5 Homemade Carpet Cleaners to Deal with all the Mess

Homemade carpet cleaners can help to treat the spots or clean carpets completely. Some household items for carpet cleaning are baking soda, salt ad vinegar. You may take hot water, dishwashing detergent, vinegar and mix with fabric softener to make the carpets soft. As carpets take lots of wear and tear, there will be no harm in using harsh chemicals and cleaning them. This blogpost discusses about some homemade carpet recipes which are a great option to get rid of stains easily.

Cleaning solutions to eliminate most stains

The combination of baking soda with vinegar is a good option for treating stains and spots in most types of carpets. Vinegar and baking soda will work well in the form of a cleaner due to chemical reaction. When alkaline baking soda reacts with vinegar, it makes oxygenated gas which foams up and eliminate stains from the carpet.

How you can use it

• Spread baking soda on the stain and cover it properly.
• Pour small amount of vinegar on baking soda and add sufficient amount so that the baking soda reacts well on the stains.
• Massage the solution gently into the carpet by using a hard-bristle brush.
• Leave the solution on stains for at least 4 to 6 hours till the spot is dry fully.
• Vacuum up the residue of baking soda.

Suitable for steam cleaning

You can use vinegar and water to clean the entire carpet with steam cleaner.  The key is to find out whether the carpet is made of natural or synthetic material. While natural fibers seem to be very delicate, you should be extremely careful at the time of cleaning them. For synthetic carpets, you need to mix one part vinegar with two parts water. The carpets which are made of wool need one to one ratio of water and vinegar.

How you can use it

• Try to mix vinegar and water with appropriate ratio of one part vinegar and two parts vinegar in case of synthetic carpets. The carpets which are made of natural materials need one part water and one part vinegar.
• Add this solution to your steam cleaner.
• Clean carpets properly b y following the instructions on machine.
• Allow your carpet to dry properly.

Suitable solution for recent spills

You may take the mixture of salt and water for eliminating the stains from dropping food or wine. As salt helps in absorbing liquid stains like wine, its granular property makes it convenient to vacuum up the mess. The stains which are set in granular salt gives scrubbing extra abrasion that can remove the stains soon. Make sure you apply the treatment immediately after a spill.

How you may use it

• Blot stains with a cloth for removing the moisture.
• Sprinkle some salt on the stain and cover properly for five minutes.
• Try to pour small amount of cold water on the stain.
• Scrub by using a soft brush for at least one minute.
• Rinse thoroughly with a damp cloth and blot dry.

Suitable for patterned and dark rugs

Though vinegar and baking soda are safe options, you might leave some residue on patterned or dark-colored rugs. Put a spray of liquid dishwashing detergent and vinegar for treating patterned or dark rugs. This mixture is good for eliminating stains without leaving any residue and works well on greasy stains.

How you use it

• Mix one teaspoon of dish soap and one cup of vinegar in a spray bottle. 
• Spray onto the stain by covering it thoroughly. 
• Leave it for at least 15 minutes. 
• Scrub properly by using a hard-bristle brush for cleaning the stains.

Suitable for deodorizing

If you need to make the carpets fresh or remove bad smell, then choose dry cleaning solution. This might not be very effective in eliminating bacteria and stains but you need not worry about drying time.

How you can use it

• Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet. 
• Add some dry spices such as rosemary or cinnamon. Sprinkle the spice like you did with baking soda and make sure the spice will not stain the carpet.
• Allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes.
• Vacuum your carpet properly.

How to make the carpet soft after cleaning

You may use fabric softener as carpets are made of same fiber kinds like clothing for making the carpets soft. Mix half cup of fabric softener with one cup of vinegar, one tablespoon of dishwashing agent, one cup of hot water for preparing carpet softener solution. Put this mixture in a spray bottle and spray over the carpet lightly till it is damp. Take a soft brush so that the solution works well on the carpets and allow it to dry completely.

How often you need to clean carpets

Though there are homemade remedies to clean stains and spills, it is a good practice for steam cleaning your carpet in every 12 to 18 months. It requires daily maintenance to make your rug look and smell clean. High or light-colored rugs will require frequent cleanings and you need to clean carpets right away after there is a stain or spill. It is a good idea to give your carpets thorough cleaning when you struggle with allergies as they may get worse when you use dirty carpets.

Thus, the cleaning rugs is an essential part for maintaining your house but you do not require harsh chemicals for doing this work. The regular items you have in the kitchen cabinet includes – baking soda, salt and vinegar. These can help to get rid of all stains and odors from your carpets and protect the rugs. Make sure you clean the carpets daily so that they may last for a long time and leave your house look fresh. Use search strings like, “local carpet cleaning near me” when looking for a cleaner in your area.