The Ultimate D.I.Y Carpet Cleaning Tutorial!
Oh no, ‘I spilt my drink on the carpet,’ or ‘I got vomit on my carpet,’ or maybe ‘my dog pee’d on the carpet.’ This may lead you to ask a simple question, ‘how do I clean my carpet?’
Whether you were not paying attention for a split second, had a big night last night, or your “innocent pet” took their freedom to the next level, here is a proven and powerful strategy to cleaning your carpet that professional cleaners don’t want you to know.
Items that you will need:
Shock Vac: for $50 you can get a shock vac from Bunnings.
Kitchen Items: Dish washing detergent, baking powder, non-pattern paper towels, a spoon, and a sponge.
Antiseptic Alcohol: Can be purchased at Coles or Woolworths, or your nearest supermarket.
Spray Bottle: You may wish to clean out a Windex bottle or use another spray bottle.
Step 1 Remove any mess
Remove all the mess, and vacuum the area if it is dry, with a standard vacuum cleaner.
Step 2 Create the ultimate solution
Every stain is different, but here’s one powerful solution that you can create that doesn’t damage the carpet.
Inside a large a bowl or cup, pour warm/hot water (roughly 250ml of water)
Put half a teaspoon of dish washing detergent into the bowl, (no more than this), and stir it in gently so that foam doesn’t arise.
Pour two spoonful’s of antiseptic alcohol, and mix gently.
Pour this solution into your spray bottle.
And now you have a powerful cleaning solution, but hold on to that antiseptic alcohol, you’re going to need it.
Step 3 Use the Ultimate Solution
For wet spots on the carpet, first powder on baking powder, this will absorb the odour.
Then pour white vinegar on the spot, let this sit for 5 minutes before rubbing it. Be mindful that you may damage the carpet by rubbing the stain, but if you do choose to rub, use a non-pattern paper towel or sponge.
Let this sit for 10 minutes before repeating, repeat until stain is removed.
For more dryer spots, Stains in particular:
Pour/spray the ultimate solution onto the stain, rub in the solution on the carpet with the back of a spoon, and let it sit for 3 minutes.
This will soak into the carpet for a bit and tackle the stain on the carpet.
Step 4 Time to Use the Shock Vac
Make sure to take off all the attachments to increase the power of the vacuum.
With just the suction of the shock vac you will be able to remove the stain by going over it. The suction of the vacuum will draw itself to stick to the carpet, and then all you need to do, is slide it over the stain to remove it. If it is not fully removed, just go to step 5.
Step 5 Repeat :)
Here is the trick, do not use the ultimate solution on the spot again. Just simply apply some more antiseptic alcohol to the carpet, and rub it in some more with spoon. And then vacuum again.
Do this until you are satisfied.
Now if somehow this did not work for you, and you are not sure if you did this process correctly, the stain may be well and truly be very stubborn. This can be due to leaving the stain in it’s place for too long. While repeatedly pouring white vinegar and antiseptic alcohol may make the stain less stubborn. Over doing this can ruin your carpet.
It’s time to resort to a cleaning professional. Call 0492 138 593 to find out more about what you can do or have a professional come to your aid.
In order to be more specific with the spot:
Vomit: the first thing you should do once the debris is removed, is place baking powder on the location to absorb the odour. Spraying Glen 20 on the area will also help to remove odours. Then use the ultimate cleaning solution to tackle the stain, however this time, you will need to allow this to sit in for longer than 3 minutes, it will need to be 10 minutes.
Spilt drink: If it’s alcohol, start with pouring white vinegar on the spot, and let it sit in the carpet for 5-10 minutes. Then use non-patterned paper towels to remove the stain. Make sure to dab instead of rub.
Hardened Particles: glue or play-doe can be removed using fabric conditioner, in which you spray fabric conditioner on the spot and let it sit for 15 minutes. With a squeegee, slide over the particles to simply remove them.