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Juice, java and general grime are no match for these homemade carpet cleaner solutions Plastic Roll Making Machine
Carpet can provide a soft spot for your feet to land, help dampen noises throughout a house and generally make a space feel cozier. But it can start to look dingy over time because of high traffic, accidental spills, pets and more. If you’re following a regular cleaning schedule, you likely vacuum your carpets weekly (if not daily). But every three to six months, it’s time to really scrub those floors. That doesn’t mean you have to book it to the home center to buy commercial-grade carpet shampoo and rent a heavy-duty cleaning machine (though you can if you really feel the need). You can start by making a homemade carpet cleaner that will tackle spots and stains.
If you haven’t done a deep-clean in a while, get ready for some seriously satisfying results. I’ve spent nearly 15 years as a cleaning editor, testing out all the professional tips, tricks and tools that I write about in my own home. And I don’t know about you, but seeing a bucket of dirty water next to floor coverings that look brand-new gives me major motivation to continue my deep-cleaning streak and tackle other areas of the house.
To learn how to remove stains from carpets with DIY cleaners, I talked to three people who clean for a living to find out their go-to strategies. Here are cleaning pros’ top tips for getting those floor fibers spotless.
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Reviewed for accuracy by: Mary Marlowe Leverette, a highly regarded fabric-care, stain-removal and housekeeping expert with more than 40 years of experience.
To get the most effective results, it’s important to know what it is you’re trying to clean up. Removing chocolate stains from a rug isn’t the same as getting paint out of a carpet. And you’ll need to act quickly. Before applying any solution, blot up excess liquid with a dry cloth.
If time has passed or you just want to tackle general grime on your carpet, here are some DIY carpet-cleaning solutions to make with items you probably already have in your pantry or medicine cabinet.
Whichever carpet-stain remover you choose, do a spot test first, says fabric-care, stain-removal and housekeeping expert Mary Marlowe Leverette. Some dyes are not stable, and the ingredients of the cleaner can change the color of the fibers. She recommends dampening a cloth with the cleaner and rubbing it on the carpet in an inconspicuous spot. Wait for the area to dry, then check the color of the carpet.
For beverage spills or animal stains, a simple soapy-water solution might be just the trick. Tendy Takaidza, a former housekeeper and founder of the Clean Loft YouTube channel, stresses that you should use only clear dish soap in a homemade carpet cleaner—a colored soap could potentially discolor the carpet fibers.
With years of experience in the carpet industry, Richard Turner, the director of technical services and programs at the Carpet and Rug Institute, offers some key carpet-cleaning advice: Don’t get your carpets too wet. They could delaminate, which means the layers separate from one another. For that reason, he recommends applying most DIY cleaning solutions to the surface with a spray bottle.
For everyday spills, like coffee stains, Takaidza likes to use a hydrogen peroxide solution.
Ammonia is a commonly used ingredient for all types of cleaning challenges. And dingy carpets are no exception. Just know that you should never mix ammonia with bleach, as the combination could be toxic.
For a targeted spot treatment, natural cleaning expert Becky Rapinchuk, owner of Clean Mama and the author of Clean Mama’s Guide to a Healthy Home, likes a one-two punch of vinegar and baking soda. The vinegar adds moisture that the baking soda then reacts with to lift the stain and deodorize the carpet.
Once you’ve used your homemade carpet cleaner to get your floors looking good as new, follow with a DIY deodorizer to remove any lingering smells and freshen your space even more. Making your own carpet deodorizer is surprisingly quick and ultra-economical. You can store your homemade cleaner under your sink to use whenever you need to freshen up your carpets and rugs, upholstery, mattresses, dog beds and more.
I’ve got a 13-year-old hound dog who spends much of the day on his bed and, truth be told, it can start to stink. I put this DIY deodorizer to the test there so I could share my results.
It couldn’t be simpler to make. I mixed up the fragrant powder in a mason jar and punched a few holes in the lid with a screwdriver. I sprinkled it onto Grant’s bed and let it sit for 30 minutes (while he looked at me wondering when he could hop back on and go to sleep).
The homemade cleaner definitely helped get rid of that dog smell. After vacuuming, the bed had a fresher scent than before. Next time, I might add a few extra drops of essential oils for added oomph.
Whether you’re removing stains or simply freshening up your carpets after a few months, the key to success is making sure you remove as much moisture as you can after cleaning. That’s where a carpet-cleaning machine can really come in handy. Its powerful suction will pull a ton of moisture from your floors in a short amount of time. If you choose to go that route, you can still whip up a homemade carpet cleaner rather than using the chemical-heavy store-bought options.
Leverette suggests checking the user guide or website of the carpet cleaner, especially if the appliance is rented, before using a homemade cleaning-solution in the appliance. It may void the warranty. Once you’ve done that, follow the simple steps below.
“Many spot-removal solutions leave residues in the carpet that may attract soil,” explains Turner. So you may need to “rinse” the treated area several times to remove any remaining solution. You don’t want to oversaturate your carpet, however, so Turner recommends putting lukewarm water into a spray bottle and misting the area a few times, blotting up the liquid with a dry cloth between spritzes.
You do not need to rinse after using vinegar, notes Rapinchuk. While it may leave a temporary “pickle smell” in your home, it will dissipate as the vinegar dries.
DIY carpet cleaners don’t expire, per se, but since the above solutions are so simple and many require lukewarm water as a base, it’s best to make them on an as-needed basis. Plus, Takaidza points out, homemade solutions don’t have preservatives in them like their store-bought counterparts do.
The best homemade carpet cleaner is the one you have handy! All our cleaning pros stressed that speed in responding to a spill is your best defense against discoloration and will prevent a more stubborn stain down the line.
Whether you’re cleaning your carpet by hand or using a carpet-cleaning machine, be sure to test whatever solution you select on an inconspicuous spot first to make sure it doesn’t discolor your carpet’s fibers.
Rapinchuk says most homemade carpet cleaners will also work on upholstery. As with carpets, it’s important to do a spot test of your solution in an unnoticeable spot first to make sure no discoloration occurs.
You can wash your carpet at home with water and a rag or mix in an additional ingredient or two (try the experts’ suggestions above) for added oomph.
At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. For this piece, Stephanie Sisco tapped her experience as a longtime home and cleaning editor. Then fabric-care and stain-removal expert Mary Marlowe Leverette gave it a rigorous review to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. For this piece, we relied on reputable primary sources, including longtime housecleaners and a leader in the carpet- and rug-cleaning industry. We verified all facts and data and backed them with credible sourcing, and we will revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
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