Keeping your home tidy and clean is essential to a happy and healthy living environment. However, when cleaning your carpets, knowing which cleaning tools you can use is important and which you should avoid.
Whether it's your child, pet or you at fault... now and again, accidents do happen, and we all reach for the good old sponge to clean it up. Now if you've done this, don't panic... you're most definitely not alone! However, I've done some research and here's what I found!
One thing you should never use is the green part of a sponge on your carpet. Yes, I know… the thing we all grab is our sponge, and for any other surface, this may be okay… on your carpet, this could be a disaster.
In this article, I will cover why you shouldn’t use it and what you should do yourself.
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ey typically make the green part of your sponge from abrasive materials like polyester or nylon. They use this part of the sponge on hard surfaces, such as pots, dishes, and pans, to scrub off tough debris and stains. While this may make it an effective cleaning tool for these items, it can cause serious damage to your carpets.
The rough fibres of a sponge’s green part can damage the carpet’s fibres by leaving scuffs or even tears. The damage can be terrible if you apply too much pressure when using the sponge. In addition to causing actual damage, the green part of the sponge may contain chemicals or cleaning agents that could discolour or harm the carpet fibres.
Using the green part of a sponge on your carpet can also cause the carpet to become fade over time or be discoloured. The abrasive fibres of this side of the sponge can scratch away the fibres of the carpet… this can make it more prone to discolouration from stains, spills, or dirt. Also, using harsh chemicals found in the green part of the sponge can break down the fibres of the carpet, leading to wear and tear happening sooner than you want.
To clean your carpet successfully, it is best to use a specialised carpet cleaner. You can rent or purchase these machines at any home improvements shops like Homebase or BNQ. They primarily make these machines to deep clean carpets without damaging them.
They use water and a cleaning solution to loosen debris and dirt from the carpet fibres, then extract the cleaning solution and dirt with a powerful vacuum. This process is effective and gentle, leaving your carpets looking refreshed and clean.
If you need to spot-clean a stain on your carpet, don’t use the green part of a sponge. Instead, try using a soft-bristled brush or a clean, damp cloth and gentle cleaning solution to spot clean the stains on the carpet. Be sure to test any cleaning solution on a small, unnoticeable area of the carpet first to ensure it does not cause any damage or discolouration.
So, after doing a lot of research, using the green part of a sponge on your carpet is a very bad idea. It can cause premature wear and tear, discolouration, and damage. Instead, use gentle cleaning solutions and soft-bristled brushes or get yourself a specialised carpet cleaner to keep your carpets looking clean and refreshed for years to come.
Written by Tracey Gilbey, Marketing and Admin Coordinator at Art of Clean.
For further advice or information on our Carpet and Soft Furnishing care, please do not hesitate to contact the Art of Clean team on 01223 901551 in Cambridge. Our services include Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, oriental and area Rug Cleaning, Curtain Cleaning, Patio, and Driveway Pressure washing, Leather Cleaning, Stone and Tile Floor Cleaning, and Wood Floor Sanding and Restoration. We also supply new flooring and carpets through our sister company Art of Flooring. Our Dry-Cleaning service is provided by Farthings Cambridge
