Carpets adorn your home with impressive elegance. Available in innumerable prints and patterns, these floor beauties exude a welcoming feeling of warmth. However, only if they are spick and span. Accidents happen, and carpets are usually always the victims. Prone to spills, splashes and stains, carpets demand regular upkeep and occasional deep cleaning.
Worried about expensive bills generated by carpets cleaning professionals? The solution resides right within your home. While regular vacuuming is enough maintenance, it’s equally important to put on your cleaning gloves and get rid of that messy business through deep cleaning. Scroll through these carpet cleaning hacks that will surprise you. Call it a DIY carpet cleaning project and follow these smart cleaning hacks to keep your carpets pristine like ever (at least till the next spill).
Stain Removal with an Iron
This technique is really as easy as it sounds. It’s a three-step process with no prerequisites. First, make sure the stained area is vacuumed to ensure no hard particles are left around. Then, damp the spot with a towel concentrated with a mixture of water and vinegar in a ratio of 3:1. Leave the mixture for approximately five minutes. Don’t rub! Lastly, place the moist towel over the stain and use a heated iron. The pressure and heat tend to lift the stain into the towel. Stop ironing when the stain is all absorbed. Tad-da!
Never Rub, Only Dab and Blot
Whenever we see a stain, the first instinct is to rub it away. This practice is a big ‘no’ with carpets as rubbing leads to spreading and worst, permanent discolouration. Use a sponge or a cloth to soak the stain. And, pay attention to what direction you blot. Blotting inwards from outwards prevents the stain from spreading.
Homemade Deep Clean
No carpet cleaning professional will ever share the secret solution they use. Use this DIY carpet cleaning method that is used by pros. Mix the following ingredients and make a non-toxic solution: three-fourth cup of Hydrogen Peroxide, one-fourth cup of white vinegar, two spoons of dish-washing soap, five essential oils drops, two spoons of fabric softener and about 3.5 litres of hot water. Mix, lock and load in your deep cleaning machine and give your carpet thorough tidy slides regularly.
Carpet Freshener
There are high chances that your carpet smells like feet post a party. Disgusted by that foul smell? Try spraying a mix of 10 to 20 drops of essential oil with 450 grams of baking soda. Shake profusely and spray the freshener over your carpet. Wait for five minutes and vacuum it. Smart and fragrant, this hack works wonders when you have guests coming over.
Removing Pet’s Soiled Stains
There’s not much to say when pets relieve themselves on your grand carpet. Although organic carpet cleaners do the trick, they cannot entirely be depended upon. Keep your own carpet cleaning hack handy to treat those soiled areas and make removing stains a less tearful journey. Firstly, clean the area as much as possible immediately. Next, prepare a mixture of white vinegar (one cup) and lukewarm water (one cup) and spray the solution over the soiled surface. Let it sit for five minutes and blot away with a dry cloth. If the stain remains, sprinkle baking soda and clean it with vinegar. This carpet cleaning hack is actually a lifesaver when training your pet.
Freeze Those Gums
The streets outside are full of gum spits. Sometimes, unknowingly, you track those gross gums inside your home and onto the carpet. What a nightmare that is! Well, the easiest cleaning tip here is grabbing a few ice cubes and pressing them against the gum for a minute. As it hardens, use a spoon to lift the blob and cut the carpet strands close to that gum. Trimming that small portion is the trick that makes the spot unnoticeable.
Baking Soda for Oil Spills
Oil stains often get ignored and darken with age if not treated right away. Dabbing with hot water doesn’t exactly do the trick. A smarter technique is spilling liberal amounts of baking soda on the stain. Leave the soda until the stain gets absorbed and the powder forms a dry crust. Vacuum the crust and proceed with dabbing the stain after maximum oil is absorbed. This simple carpet cleaning tip will revive your carpet’s essence.
Shaving Cream as Cleaning Agent
Shaving cream is the cheapest and one of the most effective removers for several carpet stains. Apply the cream to the stained area and leave it for half an hour. When dry, blot out the cream using a dry white cloth and finish off by spraying vinegar-water (equal ratio) on the affected area. Now, this is what we call the easiest DIY right out of your grooming shelf.
Carpet Fluffing Technique
The furniture resting over your carpet often leaves behind pressure dents. Not many know that those cavities can actually be treated with a simple DIY hack that brings the carpet back to life. How? Place ice cubes over the dent and wait for the water to dissolve completely. Once melted, take a soft towel and blot up the excess liquid. Be careful and press softly (hard pressure will dent it again). Now, lay a moist towel over the dent and iron it back and forth. When the fibres feel dry, stop ironing and fluff up the spot with your hands gently.
Carpets as floor cloaks will naturally accumulate filth and often require time to time dusting. Patience, process and practice are key to breathe new life into your carpet. Although self-cleaning tricks work out well momentarily, getting carpet cleaning by professionals (once in six months) is highly recommended to extend your carpet’s life longer.
For professional inputs and insights on your carpet or complete home decor, HomeLane is the destination for you. Talk to our in-house experts to build the home of your dreams.
