How to Clean a Carpet at Home

Because of their fibers, carpets get dirty very fast. And cleaning the carpet at home often can help you maintain its condition and avoid spending lots of money.

5-Minute Crafts is going to tell you about several ways to clean carpets that you can try at home.

General recommendations on cleaning carpets

• Cleaning carpets regularly can help you prevent them from getting too dirty. Wash light-color carpets about once a week, and dark carpets — once a month.
• It’s better to remove the stains while they’re still new. Old stains might be almost impossible to remove.
• Before cleaning the carpet, remove all the dirt you can: including pet hair and other little pieces of dirt.
• If you are using new ways of cleaning, try them on a small area of the carpet to see how it reacts to the cleaning agent.

Cleaning with a detergent

You need:

• 1 tbsp of detergent
• 150 ml of hot water
• 1 tbsp of baking soda
• 7 tbsp of vinegar
• spray bottle
• sponge
• bowl of clean water

What to do:

1. Mix all the cleaning agents in a bowl.

2. Use the spray bottle to put some of the mix onto the carpet and let it get absorbed.

3. Use a dry sponge to wipe the carpet and pay extra attention to the dirty spots.

4. Remove the rest of the cleaning mix.

5. Let the carpet dry.

Cleaning with soap

You need:

• soap
• 1 liter of water
• grater
• deep bowl
• sponge
• brush

What to do:

1. Grind the soap on the grater and mix it with water.

2. Using a sponge, put the soap mix on the carpet and leave it for 30-40 minutes.

3. Wash the carpet with a brush, paying extra attention to the dirtiest spots.

4. Wipe the carpet with a clean sponge to remove the soap.

5. Let the carpet dry and clean it with a vacuum cleaner.

Cleaning with hydrogen peroxide

You need:

• 2 tbsp of baking soda
• 100–150 ml of hydrogen peroxide
• small deep bowl
• sponge
• brush

What to do:

1. In the bowl, mix the baking soda and the peroxide.

2. Put the mix on the carpet using a sponge and leave it there for 10-15 minutes.

3. Clean the carpet with a brush and let it dry.

Cleaning with citric acid

You need:

• 0.5 liters of water
• 1 tsp of citric acid
• 0.5 tsp of salt
• deep bowl
• brush

What to do:

1. In the bowl, mix the water, salt, and citric acid.

2. Put the mix on the carpet. You can use a spray bottle or a sponge.

3. Wash the carpet with a brush to remove the dirt and let it dry.

Cleaning with ammonia

You need:

• 2 tsp of ammonia
• 0.5 liters of water
• spray bottle
• sponge

What do to:

1. Mix the water with ammonia in the spray bottle.

2. Spray the mix on the carpet and wash it with the sponge.

3. Leave the carpet to dry and then clean it with a vacuum cleaner.

Recommendations on cleaning carpet, depending on the type

• It’s important to take the material of the carpet into consideration before the cleaning. Carpets made of natural materials require more delicate or even professional care (for example, silk carpets shouldn’t be cleaned at home). Carpets made of synthetic materials are easy to clean and you can do this yourself.
• Pay attention to how long the fibers are. Use liquid mixes for carpets with long fibers. Don’t use very rough sponges. so you don’t damage the carpet. For shorter fibers, you can use clean and dry detergents.
• The color of the carpet also matters. If you have a light color, use mixes with salt, baking soda, and soap. For darker carpets, use vinegar and ammonia — the foam might leave stains.