Since most mobile homes to not have cement or wood beams stabilizing the floor, the carpet should not be saturated with water or liquid chemicals. Cleaning mobile home carpets requires a practical maintenance routine and quick effective treatments.
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Spot clean dirty carpet areas. Avoid saturating mobile home carpets by treating stains and unappealing carpet spots rather than the entire carpeted area. Choose a spot cleaner from your local hardware store or mix 1 teaspoon of dish detergent or laundry detergent (no bleach) in a cup of warm water. Apply the cleaning solution to the soiled carpet using a clean damp cotton cloth. Start with the outer edge of the stain and rub the area toward the center. This will avoid spreading the stain to surrounding areas. Do not rub the area with hard strokes. Rinse the carpet with a clean wet towel and blot dry.
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Maintain a weekly vacuuming schedule. Remove dry dirt from the surface of the carpet using a vacuum. Choose a low vacuum or "floor" selection since mobile home carpet is generally thin. Use the hose attachment on carpeted areas around furniture and in the corners of the room. Dust and dirt can spread to other carpet fibers if it is not removed on a regular basis.
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Opt for deep cleaning if the stains can not be spot treated. According to CarpetBuyersHandbook.com, steam cleaning is the most practical deep cleaning method for a mobile home. Steam units work by injecting a cleaning solution into the carpet before extracting it with strong vacuum power. Start the steam cleaning farthest from the exit and clean toward the exit. Avoid walking on the carpet until it has a chance to dry completely. Open the windows to decrease the drying time in the mobile home. Wet carpets in enclosed mobile homes can increase the likelihood of mold.
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Use cleaning brushes on deeply saturated stains that are still visible. Stiff bristled cleaning brushes use friction to loosen debris and stains and allow spot treatments and steam cleaning to work more effectively. Lightly scratch the surface of the mobile home carpet with the bristles, but do not use strong deep rubbing strokes on the fibers. Reapply the spot treatment or steam clean the area again after the bristle brushes have been used.
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Apply carpet shampoo cleaners or dry chemical treatments if your mobile home is a double wide and can accommodate the cumbersome machines. Follow the instructions on the carpet shampoo bottle. Apply the minimal amount of carpet shampoo to avoid saturating the sub-flooring with liquid. Use dry chemical treatments if your carpet does not have thick padding and you are concerned that the sub-flooring can not handle any moisture. Dry chemicals will not harm the sub-flooring, but they do not permeate deep stains and work best when the dirt is only surface deep.