Tips For Cleaning Traffic Lanes On Carpets

Even if our office has darker carpets, you will probably notice that over time a dark track, or traffic lane, appears where people walk on a regular basis. Although it's well-worth having your carpets professionally cleaned by a commercial cleaning services company on an annual basis, you can keep on top of traffic lanes yourself by following the guide below.

What you will need

vacuum cleaner
non-bio washing powder or gel
plastic spray bottle
warm water
soft nail brush
paper towels
clean, white towels

How to do it

The first thing to do is to give the carpets a thorough vacuuming to get rid of as much loose dirt and dust as possible.
Now mix a small amount of washing powder or gel with warm water and decant it into a clean plastic spray bottle. Shake the mixture well so that the detergent is completely combined with the water.
Without soaking the carpet, mist the traffic lane lightly. If the traffic lane covers a sizeable area, it's best to tackle cleaning it in small sections; if you wet the whole area all in one go, the carpet at the end of the line may dry out before you reach it.
Next, take a soft-bristled nail brush and gently go over the first section of carpet, working from the outside to the inside in order to avoid spreading the dirt further and inadvertently extending the traffic lane.
Now use clean paper towels to blot away the dirty, soapy water. Be sure to blot the area, rather than rubbing it. Rubbing could drive the dirt deeper into the carpet and may also damage the carpet fibres.
Now, soak a clean, white towel with plain, warm water. Wring out all the excess so that the towel is just left damp.
Go over the traffic lane with the damp towel to remove any lingering soapy residue. Again, just blot the carpet and don't rub it. This should be sufficient to lift away the dirty soapy water.
Use a clean towel to pat the area dry.
Allow the carpet to dry completely, and then vacuum it to lift the carpet pile again.

This method can be used to freshen up traffic lane areas between professional cleans. If your carpet gets dirty again very quickly, it might be a good idea to consider buying a plastic carpet runner to protect the area and prolong the life of your carpets.

Share