Are the carpets in your home beginning to show their age? Have you started noticing more and more stains that just make your carpets look dirty? Hiring a professional cleaner, such as Carpestology Carpet Cleaning Brisbane, can help you get your carpets looking fresh and clean again.
However, sometimes a professional cleaner isn’t in the budget or isn’t completely necessary for your carpets. There are a number of do-it-yourself tricks that you can try. These ideas require just a few supplies and a little bit of your time and elbow grease. You’ll be impressed with how clean they’ll leave your carpets looking. Guests will think you’ve hired a maid service on a weekly basis.
Vinegar, Dish Soap, and Water
You can use a mixture of vinegar, water, and dish soap to help you clean your carpets without harmful chemicals. To use this method, simply mix a tablespoon of dish soap with one quart of warm water. Next, add ¼ teaspoon of white vinegar to mix. Use this solution to tackle different stains or dirty sections of your carpet by rubbing it into the stain with a brush or cloth. Here are a few more tips for cleaning carpets using vinegar.
Baking Soda and Hot Water
Using baking soda and hot water can actually be a great substitute for using a steam cleaner. Before starting to perform the deep cleaning using these materials, be sure that your carpets have been recently vacuumed. Then, sprinkle baking soda over the stain, being sure to cover it completely. Rub the baking soda into the stain using a towel or brush. Apply some pressure as you scrub to be sure you’re able to eliminate the stain. You just need to use enough water to allow you to scrub the stain and turn the baking soda into a paste; you don’t need to get the floor completely wet. After you have finished cleaning, wipe up the excess baking soda and allow the floor to dry. After the spot has dried complexly, you can use your vacuum to suck up any excess baking soda.
Dish Soap and Hot Water
Using a dish soap along with hot water is another trick that can allow you to deep clean your carpets. You want to have a bucket of hot water on hand before you get started. Run the vacuum over the spot to make sure that any dust and debris is removed. Then, use 1 tablespoon of dish soap for every 6 inches of stain. So, if your stain is 10 inches long, you will want to use about 2 tablespoons of dish soap. Pour the soap over the stain and rub it around until you start to see some bubbles. Then, use a brush or rag to scrub the stain using warm water. Let the carpet dry completely, then run the vacuum over it one more time.
Snow
Take advantage of a cold and snowy day outside to clean your carpets inside. Snow is generally best for cleaning smaller rugs. First, vacuum your rug. Then, bring it outside and give it one more good shake to make sure all the dirt and dust is gone. Leave it sitting outside for about half an hour. Then, come back outside and put between three and five inches of snow on top of the entire rug. Use a broom to beat the snow into the run and then let the snow stay on top of the rug for about 15 minutes. If needed, you can repeat the process with the other side of the rug. Then, just shake off all the snow from the rug and let it hang dry.
Iron and Paper Towels
If you recently spilled something greasy on your carpet, an iron can help you clean it up. First, make sure the food pieces have been completely removed from the carpet. Next, place a few paper towels on top of the stain. Then, using the lowest setting on your iron, iron the paper towels. This will help lift up the grease. You can finish the cleaning process by mixing vinegar, soap, and warm water and rubbing it over the stain.
Club Soda
Club soda is a great tool you can use to help remove stains from your carpets. It is especially helpful at removing wine and blood stains. To use club soda, pour a little over your stain and then blot the stain using a dry cloth. Keep blotting at it until you see that the stain has been removed. You want to use a blotting or a rubbing motion, rather than a scrubbing motion, when you clean with club soda. For more information about how club soda can help you clean your carpets, visit this page.
Ice
Have you ever dropped chewing gum on your carpet? Ice can actually help you remove the sticky mess. All you’ll need to do is wrap some ice cubes in a towel, let it sit on top of the gum for a while, then scrape off as much gum as you can.
Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol can help you remove oils left by grease, makeup, or crayons from your carpet. You’ll first want to scrape away as much of the stain and any remaining residue as you can. Next, pour a little rubbing alcohol on a towel and use it to rub the stain. After you have finished, blot the area with a clean towel to remove as much of the rubbing alcohol as you can. You can repeat this process a few times for more stubborn stains.
Hydrogen Peroxide
If your carpet has been stained by berries, bloods, juices, or wines, hydrogen peroxide can help you remove the stains. For this method you will want to use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. First, pour the hydrogen peroxide right on to the stain and allow it to sit there for five minutes. Then, dab it using a damp sponge or cloth until the stain is gone. After you have finished removing the stain, dry the area using a towel.
Lemon Juice and Cream of Tartar
For rust stains, lemon juice can be a very effective cleaner. You’ll just need to pour some lemon juice over the stained areas and then sprinkle cream of tartar on top of the juice. Use a towel to rub the mixture into your carpet, let it sit for about 30 minutes or until the rust is gone. Then, use a wet cloth to blot the area (be sure not to scrub so the stain doesn’t spread to other areas of the carpet). After you have finished blotting up the stain, use a towel to dry the area.
With just a few simple materials, you’ll be able to remove tough stains from your carpets on your own, but for anything more serious or to not risk damaging your carpet, you can call a company like carpet cleaning orem to clean your carpets. Many of the tips listed above involve items that you probably already have in your home. So, don’t delay; pick a tip and get your carpets freshened up!