by Kate Johns

Created on: June 14, 2008   Last Updated: June 18, 2008

Keeping the carpet looking clean and fresh for many years to come takes a preventative stance. It's kind of like being a prison guard, making sure the inmates don't make a mess out of that beautiful, expensive carpet. The only difference is you won't have to carry a big stick and lock your family in their rooms for hours because they spilled something on the rug.

With regular vacuuming, spot cleaning, and yearly cleaning you can prevent stains that can ruin your carpet. When you get a stain on the carpet, take care of it right away. Put some warm water on it, and by using an old rag or paper towels blot that stain out. Don't scrub the stain because it will just imbed the stain deeper into the carpet.
CLEANING

The Rug and Carpet Institute recommends that you look for carpet cleaning products that have the green seal of approval on the back of the product for use in cleaning your carpet. Many carpet cleaners just contain shampoos that will stay in the carpet. They are difficult to get out and need a lot of water to extract them. There are some great natural cleaning products out there also. Before you start cleaning, take a sample test first. Put some of the cleaner on a corner of the carpet and to see how it works.

PRODUCTS

1.Oxy Woolite brand carpet cleaner is a very strong cleaner and has some power in its punch. It is an OXY cleaner that doesn't contain soap; it contains great chemicals that get the job done. It leaves your carpet fresh and clean and helps it maintain its original color.

2.Bissell 3x Concentrated Pet Odor and Soil Removal. For about $22 for 42 ounces, this cleaner is wonderful. Anyone who has ever owned a pet knows that cute, critters can literally ruin a carpet in about 30 seconds. That's where Bissell comes in with this amazing product that penetrates deep into the carpet fibers and breaks down the odors and stains left behind by man's best friend.

3.Bissell also makes a more natural cleaning product by adding some fruity extract of orange to its rug cleaner. Costing about $6 for 32 ounces this fresh smelling cleaner does a great job of spot cleaning the carpet. It's not completely natural, the creators of this product added orange to its cleaning formula. It leaves the carpet clean, and bright and sweet smelling.

4. Resolve carpet cleaner is a terrific addition to anyone's home to handle spot carpet cleaning. When you have pets, and kids, Resolve gets the tough stains out. It works very fast, in only a few minutes time, and it dries very fast

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