How to clean a dirty carpet at home. How can you clean your carpet with baking soda and other home remedies at home (with video)? Annual snow cleaning

A beautiful soft carpet brings a feeling of warmth and comfort to the house, has good heat and sound insulation properties, and decorates the interior. But in order for the carpet to continue to delight you with its beautiful appearance for many years, it needs regular maintenance and cleaning. Dust and debris accumulate on the carpet rather quickly, and over time, simple cleaning with a vacuum cleaner is no longer enough. There are several effective and easy ways to clean carpets at home.

When is cleaning necessary

Smell. If the carpet looks clean on the outside, but has an unpleasant smell, then it must be cleaned. The smell most often appears if pets live in the house. Either the carpet lies in the kitchen or in the immediate vicinity and absorbs the aromas of the food.

Dust. The carpet should be cleaned of dust at least twice a week, or even more often as needed. A vacuum cleaner and a damp sponge work well for this purpose. A vacuum cleaner works well for carpets with long pile. Cleaning should be done along the pile, with smooth movements; it is better to walk 3-4 times in the most polluted places.

Spot. If you accidentally spill or spill something on the carpet, try to clean the stain right away. Once the dirt has been absorbed and worn down, it will be much more difficult to remove the stain. Clean the dirt from the edge to the center. The best way to remove chewing gum from the carpet is with ice. Gum hardened under the influence of cold can easily be removed from the nap.

Cleaning carpet with home remedies

Snow. Cleaning in the snow not only cleans the carpet of dust well, but also gives it an extraordinary frosty freshness. The carpet needs to be spread out, sweep snow over it with a broom, wait a few minutes until it melts and sweep away the remnants. It is good to repeat this procedure 2-3 times, each time moving the carpet onto clean snow.

Salt and tea leaves. This cleaning requires coarse table salt. It should be spread evenly over the entire surface of the carpet and left for an hour. Then soak a hard broom in hot soapy water and brush off the salt. For dark rugs, you can use tea leaves instead of salt. It will make the carpet colors look fresher and brighter. You need to use drunk tea leaves, having previously squeezed it well.

Mix with gasoline and sawdust. To prepare such a cleaning agent, you need to mix equal proportions of gasoline and liquid detergent, moisten sawdust with this solution and distribute them over the carpet, and after an hour sweep it with a broom.

Vinegar solution. To prepare the product, take 1 tablespoon of food vinegar per 1 liter of warm water. Before processing, it is necessary to vacuum the carpet well, then use a brush soaked in solution to thoroughly clean the carpet in the direction of the pile. Vinegar not only cleans dirt well, but also brightens the color of the carpet.

Turpentine and washing powder... This mixture gently and safely cleans the carpet from dirt. To prepare the product, you will need 2 tablespoons of turpentine, half a teaspoon of ordinary washing powder and 1 liter of water. The solution must be evenly applied to the carpet, and after drying, remove with a soft sponge. It is better to dry the carpet by weight.

How to remove stains

The choice of carpet stain remover depends on the nature of the stain, its size and how old the stain is:

  • Alcohol stains are first wiped with a soapy solution of washing powder, and then washed off with a vinegar solution.
  • Stains from fruit and vegetable juices lend themselves well to cleaning with a solution of ammonia and water.
  • Tea and coffee stains can be removed with a solution of glycerin (1 tablespoon of the product per 1 liter of water).
  • Sauce stains disappear under the influence of a soap solution and gasoline.
  • Eau de toilette and perfume stains can be removed with a warm solution of washing powder.

Wool carpet cleaning

Woolen carpets require particularly careful and careful maintenance, otherwise such a covering will quickly lose its rich and attractive appearance. Here are some basic tips on how to care for your virgin wool rug:

  • Once a week, you need to dry clean the carpet with a vacuum cleaner.
  • 1-2 times a year, the carpet should be taken out into the yard and carefully knocked out.
  • Wet cleaning is best done with a special detergent for woolen carpets to avoid damage to the structure or color of the carpet. It is advisable to vacuum the carpet before wet cleaning.
  • It is not recommended to use hard bristled brushes for cleaning.

To avoid wasting a lot of time and effort on carpeting, carry out a monthly maintenance cleaning, and remove stains as soon as they appear. When wet cleaning, make sure that the carpet is well dry, as dampness can significantly damage the structure and color of the carpet.

A high-quality and correctly selected carpet can rightfully become the main decoration of the house: fluffy, soft, warm and beautiful. But over time, such a shortcoming of it, such as rapid soiling, a property inherent in any floor covering, makes itself felt. Is it possible to effectively keep the carpet clean at home, or is the only solution to dry cleaning?

Carpet cleaning at home: methods and secrets

Before starting cleaning, you should know in advance what methods you need to exclude from your arsenal so that the carpet remains fresh and beautiful for a long time, and does not lose its appearance after several washes. It:

  • brushes with stiff bristles, because they can noticeably damage the pile;
  • washing and cleaning against the lint;
  • washing carpet in unventilated areas;

And, also hot water (over 50 degrees), because high temperatures can destroy the adhesive backing of the carpet and cause the natural fibers to shed.

In addition, do not walk on the carpet immediately after cleaning, let it breathe a little and dry thoroughly.

Compliance with these rules will allow the carpet to retain its softness and color saturation for a long time.

Dry wash

Cleaning without water is possible if the dirt on the carpet is minimal. It can be carried out using salt, soda or special industrial cleaning agents.

For the first method, you will need regular salt, which we use for food. It must be evenly distributed over the entire surface of the carpet and rubbed with a brush until the grains of salt begin to darken, absorbing dirt from the pile. Then it remains only to walk on it with a vacuum cleaner, and the cleaning is over.

The same algorithm is used to clean the carpet using soda. It should be scattered evenly over the entire area of ​​the carpet and rubbed well with a brush. But after the soda gets a dark color, it must be left for 5-7 minutes and only then can you start vacuuming the carpet.

You can dry the carpet with a special powder or foam. Each manufacturer, of course, has its own instructions for the products it produces, but in general it boils down to the following:

  • Spread the product over the carpet.
  • Rub it lightly into the pile and leave for 1-2 hours.
  • Vacuum the carpet.

When using foam, damp areas may remain on the carpet; they must be dried with a hair dryer.

These methods are suitable for cleaning lightly soiled carpets. If persistent or old spots have formed on the carpet, they will have to be removed in more radical ways.

Wet carpet cleaning with home methods

In cases where dirt cannot be dealt with with dry cleaning alone, a wet wash using salt, soda, tea leaves or even sauerkraut will come to the rescue.

Salt-based cleaning solutions
Add the juice of one lemon to a kilogram of salt, mix well and distribute the mixture over the surface of the carpet, leaving it to act for 20 minutes. After this time, we moisten the broom in hot soapy water and begin to sweep salt from the carpet. This method of cleaning will not only help to deal with dirt, but also eliminate unpleasant odors. When all the salt has been swept away, the carpet should be dried.

A solution of salt with citric acid also has good cleansing properties. For one liter of water, add 10-15 g of acid and a tablespoon of salt, mix well. Then, periodically dipping the brush into the resulting solution, we begin to clean off the dirt from the carpet. With such cleaning, damp areas remain on the carpet, which must be dried.

Vinegar
Acetic acid will help clean the carpet from dirt and remove unpleasant odors. The solution is very simple to prepare: add a tablespoon of vinegar to one liter of water. In the resulting solution, you need to periodically moisten a brush with medium-hard bristles, shaking off excess liquid back into a basin or other container.

This cleaning is most effective on natural fiber carpets. For man-made materials, vinegar is dangerous and can damage them.

It is best to dry the carpet outdoors after cleaning with vinegar, so take it outside if possible, or open the windows indoors to create a slight draft.

Baking soda
Dissolving a quarter cup of baking soda in three quarts of water makes an excellent cleaning agent. For convenience, the resulting mixture can be poured into a spray bottle, well sprayed onto the surface of the carpet and left for 30 minutes, then vacuum cleaned. If the solution is supplemented with the juice of one lemon, then it will be possible not only to clean the carpet of dirt, but also to return the former freshness of the paints.

Sauerkraut
You can also clean the carpet with the help of such, at first glance, inappropriate, purged, like finely chopped sauerkraut. After rinsing and squeezing through several layers of gauze, scatter it all over the carpet and start brushing it right over the cabbage. When it gets dirty, rinse it again, wring it out, and repeat the entire cleaning process until the cabbage is no longer dirty.

This method will not cope with stubborn and old stains, but it will help to refresh the carpet and remove surface dirt.

Tea brewing
You can also clean the carpet using tea leaves, it does not matter, from black or green tea. But this method is only suitable for floor coverings in dark shades. It is not recommended to clean light-colored carpets in this way.

Another disadvantage of this method is that for cleaning, you need to collect a fairly large amount of tea leaves, which must be pre-dried and stored in a dry place, otherwise mold will start in it. If this does not scare you, then with a small supply of tea leaves, you can try to clean the carpet with it.

To do this, fill it with water and wring it out. Spread the slightly damp tea leaves all over the rug and let sit for half an hour. Then sweep it away with a damp, clean broom or just vacuum it up.

If you have the opportunity to clean the carpet outdoors, then in winter it can be done using snow, and in summer using shampoo or powder.

We use snow for cleaning
A "snow" wash will not only achieve cleanliness, but also give the carpet a pleasant frosty freshness.

To do this, you need to take the carpet out into the street and put it with its front side on clean snow, then walk on it or beat it with a mop or stick for 3-5 minutes and let it lie like this for about half an hour. Then turn over and sweep away dirty snow from its surface, then pour fresh snow and clean everything again.

After that, the carpet must be hung on the crossbar and the remnants of snow and dirt must be carefully knocked out.

At home, the carpet must be spread on the floor and allowed to dry completely.

Washing on the street
If you live in a private home, you can wash your carpet outside. This should be done on clean asphalt. Spread the rug face up and use a generous amount of water to hose down. Then spread a special powder or shampoo over the carpet surface, following the instructions, and brush the pile with a brush. After cleaning, rinse the carpet with a high pressure of water, and use a mop to remove any residues.

Leave the carpet outdoors for 2-3 hours. After it dries slightly, you can hang it on the bar for final drying.

Get rid of certain types of stains

In some cases, washing the entire carpet is impractical. This usually applies to those cases when the carpet itself is clean, but several fresh stains have appeared on it.

So, soap solution will save from spilled tea or coffee, which must be applied to the stain and wiped with a sponge. The solution itself is also washed off with a sponge, but with clean water.

Fresh blood is easiest to remove with cold water. If the stain is dry, cover it with a piece of wet cloth for 30-60 minutes, then wash it with cold water and powder.

If you need to clean off any gum marks from the carpet, just put something cold (ice in a bag, for example) on that spot. The low temperature will harden the remnants of the gum and you can scrape them off with a knife.

Wax stains, on the other hand, are removed with high temperatures. Cover the tracks with a piece of paper and run over it with a hot iron. The wax will begin to melt and absorb into the paper. Repeat the procedure until the next sheet is clean.

Some consider the carpet an indispensable element of the style and decor of the room, while others consider it a completely unnecessary thing that collects dust and dirt. Indeed, this piece of furniture easily gets dirty and loses its original colors, however, proper and regular maintenance will preserve its beauty and brightness for a long time.

Video: how to clean carpet easily and effectively

A floor carpet is one of the most useful things in the house, providing extra coziness and comfort. But they only have one drawback - it is rather quickly susceptible to dirt that spoil its appearance. To find out how to clean your carpet at home in the simplest ways, read my article today.

The specifics of cleaning carpets made of different materials

It is very difficult to single out an absolutely universal carpet cleaner from stains. When choosing a detergent, you must first of all take into account the material with which you are going to work. I will dwell on this point in more detail.



Long pile

Perhaps the most "fastidious" type of carpets, their is a laborious process. From constant use, wool or hair is clogged in the base of the carpet, which is difficult to clean. And if you accidentally sprinkle something on it, then even a vacuum cleaner cannot be done in one go.


There are two important points to keep in mind when thinking about cleaning a long pile carpet.

  1. Never use a hard brush to do this, as it could damage the adhesive backing of the accessory.
  2. It is best to use soap suds to penetrate the fibers and clean them out.

If you have a steam cleaner in your arsenal, you can walk it through problem areas.

Short-haired

The short-pile carpet can be cleaned with both dry and damp cleaning. If you just need to revitalize the color and give the carpet a neater look, then use the following method.


  • Dissolve the shampoo in a little water, add a few drops of ammonia. Pour the liquid into a spray bottle.
  • To disinfect the surface, you can add 1 ml of tea tree extract to the mixture.
  • Spray the liquid all over the carpet, wait for the pile to dry, and then vacuum it.

Based on natural materials

A natural carpet can only be cleaned gently:

  • silk can only be processed with a vacuum cleaner, as it does not tolerate moisture;

  • for fur, sheepskin and wool, cleaning with a soft brush and soda is suitable, these materials are prohibited.

Based on synthetic materials

Synthetic materials are unpretentious in maintenance, but also short-lived - such a carpet, after 5-6 years of operation, will lose its former gloss and will look unkempt. To take care of synthetics, it is enough to treat it with a soda solution and a brush twice a week.

Carpet color

Care methods largely depend not only on the materials, but also on the color of the carpet.

  1. Do not under any circumstances treat light-colored models with lemon juice - it will form yellow spots on the carpet. Use laundry soap shavings from inexpensive ingredients. A concentrated soap solution will cope with the most contaminated areas, dissolving them in literally an hour and a half.

  1. Cleaning dark carpets eliminates the use of soda, starch or potatoes. Despite the fact that they can remove the dirt, white streaks will remain on the fabric, which will be difficult to get rid of. But ammonia is indispensable, it is an ideal substance that will not only get rid of stains, but also make the pile softer.

Folk Ways to Clean Carpets

You have mastered the main features of cleaning carpets made of different materials. It's time to talk in more detail about the tools that you can use in the process. I will say right away - there are a lot of options before you.

Soda


When talking about how to use folk remedies to remove carpet stains, you can't do without mentioning baking soda. It is an excellent absorbent for dust and dirt. It is very simple to use it - just sprinkle 5 tablespoons of soda over the stain and after half an hour collect the rest with a vacuum cleaner.

Ammonia


Above, I have already mentioned the cleaning properties of ammonia, but I want to dwell on its use in more detail:

  • first, dilute 10 ml of alcohol in 500 ml of water;
  • add a teaspoon of washing powder to the solution, and stir everything well;
  • Apply a small amount of liquid to the stain and rub it gently with a soft brush;
  • wipe the surface with a dry cloth and let the material dry.

Lemon juice


Lemon juice can quickly deal with stubborn dirt (dried dirt, ink). It must be applied undiluted to the problem area and wait one and a half to two hours. After that, treat the place with a damp sponge dipped in a little warm water. This must be done, otherwise the surface will remain sticky.

Laundry soap


Laundry soap can be used successfully to combat almost any stain, whether it is wine, coffee or tea. It is not worth lathering the carpet directly, it can give the pile a "washed out" look... But using a soap solution is not only possible, but also necessary:

  • grate the soap;
  • dilute 5 g of the resulting sawdust with 0.5 l of water;
  • use a soft brush to spread the soap solution over the area of ​​contamination;
  • try to clean out the dirt with light movements, then treat the problem area again.

In the end, you just have to wipe the carpet with a damp cloth.

Vinegar

Table vinegar is effective in treating fresh surface stains. Mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar with 0.7 liters of water, soak a brush in the resulting solution and wipe the existing dirt thoroughly with it. Fear not, the characteristic vinegar smell will not remain in the room forever, but will disappear after airing the room.


Snow or cold water

Fresh blood stains, pet marks, or dirt can be removed with regular cold water. Instructions for using it are nowhere easier: start intensively rubbing the surface with a brush dipped in ice water. Then wait until the product is completely dry.


The method using snow is no less simple. It will help clean even a snow-white long-pile carpet. Take the material outside, sprinkle it a little with snow, and then beat it well with a broom or a special stick.

For greater effect, repeat the procedure several times. Then bring the carpet home and let it dry. If you want to get rid of dust mites in the coating, hang a carpet on the balcony in frost for a day.

Sauerkraut

This is perhaps the most unusual way from the list. It is based on sauerkraut (yes, the one that many like to crunch). It must be used according to the following scheme:


  • take a small amount of sauerkraut without vinegar, squeeze it well. To get rid of the characteristic smell, rinse the cabbage under running water;
  • Spread the product evenly over the surface of the carpet;
  • take a brush and start cleaning the material by rolling the cabbage over it;
  • when the cabbage becomes dirty, pick it up with a broom, rinse it thoroughly and sprinkle it over the carpet again;
  • repeat the procedure until the cabbage is clean after touching the carpet.

After processing, let the material dry, vacuum and enjoy the result. Now you know such an unusual way of cleaning the carpet with your own hands.

Washing "Vanish"

One of the most versatile and common ways to clean carpet is to use Vanish. The first thing you need to consider is that you should not rub the substance into the carpet abundantly, this will not bring much result.


Carpets should be cleaned according to the following scheme:

  • Vacuum the surface and remove any debris and dust. If you do not vacuum first, the carpet will stain after cleaning..
  • Dissolve 10 ml of the product in 90 ml of warm (not hot) water.
  • Beat the Vanish well until a persistent foam forms. The more foam, the more effective the result will be.

  • Using a sponge, apply the foam to the carpet, spreading it evenly over the surface. Do not overdo it with moisture, otherwise the material will settle down a little later and its appearance will deteriorate significantly.
  • Rub the foam in circular motions, then let it dry. Drying time will depend on the type of material.

Summing up

I told you how to wash the carpet at home effectively - with whatever comes close to hand. I'm sure you can definitely choose something for yourself among the methods, and the process of bringing the carpet to the ideal will become much easier.

You will learn more secrets and tricks on the topic from the video in this article. If you still have questions, be sure to ask them in the comments.

A carpet is not only an element of the interior that makes the floor warmer and the space of the room more comfortable, but also a collector of dust, scattered small debris, spilled liquids. It is important to clean your carpet regularly and do it correctly.

Rules for cleaning carpets at home

There are several important rules for cleaning carpets in a house or apartment, the observance of which will help not only get an excellent result, but also greatly facilitate the process itself:
  • At least a couple of times a week, it is necessary to clean the carpet from the ubiquitous dust with a regular vacuum cleaner.
  • To kill bacteria and disinfect 1-2 times a month, be sure to use a washing vacuum cleaner or steam generator.
  • At least one day a year should be devoted to rug knocking. It is best to do this outdoors during the winter. Cleaning with fresh snow after knocking out will only benefit your carpet.
  • If you stain the carpet, start removing the dirt immediately. You will have to work much more to remove stubborn stains.
  • Never use hot water to clean carpets. It can hopelessly ruin the pile.
  • To avoid damaging the fibers, it is best not to use brushes with very stiff bristles. It is also not recommended to rub the carpet against the grain. If you ignore this rule, you risk getting a carpet with huge bald spots.
  • If your carpet is made from natural materials or has a light color, be careful with any new detergents, both store and folk. In order not to accidentally ruin an expensive coating, try a new product on a small area on the least noticeable side.

Secrets of cleaning different types of carpets

Not all carpet cleaning methods are universal. Some products are suitable for cleaning certain types of coatings only. For example, if you decide to clean your snow-white rug with tea leaves, the result in the form of dark spots firmly embedded in the light pile is unlikely to please you. This is why it is important to take into account the following tips and tricks for caring for different types and colors of carpets.

Long pile

The longer the pile of the carpet, the more difficult it is to clean. For high-quality cleaning of such a coating, you should not use folk remedies that involve scattering something small over the carpet: sawdust, tea leaves, and the like. You will have to spend more than one hour before you can "pick out" scattered sawdust or bran from the bases of the villi. Of course, the quality of such cleaning is unlikely to satisfy you.

Long pile should also not be cleaned with brushes with stiff bristles, otherwise it is possible to damage the base on which the villi are glued, as a result of which they will fall out.

The gentlest and safest method of cleaning long pile carpets is with soap suds. The foam from the soap quickly removes dirt, easily penetrating into the villi, and leaves no residue behind.

Modern steam cleaners do a good job of cleaning hairy carpets. With their help, you can not only refresh the entire surface, but also get rid of stains.

Short-haired

Short pile carpets are much more popular than long pile carpets. They are easy to clean, dirt and stains from such coatings can be removed without any problems. If you are the proud owner of a short nap carpet, choose any of the following methods of cleaning.

Light shades

It is not recommended to clean carpets of light shades with folk remedies that can leave traces (lemon juice, tea leaves, etc.).

From folk remedies for cleaning white and light carpets, shavings of ordinary soap intended for household needs will do the best. The shavings dissolve in a small amount of water (approximately 250 ml for half a bar of soap). With the resulting solution, treat (with a brush) the entire surface or only the most contaminated areas.

If you prefer chemical detergents, choose one designed to care for light colored carpets.

Dark shades

Dark carpets should not be cleaned with baking soda or starchy products as they leave noticeable whitish stains and streaks.

Otherwise, caring for dark carpets is not particularly difficult. To clean such a carpet, you can use any vending store or folk remedies.

Made from natural materials

Carpets, for the production of which natural materials were used, need the most careful and gentle cleaning. To care for them, it is better to use special chemicals or mechanical cleaning methods.

Due to high humidity in natural fibers, fungi and mold can easily start; therefore, it is not recommended to subject carpets to frequent wet cleaning.


Silk-based coatings do not tolerate moisture at all, so they can only be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner.


Fibers from fur, wool, sheepskin are best treated with baking soda and a soft-bristled brush. They can also be treated with a steam generator.

Many insects (for example, moths) are not indifferent to natural fibers, which instantly accumulate lumps of dirt and dust, therefore, in order not to turn your carpet into a kind of "reserve", you need to vacuum it at least 2 times a week.

Synthetic

Unlike surfaces made from natural materials, synthetic carpets are unpretentious and do not require any special maintenance. To prevent the coating from losing its original appearance, and the pile not to fade or crumple, it is enough to vacuum the carpet a couple of times a week. From time to time, for high-quality cleaning of synthetic fibers, you can do wet cleaning using chemical detergents or folk remedies.

Folk remedies

Housewives seeking to minimize the amount of household chemicals used will like the folk remedies tested by our great-grandmothers. They not only clean carpets efficiently, but are also very affordable, unlike expensive chemical carpet cleaners.

Sauerkraut

Ordinary sauerkraut is able to perfectly clean the carpet from dust accumulated over a long time. For this, cabbage is suitable, which has been fermented without the use of any additives and acetic acid.

Put the cabbage in a colander and rinse thoroughly (this will help remove the characteristic sour smell). Squeeze the washed cabbage and spread it over the entire surface of the carpet. Wait about 10 minutes, walk with a brush, then sweep the cabbage into one pile, place under running water and rinse thoroughly. Spread the washed cabbage back on the carpet. Repeat the entire procedure 2-3 more times. Finish the session by drying the carpet and using a vacuum cleaner.

Bran, sawdust, fine salt

Finely ground salt, sawdust or bran is an excellent natural dry cleaning agent for carpet. To clean dirty carpet with salt (bran, sawdust), you need to evenly distribute it over the entire surface, and then walk with a stiff brush. Collect the salt that has absorbed the dirt molecules with a vacuum cleaner or a broom. Repeat the manipulation until the collected salt is clean.

Soda with vinegar

You will need a spoonful of baking soda, 100 grams of vinegar, 100 grams of water, a spoonful of any laundry powder. Mix all ingredients. Pour the resulting composition into a spray bottle. Spray the carpet with a freshly prepared product, wait 10-15 minutes, then scrub with a sponge. At the end, it is advisable to use a washing vacuum cleaner or walk with a wet broom.


Another method for cleaning carpet using baking soda, toothpaste, and vinegar is:

Tea brewing

Using tea leaves, you can not only clean the carpet, but also get rid of the unpleasant odors that have saturated it. Do not try to use tea leaves on a light-colored carpet, as it may leave visible stains.

To clean dark carpets, spread 6-8 tablespoons of fresh tea leaves over the entire surface, wait until it is completely dry, and vacuum.

You can use brewed leaves of not only black, but also green tea, preferably without additives.

Snow cleaning

With the help of recently fallen snow, you can qualitatively clean and refresh carpets, rugs and other coverings. In order to succeed, it is important to choose the right weather. You should not take the carpet out of the house on a warm or slushy day, since in such weather it is unlikely that you will be able to knock all the dirt out of it. Rather, it will only smear and seep even deeper into the fibers. A frosty, snowy and sunny day is the perfect time to clean the carpet with snow.

The carpet should be spread on a clean and dense snow cover. Sprinkle the surface of the carpet with snow and start knocking out the dust (using a long strong stick or a special knockout device). Then transfer the carpet to clean snow and repeat the procedure. You can stop cleaning the carpet when there is no dirt left on the snow after knocking out.

To make the carpet easier to dry at home, the remaining snow must be swept away with a clean broom or brush.

Chemical detergents

Chemical detergents clean carpets better than traditional ones. The chemicals contained in store products, due to their low concentration, do not pose a danger to children and pets.

The most effective and popular detergents among experienced housewives include:


This video compares the results of cleaning a carpet using a Vanish chemical cleaner and a steam generator from the same popular brand:

Mechanical cleaning methods

Mechanical methods of cleaning carpet include the use of a washing and conventional vacuum cleaner, as well as a steam generator.

A regular vacuum cleaner is designed for weekly dry cleaning of carpets at home. It removes dust, debris and other small dirt, but it cannot cope with stains.

The washing vacuum cleaner is designed for regular damp cleaning of carpets and other textiles. The washing vacuum cleaner provides a better and more thorough cleaning, as it allows you to literally "wash" and "rinse" the fibers of the coating. Combined with a good chemical cleaner, the vacuum cleaner cleans the carpet almost perfectly.


The steam generator is another wonderful device that not only perfectly cleans the carpet, but also disinfects it, and also removes stains, dirt, and removes bacteria that live and multiply rapidly at the bases of the villi. If you have a steam generator, there is no need to dry-clean the carpet.

How to remove stains

Liquid

Fresh stains from spilled liquids (tea, juice, coffee, lemonade) can be easily removed with ordinary soapy water. To prepare it, you need to dissolve a quarter of a bar of laundry soap in 500 ml of hot water. Moisten contaminated areas with soapy water and rub with a brush.

Old stains from drinks are removed in the same way, only before using a soap solution, surfaces with stains are treated with glycerin.

Bloody stains are perfectly removed with cold water without the use of any aids. A dried blood stain must be soaked first. To do this, use a wet cloth. After about 20 minutes, when the stain gets wet under a rag, remove it with a sponge moistened with plenty of cold water.

Paraffin, wax

Wax or paraffin wax left on carpets can be cleaned up by exposure to low or high temperatures.

Take a small piece of ice, wrap it in a bag or plastic wrap, and place it on the spot. After a couple of minutes, the frozen wax drops will easily separate from the fluff.

You can also use a heated iron. Prepare a tissue that can easily absorb liquids, place it on the stain, and iron it several times. The high temperature will melt the wax and be absorbed into the napkin.

Chewing gum

To remove the gum stuck to the carpet, you need to apply ice to it and leave it for 10 minutes. Frozen chewing gum can be easily peeled off with a knife (it is better to take a butter knife or any other non-sharp knife).

Pets urine

Traces left by poorly bred pets can be removed with an acetic-soap solution. To prepare it, you will need a liter of water and a couple of tablespoons of acetic acid and grated laundry soap. Mix all the ingredients. Using a sponge, apply the resulting cleaning solution to the stains, leave for a couple of minutes, rub, rinse with water.

The fresher the stain, the easier the vinegar-soap solution will deal with it, so it is best to start removing the stain as soon as it is found.

Turpentine is an excellent grease stain remover, so it is recommended to always have it in stock. To remove both fresh and old stains of any fat, use the following recipe: 1 spoon of turpentine, 1 spoon of shavings of laundry soap, 1 liter of water, mix everything. Apply the resulting stain remover with a sponge on the dirt, leave for 10-12 minutes, then walk several times over the carpet with a brush dipped in clean water.

Alcohol

Spilled alcohol stains on the carpet should be dampened with cool water as soon as possible. After 2-3 minutes, cover them with clean absorbent wipes to remove excess liquid. Then mix a spoonful of vinegar (apple cider or wine), a spoonful of dishwashing liquid, 800 ml of water. Clean the carpet with a brush soaked in this compound. Wait until the carpet is completely dry, vacuum.

Cologne, perfume

Cologne and perfume spilled on carpet will leave visible stains. To get rid of them, try to thoroughly lather the area of ​​contamination with ordinary laundry soap, wait about 20 minutes, wipe with a wet sponge.

Perfume stains can also be removed with ammonia and oxalic acid. First, wipe the stained areas with a cloth soaked in ammonia, then dilute a spoonful of oxalic acid in 250 ml of water and treat the stains with this compound.

Ink

Ink stains can be removed with rubbing alcohol. Take a small piece of cloth, saturate it with rubbing alcohol, and dab the stain. Do not rub it to avoid smearing ink all over the carpet. The carpet cleaning procedure will take 25-35 minutes. From time to time, dampen the cloth with rubbing alcohol and reapply to the stain. Once the stain has disappeared, dab over the carpet with a damp sponge.

Chocolate, nail polish, plasticine

Gasoline with sawdust is a great remedy for removing stains from chocolate, nail polish, plasticine, and some other types of stains at home. This tool remarkably removes not only fresh, but also old stains, which are very difficult to clean even with commercial chemical detergents.

Before starting to remove stains with gasoline and sawdust, you need to vacuum the carpet and then sprinkle the dirty areas with sawdust soaked in a mixture of soapy water (500 ml) and gasoline (50 ml). Drying, sawdust absorbs dirt, resulting in stains disappear. After 2-2.5 hours, when the sawdust is completely dry, you need to sweep the carpet with a broom and then vacuum it.

The carpet can be cleaned with both chemical and folk remedies. In order for it to retain its appearance for many years, it is important to do it regularly and according to the rules, as well as to be able to select cleaning agents for each specific type of carpet.