for high traffic areas like staircases, dens, and children's rooms to clean out debris that can accumulate over time. Less dense areas, like guest rooms, can be vacuumed once a week for maintenance.
Dry Function
Alternatively, you can use a powdered carpet cleaner to get rid of dirt and deodorizes at the same time. Use the powder as per manufacturer’s instructions, and vacuum up the excess. Dirt hidden deep within the acrylic carpet should stick to the powder particles and get swept away. Make sure to remove the beater bar to prevent frizzing the carpet fibers.
Wet Function
If you have a wet function on your vacuum, you can soak your acrylic carpet with a mix of laundry soap and cold water. Blot away the stain and grime with a carpet brush or clean cloth or paper towel, then use the wet function of your vacuum cleaner to suck up excess water and foam. Let the carpet air out afterwards, and avoid using or stepping on the carpet while damp.
2. Cleaning the DIY Way
If you don’t have access to powdered carpet cleaning solutions, check your stock for some baking soda and essential oils.
- Mix 1 cup of baking soda with 20 drops of your preferred essential oil scents until the oil is evenly distributed throughout the baking soda. Use this mixture in place of a commercial carpet powder.
- Sprinkle the powdered mixture throughout your carpet, and use a carpet brush to work the powder deep into the carpet while fluffing up the carpet at the same time.
- Use a strong vacuum cleaner to suck up the excess powder, leaving a fresh scent on your now-cleaned acrylic carpet.
3. Steam Cleaning Method
Steam does not only loosen dirt, making it easier to clean, it also disinfects, deodorizes, and kills pests that may be lurking in your carpet. Steam cleaners typically work with a carpet cleaning solution to clean out dirt from your carpet. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations on which solution will work best for acrylic carpets.
Steam your carpet, making sure that you do not run over certain spots too many times to prevent making that area too wet and damaging the floor underneath. Let your carpet dry overnight with the windows open and proper ventilation around the room. Running fans around the room, or blotting the carpet with a towel or sponge can help it to dry faster.
4. Spot Cleaning and Washing
Sometimes, we can get stains or discolouration on our acrylic carpet that just won’t come out. In this case, we may need to blot the area with a little bit of mild laundry detergent dissolved in warm water. Brush the solution onto your acrylic carpet where the stain is located, ensuring that you don’t spread the stain to bigger areas.
Alternatively, you can also try your luck with a spray of white vinegar and water. Use the same methods as above, replacing the laundry soap, and let it sit on the stain for a few minutes. Use a soft cloth to dab the stains away. Make sure to have proper ventilation in your room as you spot clean stains since vinegar has a strong odour. Repeat the process as needed.
5. Lifting Dented Areas
If you’ve found an indent in your acrylic carpet while redecorating, that is most likely caused by being weighed down by furniture and fixtures. Heavy furniture, like sofas, cabinets, and beds, can put pressure on acrylic carpets, causing them to flatten and wear down.
Thankfully, you don’t have to live with an uneven, dented carpet as there are simple ways to lift those indents back up. One way is to spray the dented area with warm water, and cover it with a slightly damp cloth. Grab your iron, and lightly iron out the cloth-covered area. The heat from the iron creates steam, which then lifts carpet fibres to remove the dent.
Helpful Tip: Make sure you keep a damp cloth between the iron and your carpet to prevent melting the acrylic fibers.
Call the Experts
Having trouble getting those stains out of your acrylic carpet? Then you may need to call professional carpet cleaners. Whether you have a stained carpet, need spot repairs, or simply want to give your carpet a good shampooing, carpet cleaning services can help you get back that plush brightness to your acrylic carpets.
If you want to avail of such services, we at Luce SG offer professional services at affordable rates. Contact us for a free quote!
