What our grandmothers used to clean carpets: 7 recipes for those who are tired of chemicals

I would like to share unusual methods of cleaning carpets that my grandmother told me about. I stopped using household chemicals for cleaning when my husband suddenly developed asthma. I myself also suffered from periodic rashes on my hands. The skin was terribly peeling and burning. Today many people suffer from this. At first I bought products in a store “a la natural”, but apparently there was something wrong with them too, because the problem did not go away. Seeing my torment, my grandmother told me what they used to clean carpets in the villages in her youth.

Spilled tea

The method is a little strange, but very effective. Spilled tea, or more simply put, tea leaves from drunk tea, is very good at removing dust and unpleasant odors from the doormat near the front door.

What should be done:

1. Collect as much used tea leaves as possible in a paper bag. Only fresh tea leaves that were brewed a maximum of a day ago are suitable.
2. Tea should be without additives, loose leaf, not bagged. Both black and green will do.
3. Slightly damp, but not wet, sleeping tea should be scattered over the carpet (about half a glass per 1 square meter).
4. Sweep away the tea leaves with a carpet brush and throw away.
5. It only takes 15 minutes to clean, and the dust and unpleasant odor disappear without a trace. At the same time, there is no waste, and health does not suffer.

You can also use the tea to clean large carpets. But keep in mind that tea leaves can get stuck in long piles and leave stains on light ones.

Salt

Salt can be used to clean not only carpets, but also upholstered furniture - sofas, kitchen corners. It is good because it absorbs all the fat and moisture. Sticky and matted pile is transformed after salt cleaning: it becomes fluffy, soft, crumbly. Even the color becomes a little brighter. And most importantly, salt does not irritate the skin and eyes. Grandmother said that it can even be used for disinfection, and inhaling salt dust is good for the bronchi.

What do we have to do:

1. Sprinkle the carpet with salt, spreading it evenly over the surface in a thin layer.
2. It’s better to take regular rock (coarse) salt, but you can also use finely ground salt.
3. Wet the brush with water and rub the bristles thoroughly.
4. Leave the salt for 30 minutes.
5. Collect it with a vacuum cleaner.

Don't be alarmed that the salt has turned brown. It was she who absorbed all the dirt from the carpet. By the way, using salt you can fight mold and pet hair. Its use is safe for wool, cotton and synthetic carpets.

Baking soda

Previously, soda was used to clean everything: pans covered with soot, plates, floors. She also cleaned the carpets. Baking soda is safe and non-toxic. You can even wash fruits with it. It acts almost the same way as salt - it removes greasy stains and raises lint. Plus, it destroys unpleasant odors and kills germs. I like to mix half and half salt and baking soda. But if you only have soda, it's okay.

The cleaning principle is the same:

1. Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet.
2. Brush vigorously with a damp brush.
3. We wait from 30 minutes to an hour.
4. We collect the browned soda with a vacuum cleaner.

Grandmother says there is no need to pour vinegar on the carpet. This is not a pie. The chemical reaction with the formation of foam does not affect cleaning in any way, and the smell will still be the same. Yes, and the pile will get wet, then try to dry it.

If you need to remove a stain, it is better to mix baking soda with hydrogen peroxide from the first aid kit. You want the mixture to be thick, like sour cream. Spread it on the stain (from fruit, wine, coffee, it doesn’t matter), wait 15 minutes, and wipe with a clean damp cloth.

Sauerkraut

My grandmother also said that in the villages they used to ferment cabbage differently than they do now, in jars. Having collected the harvest in the fall, a good half of the heads of cabbage were chopped and tightly stuffed into huge barrels. It stood all winter, and they ate it almost every day. They also rubbed sauerkraut on carpets. They collected it in a bucket, washed it, and squeezed it out. Then they rolled it over the carpet with a broom or brush. The whole cabbage turned black, with dirt and hair.

To save money, it was sometimes washed and reused. Grandma says that after cleaning the carpets with sauerkraut, the carpets shone and smelled pleasant. I didn’t dare to conduct the experiment myself. If anyone tries it, please share your impressions.

Sawdust

The dirtiest greasy rugs in the villages were cleaned with sawdust. This is a very effective recipe. True, not for apartment residents. I tested it on a country rug that I was about to throw out. He was lying on the veranda and smelled strongly of cats who looked in on us. There were also stains on it.

So, the recipe:

1. Prepare a strong soap solution in a bucket from 3 liters of water and 200 g of laundry soap.
2. Pour 100 ml of gasoline.
3. Pour sawdust into a bucket.
4. Let them soak for 10-15 minutes.
5. Spread sawdust over the carpet in a thick layer.
6. Sweep them away with a broom the next day.
7. Leave the carpet outside until the smell of gasoline disappears completely.

The carpet became clean - all the stains disappeared, and I finally remembered what color it was. It took a long time for the carpet to air out, that’s true. But now it doesn’t smell like anything.

Soap shavings

Until the 20th century, people did not know what household chemicals were. For cleaning and cleaning, they used laundry soap: they rubbed it on a damp rag or brush, and washed, washed, and scrubbed. A soap solution was used to clean carpets. Making it from bar soap is a long process. It will take 100 years before it dissolves. Therefore, chips were made from the block, which could be easily dosed.

The grandmother said that the soap was wrapped in a piece of rags and placed on the stove. The block heated up, became soft and pliable. Then it was grated. Soap shavings were used to wash carpets.

They were washed in the summer, in sunny and hot weather.

1. Heated 3 liters of water with 3 tbsp. spoons of soap shavings.
2. When the soap dissolved, add 3 tbsp. spoons of turpentine.
3. The solution was applied with a rag and thoroughly rubbed into the pile with a stiff brush.
4. Then the carpet was soaked with dry rags.
5. They hung it to dry with the design facing inward to prevent it from fading.

Washing powder

According to my grandmother’s stories, washing powders began to be used en masse when she was already well over 30. My mother and uncle were just going to kindergarten. There was a lot of laundry because they were very inquisitive and active children. My grandmother bought a Soviet powder called “Novost”. It turned out to be good news that it not only removes grass and juice stains from clothes well, but also miraculously removes stains on the carpet.

By the way, this powder is mentioned in the film “Office Romance” in the episode where Novoseltsev knocks over a glass of wine on the heroine’s dress. He sprinkles it with salt and says: “And then you will wrap it for me with you... I will spread it in the News.”

To remove stains from the carpet, when washing clothes, my grandmother soaked a cloth in a solution of washing powder and placed it on the stained area.While I was washing things, the stain became soaked. She wiped him with the same cloth. I decided to follow her example. True, for washing clothes I do not use ordinary chemical powder, but natural one.

Here is the prescription:

• 1 cup soap shavings (laundry or baby soap);
• 1 cup baking soda.
• Mix well.
• Store in a tightly sealed jar.
• For 5 liters of water use 2-3 tbsp. heaped spoons of powder.

This washing powder removes stains from clothes, bed linen, socks, blouses, and carpet with a 5+ rating. I dry the wet mark with a hairdryer. Fast, simple, and not expensive for the family budget.

To be fair, grandma cleans her carpets these days with modern products. One bottle lasts for six months, it doesn’t take up space, and you don’t need to sweep anything away. In old age, it is already difficult to bend down and sweep away the tea leaves. And in general, he says, it’s more profitable to buy special products than dozens of packs of salt or soda. I, too, would probably happily return to household chemicals if my health allowed. But no. I console myself with the fact that I am not harming the environment.