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Tafadzwa Zimoyo Home and Garden Writer
During the lockdown a lot can be done at home. One can use this opportunity to thoroughly clean the house.

As we are about to approach winter, you need the warmness, softness and cleanliness of your carpet since most of the times your children walk barefoot on it.

Some are of the opinion that tiling the floor of your house is the in-thing — be it ceramic or wooden — but growing up people used to love having carpets that match their curtains and sofas.

The trend still lives in some of us as carpets give a true reflection of the house. They are part of the home decor and besides because they are such a long term purchase their maintenance too far exceeds the mere weekly vacuum runs.

However, it is essentially good to always clean you carpet either using a vacuum cleaner or manually.

With the current situation it is very difficult to hire or call carpet cleaners. The only option is to do it yourself with the little resources you have.

According to actor and carpet cleaner Takura Murapa of the popular soap Wenera, disinfecting a carpet during this period is a must.

“You just need a scrub brush, bucket, water and vinegar. First you mix the water with vinegar and use a brush to rub the carpet. Soon after you should use a clean dry cloth to help with absorbing the moisture.

“You can also take care of stains too using this method and if the stain does not go off you will need a carpet stain remover and please do follow the correct instruction otherwise you might mess up the carpet,” said Murapa affectionately known as ‘Bongank’.

Murapa who is based in Eastlea said he has been receiving calls but with the lockdown he could not move to different houses. He has resorted to giving tips via online platforms.

He added that when cleaning carpets, one should bear in mind that there are different types of stains and each one has its own treatment.

“Most common stains are from fats, soups, wine and juices. Make sure you always have baking soda in your cupboard and you can sprinkle on the carpet. Let it settle for about 15 minutes and then you can clean the carpet. If you don’t have vacuum cleaner, use that scrub brush and also try water with lemon,” he said.

He said people should always clean dust particles and dirt in general.

“Just like your body, carpets need to be cleaned everyday. Just use your sweeping broom and dustpan to clean up. If you are cleaning a thicker carpet popularly known as shaggy carpets you should have patience and a sharp eye because you will be taking a lot of time as the dirt or dust particles will be under the fibres. It is not about just cleaning on top. On this one make sure your broom is more effective or you can use a hand brush directly. Some also prefer to use a lint roller to deal with the stubborn particles,” he said.

Some opt to use carpet cleaners which have also flooded the market with some even doing home deliveries.

However, according to Beautiful Homes, sometimes carpet cleaning products can leave residue, which over time can make carpets look even dirtier.

This is why it is important to follow all instructions for mixing the cleaning solution, rinsing, and drying.