Are your carpets looking and smelling worse for wear? Fear not! These simple homemade carpet cleaner tips will have your carpets looking and smelling fresh and new in no time!
Daily life happens, and no matter how carefully you try to keep your carpets clean, accidents happen!
Kids running in from playing outside, the dog pooping on the rug, or maybe you accidentally knocked over your glass of wine? Life happens!
But don’t worry with some simple maintenance and acting fast on stains you can keep your carpets clean and smelling fresh for years to come with these easy no-fuss carpet cleaning tips.
How To Remove Odors From Carpet
Carpets smelling old and musty? Luckily removing offending odors is easy and doesn’t require any special ingredients or gadgets!
Simply spread a generous coat of either baby powder or baking soda over the carpet using a sifter and leave for several hours.
Leave for several hours, or overnight and then vacuum it up.
Tip: If you have darker carpets you can also throw in some cinnamon or nutmeg to sweeten the smell.
Using baby powder/baking soda on your carpets every couple of months will keep your carpets smelling fresh and clean!
Get Rid of Carpet Dents
If you’ve ever moved furniture in your carpeted room you will know the dents heavy items can leave behind.
Thankfully removing these footprints is easy and you only need an iron and a fork.
Put the iron onto the steam setting and hold it about a quarter of an inch above the carpet, release the steam then fluff out the steamed fibers gently with the fork.
Carpet Care
Beat It
The fibers in your rug collect dust and pet danders daily and one of the best ways to get rid of these particles is the good old fashioned way,
Give it a beating!
Hang the rug over a rail or clothesline and beat it with a tennis racquet.
Plus it’s a great stress buster! 🙂
Turn It Over
It happens, the dog accidentally relieved himself on your expensive and delicate rug.
First, don’t panic! There is an easy way to clean the spot without the need for scrubbing and ruining the delicate fibers of your precious rug.
Scoop up the mess, turn the rug over, and place a bucket under the problem area.
Next, pour water through the underside of the stain and into the bucket. Repeat pouring water through the area until the stain is gone.
Homemade Carpet Cleaner Recipe
No need for fancy carpet cleaner products just two ingredients will keep your carpet clean!
Mix 1 part vinegar to 10 parts hot water.
If you’re lucky enough to own your own carpet cleaning machine you can use this solution in the machine or apply the cleaner with a scrubbing brush and good old fashioned elbow grease!
Rince the cleaned carpet with a damp cloth. Once dried, apply baking soda and leave for several hours then vacuum.
How To Easily Remove Carpet Stains
Peanut Butter
You would think that applying peanut butter to your carpet would make things worse! But it is actually good for removing something that we all dread finding stuck in our carpets,
Chewing gum!
Here’s how to do it:
- Use your hair dryer to loosen the gum.
- Gently press a plastic bag over the gum to lift as much as you can off. (or use a spatula)
- Gently rub a small blob of peanut butter into the remaining gum. The natural oils will help lift the gum from the fibers.
- Let the peanut butter sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Wipe up the peanut butter with a damp cloth.
- Lastly, dab the spot with warm water mixed with 1tsp dish detergent.
And Voila! no more stuck in gum!
Vinegar for Paint?
If you’ve accidentally got paint on your carpet don’t wait for it to dry!
Quickly mix 1.5 tsp vinegar and 1.5 tsp laundry detergent into 2 cups water.
Grab a sponge and dab the paint away (It takes time and elbow grease) and rinse with cold water.
If you managed to get to the paint stain before it sets you should be successful in removing it.
Baby Wipes
Quickly absorb spills with a damp baby wipe. This will help to lift out the stain before it has time to set.
Shaving Cream
If you’ve just spilled something onto your carpet and it hasn’t set, simply squirt foam shaving cream (not gel) directly onto the stain and wipe clean.
Soda Water
Soda water is amazing for removing stains. Simply pour soda water onto your stained carpet and wait 3-5 minutes. Then dab up with a damp cloth.
Common Carpet Stains and How to Fix Them
Red Wine
Method one:
Pour a generous amount of salt onto the red wine stain and then dab gently with a cloth soaked in soda water
Method two:
Use white wine! Pour white wine onto the red wine stain then scrub with a damp cloth.
Method Three:
Mix 1 tsp dish detergent with 1 cup water and pour onto the stain. Blot the stain with a paper towel. Next mix 5 tbsp white vinegar and half a cup water and pour onto the stain. Blot up the moisture with a paper towel.
Fruit and Fruit Juice
Mix 1 tbsp laundry detergent and 1.5 tbsp vinegar into a cup of water. Work the mixture into the stain and blot with a paper towel.
Grease and Oil
Sprinkle the greasy stain with cornstarch, leave it to sit for several hours then vacuum. Next rub in shaving cream (not gel) and let dry. then rinse off with a damp cloth.
Coffee and Tea
Don’t wait for the stain to dry act quickly with one of these 3 methods:
Method one: Pour soda water onto the stain and blot, repeat as needed.
Method two: Mix 1 part vinegar to 1 part water and pour onto the stain. Blot.
Method three: Beat an egg yolk and rub it into the stain. Blot with a clean damp cloth.
Ketchup
In order to remove ketchup stains, you need to act fast before it permanently sets in!
Sprinkle a generous amount of salt over the ketchup stain. Let sit for 5 minutes and vacuum. Sponge up any residue. Repeat salting, vacuuming and sponging the stain until the stain has completely gone.
Hire a Professional Carpet Cleaning Company
Lastly, if you really want to give your carpets a deep cleaning, hiring a professional cleaning company is the key to getting rid of all those stains. Not only does professional cleaning remove visible spots, but also gets rid of hidden allergens, dust mites, and bacteria. Amna Cleaning Services uses advanced steam cleaning and extraction methods to reach deep into the carpet fibres to release and eliminate any dirt trapped within. With a professional carpet cleaning service you’re not just cleaning your carpets, you’re bringing them back to their original, like-new condition.
