Clean or Dye Your Carpet and Preperation

Clean or Dye Your Carpet and Preperation Carpet doesn't last forever and for a Realtor in property management with close to 70 rentals this is a well known fact and most of the time expensive. Carpet or any type of flooring is not an inexpensive project and needs to be well thought out. What about all the furniture that’s on the carpet, where do you put it, who's going to move the heavy couches, end tables, disassemble and reassemble TV’s and electronics.

Over time, stains pile up and the fabric itself wears out. At some point in time, all homeowners face the expense of replacing a carpet that's worn thin. Often, however, a carpet still looks lush; it just isn't the right shade that the homeowner wants or it sports an unsightly stain. In those cases, you have a number of options to freshen the look without emptying your savings account.

Whether you want a different color or to remove a stain, the first step is to give your carpets a good cleaning. Vacuuming helps, yes. But it doesn't give the same deep cleaning that carpet shampooing offers. So hire a professional carpet cleaner or rent or borrow a carpet shampooer. If the carpet cleaning solves your problem, congratulations! You just saved a bundle. If not, proceed to the next step. Sometimes there's a stubborn stain from, say, red juice or even bleach. If that's the case, don't worry. There are two ways to solve your problem. First, you can purchase small carpet dying kits – often with easy-to-use dye sticks that you can blend to achieve the shade you want. This type of kit may be the perfect solution for covering up the occasional stain. A second option may be to simply replace part of the carpet. This option, obviously, depends on the type of carpet you have and how much it's worn.

But if your carpet is relatively new, a professional carpet installer may be able to remove a small square of stained carpet and replace it with a new patch of carpet. Done right, the new patch is seamless and hard (if not impossible) to spot. Contact a professional for advice on whether this option will work for your situation. Of course, there are times when a carpet is simply the wrong color or has faded over time. In those cases, a cost-effective way to solve your problem is to dye the entire carpet.

There are some stipulations, however. For instance, nylon and wool carpets are best suited for dying, while polyester or acrylic carpets typically cannot be dyed successfully. If you're not sure, you can consult a professional to discuss your options. Or, if you plan on dying the carpet yourself, you can test a small (preferably hidden) spot of carpet to see if it is capable of absorbing and retaining the dye. Here is a link to How to Dye Carpet When it comes to choosing a dye color, you'll also want to explore your options carefully. If you have a lighter color carpet (such as a cream carpet), you'll probably be able to choose from a number of different color options that will take. Other shades won't have as many options, since you typically need to choose a darker dye color than the current shade.

One final word of wisdom: Dying a carpet can be a do-it-yourself project, but it's not really recommended. There are different types of dyes and different methods for applying the dye. In addition, matching the color you want can be tough. So you should consider consulting and hiring a professional with experience (if not a specialty) in dying carpets. You Magazine offers some fantastic tips and be sure to visit for the latest in inovative ideas and tips.