How to clean carpet at home: a review of quick and effective methods

Every housewife should know how to clean carpet at home and return it to a neat and fresh look. Regular maintenance is also necessary to prevent the appearance of dust mites, mold and mildew, and rapid wear of the floor covering.

How to vacuum carpet correctly?

The main way to clean carpet is to use a vacuum cleaner. A broom is not suitable for this purpose, because thick twigs do not penetrate deep into the pile and do not remove fine dust. Vacuum the carpet at least 2 times a week.

It is advisable to use S-shaped nozzles. First, the carpet is vacuumed against the direction of the pile, removing dust and debris from the lower layers, then vice versa to prevent deformation of the loops.

Pay attention to the type of pile. For carpets with cut loops, brushes with stiff bristles are suitable. But long and soft bristles require a regular nozzle.

Do not turn on the wet cleaning function on the vacuum cleaner if you are cleaning natural fiber carpets. This will lead to rapid damage to the product.

Dry cleaning

Over time, the pile accumulates so much dust and dirt that even after using a vacuum cleaner, the carpet remains untidy. It takes on a gray tint and becomes hard. Therefore, it is recommended to dry clean the carpet 1-2 times a month.

First you need to choose a brush. They come in three types:

manual;
mechanical;
electric.

Hand brushes are cheap.If you only need to clean the carpet in one room, you can do it in 20-30 minutes. A hand brush allows you to get rid of even microdust. To wash carpet from dirt, choose products with fine bristles that do not deform the pile.

Mechanical brushes are easy to use (no need to bend your back), but are more suitable for cleaning floors. With their help, you can clean the carpet only from large debris: crumbs, hair, pellets of dust and wool.

Electric brushes have the same mechanism of action as mechanical ones, but speed up the cleaning process due to the built-in motor. Dust is drawn in more strongly.

Mechanical and electric brushes (as well as their dust collection housings) must be cleaned regularly. Otherwise, you will simply be throwing debris from one part of the carpet to another.

How to dry clean carpets?

Without removing the carpet from the floor, sprinkle dry powder on it. Use a brush to evenly distribute the product over the entire surface.
Wait 15-30 minutes (depending on the degree of soiling of the carpet).
Run a soft bristle brush over the carpet, picking up the powder.
Use a vacuum cleaner.

Instead of special carpet cleaning powder, you can use regular baking soda.

Three benefits of dry cleansing:

maintains a dirt-repellent coating on carpets;
does not lead to deformation of pile loops;
After dry cleaning, moisture does not accumulate in the carpet, which means it is not at risk of fungi and mold.

Popular dry cleaning products

Carpet cleaning powders contain adsorbents that absorb dust, dirt and grease well. However, some products contain aggressive chemicals that can ruin the color of the carpet and the structure of the pile.

We recommend that you purchase one of two powders that have positive reviews. When used correctly, they will not damage your carpet.

Udalix Ultra for carpet cleaning

Can be used dry or diluted with water until foam forms to remove stains from carpet. One bag (100 grams) costs only 80 rubles, and is enough for 30 square meters. The product allows you to refresh the appearance of the carpet, remove stains of dirt, sauces, and drinks. Eliminates unpleasant odors.

The powder is not suitable for long pile carpets.

Vanish Gold Powder for Carpets

A 650 gram package costs 470-500 rubles. It not only cleans and refreshes the carpet, but also removes old stains. If you need to clean wool or other natural pile carpeting, test the product on an inconspicuous area first. The powder is left on the floor covering for 20 minutes, and then proceed to cleaning.

Vanish Gold contains 5% oxygenated bleach, so be especially careful when using the powder on dark-colored carpets.

Wet cleaning

Despite all the advantages of dry carpet cleaning, this method does not allow you to get rid of old stains. And in the household chemicals store there is a much larger selection of shampoos and liquid concentrates for carpets than powders.

Wet cleaning is done no more than once a month. It absolutely cannot be carried out in relation to the following carpets:

made of wool;
with long pile;
with a “fluffy” coating.

Stains on carpet are spot cleaned. And be careful not to smear dirt over the entire surface of the carpet.

How to wet clean carpets?

Go over the carpet with a vacuum cleaner.
Dilute a tablespoon of liquid product with a liter of water.
Pour the resulting solution into a spray bottle and spray evenly over the entire carpet.
Leave the product for 0.5-2 hours (or for another time specified in the instructions).
Wipe the carpet with a damp cloth, sitting directly on the floor, and go through with a vacuum cleaner (or immediately use a washing vacuum cleaner, if you have one).
Open all the windows in the house to allow the carpet to dry thoroughly.

We recommend testing the product before cleaning the carpet. Pour shampoo (concentrate) into a bowl of water and leave overnight. In the morning, pour the liquid out of the dishes. If there is soap residue left on the walls of the bowl, then the same thing will happen to the carpet after cleaning. Sticky residue on carpeting will attract dirt and dust.

There is an alternative method of wet cleaning, familiar to many people from childhood. If it's winter outside, ask family members to help you take the rug outside. Place it on the snow and beat it well. This way you will get rid of not only dust, but also dust mites.

The best wet cleaning products

A good carpet cleaner must meet the following requirements:

do not leave light stains or smudges on the surface;
clean the pile from old stains of dirt, blood, drinks;
dry quickly;
do not contain chemicals harmful to the respiratory system.

Which liquid products meet the above conditions and have proven themselves well?

Shampoo “5+”

It is applied to the carpet in the form of lush foam, which avoids excess moisture. Suitable even for natural pile carpets. Contains a color-preserving additive and optical brightener, so after cleaning the carpet looks like new. The shampoo removes static electricity and eliminates unpleasant odors. A liter of “5+” product costs about 160 rubles.

Liquid concentrate “Drop of Vox”

Another inexpensive domestic product (80 rubles for 0.5 liters) that removes dust and dirt from the carpet. Not suitable for removing old stains. The advantage of the concentrate is that it does not need to be washed off with water after cleaning. Also, “Vox Drop” contains a pleasant aromatic additive.

Vanish Oxi Action Spray

It is convenient because it does not need to be diluted in water, but can be immediately applied to the carpet. Designed primarily to get rid of old stains. The disadvantage is the high price - 310 rubles per 0.5 liter.

Foam cleaning

The foam contains components that corrode dirt (alkalis, acids, alcohols), abrasive substances for absorbing dust and a detergent base. It is an intermediate cleaning method between the use of dry powders and wet cleaning. Suitable for natural pile carpeting because it does not leave excess moisture on the product. Apply to contaminated areas of the coating for 20-40 minutes and then remove with a vacuum cleaner.

Examples of good foam brands:

Vanish Gold (450 rubles for 600 ml);
Tuba (325 rubles for 600 ml);
Nordland (300 rubles for 600 ml);
“Carpet cleaner” from Luxus Professional (480 rubles for 600 ml).

How to remove stains from carpet using folk remedies?

As you can see, many cleaning products are not cheap. And sometimes there is a need to quickly remove a fresh stain (from spilled coffee or juice, blood) from the carpet, and there is simply no time to go to the household chemicals store. Fortunately, skillful housewives know how to clean carpet using folk remedies.

If you spill something directly on the floor, do not rush to rub the stain, otherwise unsightly stains will remain on the carpet after it dries.Absorb excess moisture with paper towels, then apply a little baking soda and salt to the stain. Then go over the contaminated area with a vacuum cleaner. After complete drying, begin treating the stain.

Each type of pollution has its own folk remedies and procedure. For clarity, we suggest you familiarize yourself with the table below.

Type of spot	Means	Procedure
Tea coffee	Citric acid, liquid soap	Dilute 10 grams of acid in 100 ml of water, add a little soap. Apply to a dry stain and rub with a sponge until foam forms. Leave for 30 minutes and vacuum up.
Fruit or vegetable juice	Salt, citric acid, soap	The procedure is the same as when removing tea (coffee) stains, only at the very beginning, apply a spoonful of salt to the stain and leave until dry.
Blood	Hydrogen peroxide	Rub the stain until it completely disappears.
Dirty shoe print	Baking soda, salt	Sprinkle salt and baking soda on the wet footprint to help them absorb moisture faster. After drying, use a vacuum cleaner.
Urine smell	Table vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, soda	Dissolve 30 ml of vinegar in 100 ml of water and spray with a spray bottle. Then sprinkle baking soda on the carpet. Mix 50/50 soap solution and peroxide, apply to the area, rub the carpet until foam forms. When everything is dry, remove the remaining product with a vacuum cleaner and wipe the carpet with a damp cloth.
Ink	Acetic acid (50%)	Apply the product to the stain and clean the carpet with a damp sponge until the stain discolors.
Wax, chewing gum	Ice cubes	Wrap ice in a plastic bag and apply to the stain for 30 minutes.Then scrape off the frozen wax (chewing gum) using a metal object: nail file, nail scissors, knife

Thus, cleaning carpet at home is a responsible undertaking that requires certain knowledge. Abuse of wet cleaning, incorrect choice of shampoo or powder lead to rapid wear of the carpet. Before cleaning, pay attention to the type of pile, and also test the product on an inconspicuous area of the carpet.