DIY CARPET CLEANING

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Carpet cleaning can be expensive and short lived, so we created this DIY carpet cleaning article to help you clean your carpet at home with zero to little effort. Doesn’t matter if you have a vacuum cleaner or not, we have the solution for you at Homeowners club.

DANGER OF A DIRTY CARPET

Before cleaning your carpet, you must know the danger of a dirty one in your house, and we have listed some of the most common ones:

  • Respiratory Issues
  • Allergies
  • Skin Irritation
  • Pet Germs
  • Stomach Illness
  • Weakened Immune System
  • Mental Anguish

These problems can be easily avoided if all the carpets in your house were cleaned on a regular basis.

DIY CARPET CLEANING WITH A VACUUM CLEANER:

We have gathered all the information you will need to proceed with your DIY carpet cleaning including the materials and the equipment you may use, make sure to keep reading for more intell about carpet cleaning without machinery.

Equipment / Tools

  • Vacuum
  • Spray bottle
  • Microfiber cloth
  • Bucket
  • Oscillating fan
  • Scrub brush with stiff nylon bristles
  • Old towels or rags
  • Clothes steamer
  • Steam mop

Materials

  • Distilled white vinegar
  • Baking soda
  • Table salt

How to Do a Routine Carpet Cleaning

  1. Get Rid of Dust and Dirt


    Carpets tend to look dull and retain odors if dust and soil  remain on its fibers , which will eventually wear out the carpet backing and fibers. Using strong suction vacuums frequently is the best way to clean your  carpet.
    A few tips for your routine cleaning:

    1. For the best vacuum job, make sure to remove all the furniture and items from your carpet.
    2. Adapt the vacuum to the right height for your type of rug to get the strongest suction.
    3. Vacuum thoroughly  and go over high-traffic places several times to clean deeply.
    4. put your  lint roller for use to  clean-up the crumbs.
    5. Run a rubber-edged squeegee over the rug to remove pet hair.
    6. Freshen and brighten all your carpets with a dash of baking soda every month. You can apply it in between the fibers of your rug, let it sit for an hour, then vacuum it away  to absorb oily stains and odors.

            2. Spot-Clean Stains. 


You need to tackle your carpet stain as quickly as possible to be able to get rid of it entirely. If the spills are liquid, try blotting away the moisture with a colorfast cloth or paper towels
For more solid stains like dropped food or mud stains, utilize a sharp edge such as a dull knife or the edge of a credit card to lift away the solids. You should never rub a stain with solids, it will only make the stain worse since it will push it deeper into the fibers. After removing the solids, make sure you have these supplies on hand to get rid of the stain:

                 Supplies to Keep on Hand

  • Oxygen bleach:also called all-fabric bleach, this liquid is a gentle bleaching solution that gets rid of stains, whitens and brightens any sort of fabric, carpet fabric included.

  • Enzyme-based stain remover:either you buy them natural or processed chemically, enzymes tackle specific soils, break them into smaller molecules so they can be washed away easily. 

  • Laundry soap bar: soap bars like Ivory are pure soaps that perform well cutting through the soil.
  • Dry cleaning solvent: If used properly,a solvent can lift oily stains from any non-washable fabric. Follow the directions on the product for best results.
  • Acetone: If the stain is a nail polish stain, acetone is the answer for you.
  • Rubbing alcohol: If your kid played with ink on top of your carpet or furniture, rubbing alcohol helps to get rid of that in the blink of an eye.
  • Laundry disinfectant: A disinfectant will help vanish mold/mildew spores as well as bacteria and viruses.
  • Soft-bristled brush: this brush will help work the cleaners we mentioned into fabrics.
  • White cotton cloths: to avoid accidental dye transfer when cleaning your carpet, make sure to use a white cloth.

WAYS TO DEEP CLEAN A CARPET

We advise you to deep clean all the carpets in your house twice per year. That can change if you have kids, pets, or a smoking habit, in any of these cases it is recommended to clean your carpet  every quarter. This cleaning schedule can assure you a clean carpet therefore a healthy environment indoors.So here is how to deep clean your carpet:

 A lot of professional carpet cleaners use a combination of disinfectants and detergents as well as steam to obtain a fresh and clean carpet.

For all you DIY lovers, we came up with the complete intel on how to deep clean your carpets.You need to think of investing in a carpet shampoo for best results. You can also deep clean area carpets and rugs using simple items and solutions that you can find in your pantry.

Clean With Distilled White Vinegar

  1. Vacuum and Treat Visible Stains


    The first crucial step to deep clean is to vacuum the carpet whilst removing any furniture or item left on top, this will help to get rid of loose soil, dust, dirt, and debris. If this step is not done properly, the soil will be pushed deeper into the fibers which will only make the carpet dirtier, so make sure to not skip this step.

  2. Vinegar and Water Solution


    Mix a cup of distilled white vinegar along with 3 cups of water and put the mixture in a cleaning bowl of a spray bottle for an easier application, you may need to refill the bottle depending on the size of your carpet, 

  3. Apply the Solution, Wait, and Blot


    Leave the solution on if you aim to remove any bad odors or wipe it off with a white cloth if you want to clean stains.Work in smaller areas for best results, spray the solution onto the carpet and be careful to not saturate it, stop when it is damp, Follow a grid to know where you have cleaned. Try to take extra precautions to protect the floor from moisture damage if you are cleaning an area rug.
    Allow the solution to stay on the carpet for five minutes to help break down the soil. Use a white cloth to blot away the solution and the remaining soil. Have a bucket of clean water ready to rinse the white cloth. Change the water as soon as it becomes soiled. Increasing the airflow in the room by opening doors and windows will help your carpet dry faster, to speed drying ,you can add an oscillating fan or transfer your carpet onto an outdoor space.We do not  recommend using the carpet until it is fully dry but if you must, place plastic tarps or sheetings on the sides of the rug to avoid staining.

Clean With Baking Soda and Salt

  1. Vacuum and Pretreat StainsVacuum the carpet thoroughly to remove loose soil, follow up with removing any visible stains.
  2. Mix Baking Soda and SaltMix a quarter cup of baking soda with a quarter cup of salt (any type will do)in a small bowl or bucket. Add water in a spray bottle.For maximum efficiency, don’t mix the three ingredients together.
  3. Sprinkle, Spritz, and Scrub

    Apply the salt and baking soda mixture to the rug. You can work in a grid pattern starting by  a corner and making your way toward the end of the carpet. Once the sprinkling is done, spritz the carpet with a spray bottle filled with plain water. The carpet should not be saturated with water, you can stop when it is starting to feel damp. Use a cleaning brush to scrub the mixture deep into the fibers and remove the leftover soil.

  4. Wipe, Dry, and Vacuum                                                                                                        Once the scrubbing is done, wipe away the loosened soil and the leftover liquid using old towels white cloths.Do not consider it a problem if baking soda was not entirely removed from the carpet, it will actually help remove odors and keep the carpet clean for a longer amount of time.However, if you want to remove it you can vacuum it away after the carpet is fully dry.

CLEAN WITH STEAM

You can use your clothes steamer or a steam mop to deep clean your carpet as well.This can be done following these steps:

  1. Vacuum and Pretreat Stains                                                                                              When deep cleaning your carpet using a machine, vacuuming is the most crucial step.Vacuuming can help remove loose soil and pretreat stained areas.
  2. Applying Baking Soda, Salt and Steaming

    Follow the same first step of mixing salt and baking soda into a bowl. Sprinkle the mixture on the carpet and use steam to damp the carpet instead of cold water.Once the carpet is damp enough, use a cleaning brush to scrub the damp mixture and work it into the fibers.

  3.  Blot, Dry, and Vacuum                                                                                                               Use old towels or cloths to remove the loosened soil. vacuum any residue remaining on the surface once the carpet is completely dry.

Tips to Keep Carpet Clean Longer

  • Place doormats in all entrances of the house to trap soil.
  • Invest in a shoe display hanger to keep all shoes at the entrance of the house therefore eliminate soil.
  • Vacuum as often as possible.
  • Treat stains straight away.
  • Clean HVAC filters to trap dust particles in the air before they land on the carpet.
  • Keep your vacuum clean and well-maintained.
  • Brush and bathe your pets frequently to avoid pet fur laying on your carpets.

DIY CARPET CLEANING WITHOUT A MACHINE:

Simply put, it’s probable that you can keep your carpets clean without the need of heavy cleaning equipment. In a world where we expect too much of our vacuums and rent steam cleaners , they may not get all the dirt so it’s good to take a step back and take into consideration other efficient ways to keep your carpet looking clean without including any machinery.

  • How to Remove Loose Dirt and Dust

It is possible to clean a rug using a stiff-bristled broom as well as a dustpan without vacuuming. This is considered an easy method of cleaning in case your carpet  is a low-pile. Otherwise, if your carpet is thick, high-piled or a shag carpet, be prepared with patience and what we like to call a sharp eye to remove the dirt embedded in the fibers. To make a flimsy broom more effective, wrap the bristles with a rubber band to make them more rigidly bound.

  • How to Disinfect a Carpet

Refresh and disinfect the fibers of your carpet without getting a steam cleaner using a simple homemade solution and a scrubbing brush. In a bowl or a bucket, mix one one cup white vinegar with three cups of water. Dip the bristles of the cleaning brush into the solution and rub them into the carpet. Scrub the solution into the fibers (without fully saturating the carpet) and follow up with a cloth to help remove excess moisture.

  • How to Spot Clean

Spot cleaning is probably the most crucial carpet maintenance that can be done without a machine. Whether you’re tackling an old spot left on your carpet like a pet stain or a fresh stain that you want to clean right away, spot cleaning can be done in just three easy steps.

 -If your spot is new (wet or sticky), you should start by wetting the area with a highly absorbent cloth

-After that comes the rinse.if the stain is fresh, club soda is a good product to loosen the stain before it sets in.

-Apply a carpet cleaner at last respecting the product’s guidelines. Make sure you are blotting the stain rather than scrubbing it. 

  • How to Remove Pet Fur

Start using a lint brush frequently to get rid of pet fur from your carpet and create a healthy and tidy environment and don’t forget to deep clean your carpet at least twice a year.You can start by brushing the areas where there is a visible build up and work your way through more embedded areas where your pet lays most often.  Brushing and grooming your pet on a regular schedule can also help keep your carpet clean.

BEST CARPET CLEANING METHOD

The best method to clean your carpet is by steaming it. Steam cleaning helps you get rid of  90% of dirt and bacteria that were built up from dust and mold. Dry cleaning your carpet is also effective and ensures that carpets are ready for foot traffic as rapidly as possible.