Carpet care: how to care for it at home

In this article we will tell you everything about cleaning carpet at home using folk remedies, because many people use carpet as a floor covering in children's rooms and bedrooms. Practicality, rich colors, softness and warmth when walking barefoot make this material in demand and loved. But experienced housewives in everyday life encounter dirt and stains that are difficult to remove from the carpet pile. In the modern world, there are a huge number of cleaning companies that provide professional dry cleaning of carpets, furniture and rugs.
You can also get rid of dirt and dust on your own, this is what we will talk to you about today, how and with what means to clean the carpet at home.

How to clean carpet from stains: methods

The fact is that carpet, when properly cared for, does not cause much trouble and is a fairly simple material. It is advisable to purchase a vacuum cleaner with a wet cleaning function. It is with the help of this device that it is easiest to clean the structure of any carpet. First of all, at the very initial stage of cleaning, it is necessary to remove dust, dirt, and also large contaminants. Dry vacuuming is usually used for this purpose. That is, you just need to vacuum the carpet. Next, in order to remove dust that has clogged inside the carpet, or some other contaminants, you need to use dry cleaning.

Wet is often used, which is carried out using washing vacuum cleaners. To do this, the composition with the detergent is poured into the container of the vacuum cleaner tank, sprayed onto the carpet, and left for half an hour. Next, cleaning is carried out with a vacuum cleaner. The machine will thus suck out all the dirt along with the liquid that remains on the fibers. Please note that if you are cleaning carpet with a loop structure, you must choose a nozzle without a brush.

If the carpet has cut pile, use a brush attachment. It is advisable to use rotating brushes if you have children in the house or if someone in the family has long hair that often gets caught between the carpet fibers. You will need this brush if you have a pet. This attachment perfectly collects lint and debris that are difficult to handle with a regular vacuum cleaner and standard telescopic brushes.


Clean the carpet

Methods for cleaning carpet:

  • Dry
  • Wet
  • Foam

All these methods have their own specific purpose and cannot always be interchangeable. Because one of the most effective options is wet cleaning using special detergents. This is a kind of analogue of washing on the street using powder. But carpet is quite difficult to dismantle, so cleaning is done at home, using a special washing vacuum cleaner. If you don't have a vacuum cleaner, you can use dry cleaning.

Nowadays you can buy a special powdered carpet cleaner in stores. It is created in such a way that the powder particles attract debris and dirt. Is somewhat absorbent. After the cleaning powder has been on the carpet for some time, it is simply removed with a vacuum cleaner. Thus, surfactants attract dust and dirt, pulling them out of the carpet to the surface.


Carpet cleaning

Household chemicals

Still, household chemicals are much more effective than home remedies, especially in cases where you need to clean a large carpet. Firstly, it will take less time. Secondly, they cope much better with stubborn stains:

  1. Powder. Used for dry cleaning, both for natural and synthetic products. The only condition is that the coating must have short pile. The powdered product is easy to use: apply it to the surface, distribute evenly, rub into the pile, and then remove.
  2. Shampoo. A universal product suitable for any type of carpet and pile. Most often they are used to remove stubborn dirt. The shampoo is applied to the surface in the form of foam, left for 10-20 minutes, then removed with a vacuum cleaner. Despite its foaming ability, the product does not deteriorate the adhesive base of the product.
  3. Spray. Designed for natural materials with long pile. Intense moistening is contraindicated for such coatings; their cleaning should be done gently and delicately. The spray allows you to gently spray the product onto the surface of the carpet, and after drying it can be easily removed with a vacuum cleaner.
  4. Stain removers. There are universal products, but it is better to choose one that is suitable for your type of carpet. However, they are limited in the area of ​​use - you should not apply it to the entire carpet, only to the contaminated area.

Do you use household chemicals to clean carpets?

Not really

How to clean carpet stains with baking soda?

This method is good because the substance can be used both wet and dry. Dry soda is used if the contamination is not very strong.

Instructions:

  • Dry cleaning method . It is necessary to sprinkle baking soda on the dirty surface and rub sodium bicarbonate into the carpet fibers. When the soda darkens, about an hour or two, collect it with a vacuum cleaner. There is no need to wet anything.
  • During wet cleaning, it is necessary to prepare a solution. To do this, pour half a glass of soda into 500 ml of warm water. Next, all this is poured into a spray bottle and sprayed onto the carpet. After 30 minutes, carry out normal cleaning using a vacuum cleaner. The fact is that this method allows you to remove dust and dirt, as well as unpleasant odors. This is especially important if you have small children and pets in the house.


Cleaning with soda

Use a vacuum cleaner for cleaning

It is no secret that carpets absorb dust well, which, if not removed in a timely manner, clogs the pile of the covering and leads to rapid wear. From time to time, carpets need to be cleaned more deeply, as dust and dirt are trampled down, clogging the pile. It is better to entrust deep cleaning to professional workers who are better versed in the features and nuances of various types of coatings.

Use washing vacuum cleaners. One feature: owners of carpet with a natural jute backing should not use a washing vacuum cleaner. In other cases, when cleaning, water must be removed very carefully. The problem is not in the base (it is most likely not afraid of water), but in the pile, which is poorly ventilated, takes a long time to dry and makes the room damp.

At home, a washing vacuum cleaner can be used infrequently. General cleaning once every two months will be enough. If we are talking about carpet in an office, lobby or other crowded premises where there is a lot of dirt from the street, wet cleaning needs to be done more often.

Rule 3

We suggest you familiarize yourself with How to clean the oven from grease and carbon deposits at home? How to clean the oven from old burnt fat?

Cleaning carpet from stains: secrets

Removing stains:

  • If there is staining on the carpet from food or liquids such as tea, coffee or juice, you can remove them using alcohol and vinegar. To do this, two parts alcohol are mixed with one part vinegar. The liquid is applied to the fabric and rubbed into the surface of the carpet. Wash off with plenty of water. You can use soap to eliminate the odor.
  • Drops of blood are removed with an alkali solution. To do this, you need to purchase special products with alkali. Such as Milam or Silit Beng will do. The product is applied to blood stains, and after 15 minutes is washed with plenty of water. Remember, under no circumstances should you use hot water, because at temperatures above 40 degrees, blood proteins coagulate. Removing such contamination is much more difficult.
  • If paint stains appear on the carpet, you can use a solution made from 1 part alcohol and 1 part turpentine. You need to pour a little product onto the paint, wait until it becomes liquid, and remove it with a dry cloth. If the contamination is severe, you can try to get rid of it with a solution of water and ammonia. To do this, dissolve 10 ml of ammonia in a glass of water and pour over the contamination. Next, wash with a vacuum cleaner.
  • Grease can be removed with regular dishwashing detergent. Fairy will do. It is necessary to moisten the sponge in water and apply a little dishwashing detergent. The foam needs to be applied to the carpet and wait a few minutes. After this, wash off with a damp cloth.
  • Chewing gum can be removed using a piece of ice or a regular cold accumulator. To do this, place the cold accumulator on the chewing gum and wait a few minutes. When exposed to low temperatures, chewing gum will become hard, so it can be easily removed without smearing or streaking.


Stains on the carpet

How to clean carpet from urine?

The main task is not to wash, but to remove the unpleasant odor. Most often, such problems occur in those who keep pets in the house or have small children who are potty training. Therefore, incidents involving urination on the carpet are not uncommon.

Ways to eliminate urine:

  • It is necessary not to wash it out, but to separate the urine into its component parts to get rid of the unpleasant odor. To do this, you need to do a few simple manipulations.
  • Use sanitary pads to soak up all the urine. Oddly enough, sanitary pads absorb moisture very well and retain it inside due to the formation of a gel composition. Next, you need to mix water and vinegar in proportions of three to one to prepare a strong solution.
  • It must be applied to the stain using a spray and wait until it dries. After this, pour a thin layer of soda and salt. Three percent hydrogen peroxide is mixed with water in a 1:1 ratio and poured into a spray bottle. A little dishwashing liquid is added there.
  • Using a sprayer, the solution is treated with soda. As a result of the reaction of soda and vinegar, as well as hydrogen peroxide, a white foam will form. Under no circumstances should you remove it immediately. You must wait 2 hours.
  • You need to wait until the mixture dries a little and remove everything with a vacuum cleaner. Under no circumstances should you wet the cloth again and try to remove the soda and vinegar with a rag. After this, you can carry out the usual wet cleaning of the carpet.


Urine cleansing

How to eliminate odors

There are cleaning methods that will help not only remove unpleasant odors, but also give the coating freshness:

  1. Powder cleaning. It can be either dry or wet. The powder has a pleasant smell, and its active elements will help get rid of the unpleasant.
  2. Detergents. Only wet cleaning is provided here. The characteristics of detergents are very similar to powders.
  3. Soap solution. It is considered the best way because it does not damage the base of the material.
  4. Soda. Does not give the carpet a fresh smell, but can eliminate unpleasant odors.

How to clean carpet from dirt?

During the off-season, we bring home a lot of street dirt on our shoes, which can also end up on the carpet. Under no circumstances should you rush or rush to remove dirt. You need to wait until it dries. There is no need to try to pour water and smear, thereby making the stain even larger. This way you will only make the situation worse.

After the dirt has dried, you need to take a vacuum cleaner and clean the carpet using regular dry cleaning. You can speed up the process with salt and soda. To do this, the bulk substances are mixed in a one-to-one ratio and poured onto the top of the stain. These products absorb moisture, but dirt does not spread throughout the apartment. After this, the usual dry cleaning with a vacuum cleaner is carried out.


Dirt on the carpet

How to clean carpet using tea leaves?

This option is only suitable if you were going to clean dark carpet. Light-colored surfaces may leave significant stains that are difficult to remove.

Instructions:

  • After drinking the tea, you need to sprinkle the tea leaves on a dirty area of ​​the carpet. Next you need to wait until the tea leaves dry.
  • After this, the residues are collected using a vacuum cleaner or a broom.
  • Before scattering the tea leaves, squeeze it out so that it is not very wet


Dirty carpet

Folk remedies for carpet cleaning

“Folk remedies” often include products that are a budget option. In addition, they show good efficiency. If you are allergic to chemicals or are afraid that traces of them may remain on the carpet, use home remedies.

Soda

Cleansing with soda is fast, effective and one of the most affordable options. The powder copes well with cleaning carpets, as it is a good absorbent from unpleasant odors and dirt, and also performs the function of disinfection.

During dry cleaning, soda is scattered over the surface of the carpet and rubbed into the pile with a sponge (or a dry cloth). The substance should be left on the coating for approximately 30 minutes, after which it should be removed using a vacuum cleaner.

To carry out wet cleaning you will need to make a cleaning agent, for this use:

  • water – 5 l.;
  • soda – 100 g.

Pour the resulting product into a spray bottle and then spray the carpet with it. Leave the product on the carpet for 40 minutes to allow it to work and draw dirt from the base of the fibers. This time is enough for the substance to react; after cleaning, do not forget to vacuum it.

Baking soda will help not only when cleaning the carpet, but also when cleaning the microwave.

Salt

Table salt is a common means of removing contaminants. It is used on both synthetic and natural carpets. The main feature of salt is the removal of unpleasant and “absorbed” odors.

There are four ways to remove salt stains:

  1. Sprinkle salt on the dirty areas of the carpet and, using a brush, rub it into the pile until the salt darkens. After this, vacuum the carpet well or use a dust blower.
  2. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the coating. After this, prepare a hot soapy solution. Dip a broom into it and sweep the carpet. This method will help remove stubborn dirt. However, the carpet will need to be dried.
  3. Salt and lemon juice will help restore the brightness of a faded carpet. Mix the mixture well, apply it to the surface, leave for 20 minutes. Then use a broom and soap solution to remove traces of the mixture.
  4. To remove small stains, mix: 1 liter of water, 10 g of citric acid and 1 tbsp. l. salt. Apply the resulting mixture to the carpet. It will restore saturation to the fibers and eliminate unpleasant odors.

Vinegar

Vinegar will not help remove stubborn old stains; it is better to use it to refresh the carpet, removing dust and light dirt from it. For this:

  1. Vacuum the carpet.
  2. Add 1 tbsp to 1 liter of cool water. l. vinegar.
  3. Take a medium-hard brush, dip it in the mixture and clean the carpet. To ensure that the carpet does not remain damp after cleaning, shake the brush thoroughly.
  4. Open the window to ventilate and dry the coating.

If there is a large stain on the carpet that you left the other day, use a combination of vinegar + baking soda to clean:

  1. Mix 5 tbsp. l. water and 1 tbsp. l. acetic acid 70%.
  2. Using a sponge, gently rub the mixture onto the affected area.
  3. Sprinkle baking soda on top and leave for 30 minutes.
  4. Vacuum.

Important! As the coating is cleaned, a chemical reaction will begin to occur in the solution and you will see small bubbles on the surface. Don't worry, it's the acid and alkali that are starting to interact.

The following method is suitable for enhanced action on complex oil and grease stains:

  1. Pour 100 g of warm water into a container, add 4 tbsp. l. vinegar, 1 tbsp. l. soda and 1 tbsp. l. washing powder.
  2. Quickly stir the mixture and apply it to the carpet.
  3. Gently wipe the heavily soiled area with a cloth or brush.
  4. Wait 30 minutes and then go through with a vacuum cleaner.

Before using vinegar on carpets, test a small area for the interaction between the lint and the acid.

Vinegar will help not only when cleaning the carpet, but also for cleaning the washing machine.

Tea brewing

Tea brewing will help neutralize unpleasant odors and get rid of small areas of dirt. However, it cannot be used on light-colored surfaces, as this will only ruin them.

To clean the carpet, follow a simple algorithm:

  1. Brew small leaf tea. It can be either black or green.
  2. Wring out the leaves and while they are wet, place them on the contaminated areas.
  3. Wait until the tea leaves dry and remove it with a broom or vacuum cleaner.

Sauerkraut

There is a main rule in this method of carpet cleaning: the cabbage must be fermented without adding vinegar, and before use it must be thoroughly rinsed to remove the characteristic odor. After this, scatter the cabbage over the carpet and use a broom or brush to “roll” it over the entire carpet.

Pieces of cabbage will collect dirt, so they need to be constantly washed while cleaning. This process should be repeated until the cabbage stops getting dirty. At the end of cleaning, vacuum the surface.

Ice

Ice will help refresh the coating and return it to its rich color, and also get rid of unpleasant odors and dust mites. Light stains can be removed from low-pile carpeting. For other products, other cleaning methods should be used.

Advice! Using ice, you can easily remove chewing gum or plasticine from the coating. Wrap a piece of ice in a plastic bag and apply it to the stained area.

After this, use any metal object, but not a sharp one, to carefully remove the remaining chewing gum. To remove old stains, use alcohol, kerosene or acetone. This article will tell you how to remove slime from a carpet.

How to clean carpet using ammonia?

This product is used if there is juice or red wine on the carpet.

Instructions:

  • It is necessary to remove dust using a conventional dry cleaning vacuum cleaner and prepare a cleaning solution
  • 5 ml of ammonia is added to a liter of water, a brush is wetted in this solution and the carpet pile is wiped
  • Leave for 5 minutes. Next, everything needs to be wiped with a dry, clean cloth.
  • Please note that it is advisable that alcohol does not get on the carpet base. Ammonia can damage the structure of the product itself
  • Be sure to open all windows while cleaning. If there is exhaust ventilation, turn it on
  • Because ammonia smells quite bad and can cause poisoning


Cleaning with ammonia

Professional carpet cleaning

So, you have selected a cleaning agency. We read reviews, saw examples of work, and learned other information. And now we invite you to familiarize yourself with the procedures that are performed by truly good specialists.

  1. Before starting work, the structure of the carpet and the nature of its contamination are studied. Based on the data obtained, a detergent is selected.
  2. For general cleaning of the coating, extractor machines (usually Karcher) are used. With such devices, a solution is applied to the surface of the carpet under high pressure, as a result the dirt is liquefied.
  3. Detergent with dissolved dirt is collected by professional powerful vacuum cleaners.
  4. The most stubborn stains are removed manually, using special brushes and professional solutions.
  5. If the dirt is ingrained, it is removed using a rotary disk machine equipped with special brushes.
  6. Washing the coating and drying it are also carried out using special equipment.

We suggest you read How to clean fur at home using special products

After all procedures, the coating cannot be used for 6-10 hours. Additionally, some cleaning services offer to treat the carpet with special fragrances if there is an odor of animals, child urine, etc.

Rule 5th

How to clean wool carpet?

All products made from natural fibers, especially wool, require careful and careful care. The fact is that during the cleaning process with hot water or aggressive substances, the hair may become tangled or cough. Therefore, it is necessary to clean as carefully as possible, using products that are specifically designed for cleaning wool.

Instructions:

  • You can clean wool carpet using kerosene and washing powder.
  • To do this, you need to dilute the washing powder in water, as for soaking during washing.
  • Add some kerosene. Its concentration should be a teaspoon per liter of mixture with powder
  • After this, a sponge is moistened in the solution and the dirt is thoroughly wiped off.

Please note that after such cleaning there may be an unpleasant odor for several days. You can additionally wash the carpet using a vacuum cleaner with a mild shampoo.


Cleaning wool carpet

Never use carpet while it is still damp after cleaning.

And a few more important tips.

  • Wool floor coverings cannot be cleaned with products containing ammonium, sodium carbonate and other aggressive agents;
  • carpets made from synthetic fibers (for example, nylon or polypropylene) are easier to use. They absorb odors less, do not fade, do not shrink after cleaning and are not afraid of water;
  • synthetic carpets cannot be cleaned with acetone and other solvents - they harm the artificial pile;
  • Most of the dirt comes from the street, so use hard mats to clean your shoes before entering;
  • synthetic coatings cannot be cleaned with water or liquid products whose temperature exceeds 50 degrees;
  • Test each detergent on an inconspicuous area of ​​the carpet before cleaning.

Cleaning carpet is a serious task for any woman, because if this covering is not taken care of, it will quickly become ugly and poorly maintained, which, of course, will negatively affect the quality of the floor covering. Therefore, the question of how to clean carpet at home should concern any owner of this material.

Today, you can easily care for the surface of a carpet yourself, using various cleaning products, as well as other devices for cleaning the surface. Only with high-quality cleaning can you hope for a positive result and a shiny appearance for the floor material.

Cleaning carpet at home: tips

Adviсe:

  • Remember that carpet is still a delicate material and cannot be torn off the floor, taken outside and washed with regular powder. Therefore, we recommend that you treat this coating with care. Please note that all stains are removed from the edges to the center.
  • Under no circumstances should you smear the stain from side to side. Try to eliminate all manipulations that result in friction. Thus, the fabric and carpet will soon lose their beautiful appearance and structure.
  • Be sure to carry out regular, dry cleaning with a regular vacuum cleaner. Even if a little tea or coffee spills on a clean surface, the stain is much easier to remove. If liquid spills on a dirty carpet, then get a solution of dirt along with coffee or tea. These types of stains are quite difficult to remove.
  • If you spill something on the fabric, do not rub it under any circumstances. Take a napkin and blot the liquid. Only then start cleaning. There is no need to immediately pour a large amount of water onto the carpet and try to scrub it. This will only make the situation worse and make the stain even bigger.


Cleaning the carpet
Cleaning the carpet takes time and also patience.
If you have small children or dogs at home, refuse such covering or purchase carpet with dense nylon pile that is easy to clean.

Useful video on carpet cleaning

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Author of the article

Oleg Grishin

Flooring specialist with 10 years of experience. Oleg has something to share with our readers

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Discussion: there is 1 comment

  1. Alina:
    01/23/2019 at 17:38

    The white carpet in my room has become unusable. I will clean according to your advice!

    Answer

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