Your carpet can be difficult to clean. To keep your carpets looking tidy and new, use these carpet cleaning tips! Carpet cleaning is a time-consuming, tedious task that takes up a lot of our time. If you’ve had a carpet in your home for a long time, you probably spend a lot of time maintaining it each month.
Blot Stains, Don’t Rub Them!
When a stain or spill first occurs, resist the urge to immediately start scrubbing. That’ll only drive the stain down into the carpet. Instead, gently dab stains with a cleaning solution and a clean cloth, paper towel, or sponge.
“The key is blotting. Blotting puts a small amount of pressure on the stain, so you can soak it up,” Tarbox says. “Rubbing causes the particles to get ground into the fibers, which can lead to the premature breakdown of those fibers.”
And always blot from the outer edge of the stain inward toward the center; blotting outward can spread the stain further across the carpet.
Soda and Vinegar are Your Friends
First, pour soda onto a clean cloth and blot the stain. If the stain appears lighter, repeat with more club soda. If that doesn’t work, mix a one-to-one ratio of white vinegar and water, and pour it into a handheld spray bottle.
“Spray the solution onto the stained area, then wait 10 or 15 minutes for it to soak in. Next, press a clean, dry sponge down onto the saturated area to soak up the cleaning solution and the diluted stain, too,” says Tarbox. Repeat this process, if necessary, until the entire stain is gone.
Try Shaving Cream
It will remove just about every type of stain. Apply the shaving cream directly to the stain and let it sit for about 30 minutes,”. Once the shaving cream has set, blot it up with a dry white cloth.
Finish by spraying the area with a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water, and then wipe away the solution with a cloth.
Dish Soap Cuts Grease
Greasy spills are some of the most difficult to remove from carpeting, but again, the secret is to use the proper product and technique: Place a few drops of grease-cutting dish soap into a cup of warm water.
Gently mix the solution to dissolve the soap.Pour the solution into a spray bottle and soak the greasy stain. Then blot it up with a white cloth or paper towels. Depending on the size of the stain, you may need to repeat this treatment multiple times.
Freeze Chewing Gum
Grab a few ice cubes and press them against the gum for 30 to 45 seconds. Once the gum is frozen solid, use a spoon to lift up the glob, then use scissors or a sharp knife to cut the carpet strands as close as possible to the gum. If you cut only a small amount of carpet, the spot will be undetectable.
There are many DIY carpet cleaning hacks that you can try at home. Here are some of them:
- Mix one part white vinegar with three parts water. Dip the bristles of the scrub brush into the solution and rub them into the carpet. Massage them into the fibers well (without fully saturating the carpet) and follow up with a cloth to help blot excess moisture1.
- Mix together ¾ cup of hydrogen peroxide, ¼ cup of white vinegar, 2 tablespoons of washing-up liquid, 2 tablespoons of fabric softener and a gallon (about 3.5-4 liters) of warm water. Apply the mixture to the carpet and let it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing it with a brush2.
- Mix water and vinegar into a spray bottle and shake to mix. Add salt and lavender essential oil and swish the solution until the salt dissolves completely. Spritz the carpet or rug liberally. Let the homemade cleaner dry on the rug or carpet3.
- Use baking soda for greasy stains. Heavy and oily stains should never be allowed to sit long on carpets. The easiest way to take out the greasy smudges is by using baking soda4.
I hope you find these tips helpful! Let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with.
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