Wall-to-wall carpeting, a stair runner, or decorative rugs are subject to a lot of wear and tear and stain over the years. To prevent these soft surfaces from looking worn out and dingy, it’s important to clean your carpets regularly. Here are a few ways to get stubborn carpet stains out and keep your home feeling fresh.
Deodorize Bad Smells
Rugs and carpets can get stale and stinky over time, so be sure to deodorize these areas every few months as part of your regular cleaning routine.
To do: Sprinkle baking soda evenly across the carpet and let it sit for a few hours (or overnight), allowing the powder to absorb odors trapped within the fibers. Once finished, vacuum up the baking soda and voilà! – fresh smelling carpets.
Lift Up Dented Fibers
One of the clear marks that make your carpet old are dents is gradually formed due to the daily steps that walk on them or the areas that are underneath the legs of the table, couch, etc. You just need a fork, use the fork and run it against the dent to lift up the dented fibers. You will be shocked to see the weakened fibers raising up like the others again.
Remove Gum From Your Carpet with A few Ice Cubes
Here’s an all-too-familiar scenario: You step in chewing gum out on the street, but don’t realize it until you track that gross, sticky mess into the house and onto your carpeting. The trick to removing gum from carpeting can be found in your freezer.
To do: Grab a few ice cubes and press them against the gum for 30 to 45 seconds. Once the gum is frozen solid, use a spoon to lift up the glob, then use scissors or a sharp knife to cut the carpet strands as close as possible to the gum. If you cut only a small amount of carpet, the spot will be undetectable.
Spot-treat Common Stains
If you wonder how to get carpet stains out quickly and efficiently, try these DIY stain-removal ideas. And remember, the key is to blot and dab the stain rather than scrub it into the carpet.
Homemade cleaning solutions:
If you don’t want to use harsh chemicals, a variety of common household products can be used to create your own homemade carpet cleaner.
To treat pet stains, combine 2 cups of white vinegar, 2 cups of warm water, and 4 Tbsp. of baking soda and dab the solution on the mess. For coffee spills, soak up the liquid with paper towel and then apply a mixture of ½ tsp. white vinegar, ½ tsp. liquid dish soap, and 2 cups of warm water.
Club soda:
Pour a small amount of bubbly club soda onto red wine spills and blot the surface with a dry cloth or paper towel to lift the stain.
Rubbing alcohol:
Acetone-based cleaning products and rubbing alcohol can help lift highly-pigmented liquids and materials from your carpets such as lipstick, nail polish, or grape juice.
Steam Cleaning
Spot cleaning is a great way to treat one-off stains, but what happens when your entire carpet starts to look dingy? If you want to make your carpet look new, rent or buy a steam carpet cleaner.
These devices use high-pressure vaporized water to dissolve dirt, get rid of harmful bacteria, and kill bedbugs, fleas, and other carpet critters. If you’ve never used a steam cleaner before, follow these simple steps:
- First, vacuum your carpet thoroughly to remove dirt, dust, pet hair, and other loose particles.
- Fill your steam cleaner with distilled water as recommended and try adding a dash of white vinegar to help with deep-set stains.
- Run the steam cleaner back and forth across the entire carpet to sanitize and disinfect the area.
- Ensure your carpet is totally moisture-free before walking on it. Drying can take up to 12 hours so use a fan or dehumidifier if you need to speed up the process.
Keep the Surroundings Clean
You might think of it as an absurd idea but this is an essential part to keep your carpet dust and dirt free. Carpets tend to attract and seep in a lot of dirt and grit from your surroundings. Therefore, you must keep the area around your carpet clean. Do not allow the thrash to make its way into the carpet fibers.
