For a very long time, pretty much up until vacuum cleaners were invented in the early 1900s, carpets and rugs were hung over a washing line, or the back of a chair and beaten by hand. This only removed dirt and dust though.
In a bowl or small bucket, mix one part white vinegar with three parts water. Dip the bristles of the scrub brush into the solution and rub them into the carpet. Massage them into the fibers well (without fully saturating the carpet) and follow up with a cloth to help blot excess moisture.
If you don't vacuum your carpet, the dirt will break down carpet fibers and create a breeding ground for dust mites and bacteria. In addition, your home will begin to smell musty from the dirt, mites, and other organisms settling into the fibers.
Specifically, carpet cleaning professionals recommend that you vacuum your carpets twice a week. Vacuuming carpet twice a week will ensure that you keep up on removing the unwanted particles hiding in the carpet fibers.
Using baking soda as a carpet cleaner can help to freshen and revitalize your carpets in between regular professional cleanings. Baking soda is an inexpensive solution that is safe for your entire family and the environment; it will even help to get rid of odors and stains with ease.
Allow the steam to completely dampen the carpet. Use a scrub brush to work the damp mixture into the fibers. If you are using a steam mop, use the microfiber mop head or a carpet attachment to go over the baking soda mixture on the carpet. Again, use the scrub brush to clean the area.
Take a spray bottle and fill it with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water. Then simply spray this solution on your carpet and you're ready to go (a light spray is enough, don't soak the carpet). You can also use this method after cleaning the carpet as it will help the results last longer.
Mix 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup borax, and 1/4 cup vinegar, then apply this paste to deep stains or heavily soiled sections of carpet. Allow the paste to sit on the carpet for several hours until it dries completely, then vacuum it away.
Some companies will tell you that you need to have the rooms empty. Other companies might tell you that leave everything in place and they'll clean around it. Our advice is that you should be removing smaller items. Your breakables and your valuables really need to be moved.
Editor's Note: One of the most common strategies of keeping carpets clean in the early nineteenth century was to use druggets, heavy woolen goods spread under tables to protect carpet from spills. They are sometimes called crumb cloths. In addition to dining rooms they were used in other areas of heavy wear.
Does baking soda ruin your vacuum? Baking soda's minuscule size can clog the filters and potentially damage vacuum cleaners – particularly the motor. If you're using a bagless vacuum, the potential chokepoint would be the cyclonic filters and the post-motor HEPA filter. For bagged vacuums, it's the HEPA filter.
How Long Do You Leave Baking Soda on Carpet? When cleaning your carpet with baking soda, let it sit for at least 15 minutes. The longer the baking soda stays on the rug, the more odor, dirt, and oil it will absorb, for a more thorough clean. Try leaving baking soda on the carpet overnight and vacuuming in the morning.
One very well-known and powerful stain removing agent that has been used for years is baking soda. The primary benefit of using baking soda to remove stains and other aesthetic blemishes from your carpet is that it is completely safe and non-toxic.
While some websites sing the praises of vinegar as an all-purpose cleanser, it simply shouldn't be used on carpet. Here's why … Vinegar is great for countertops, but it's one of the least effective solutions out there for removing dirt from carpet fibers.
Fluff it up
Matted carpet can easily be brought back to life. Spritz a little warm water onto the matted area then gently blow-dry with a hairdryer as you fluff the carpet fibres back into place with your fingers, the edge of a spoon or a hairpin. Allow the carpet to dry completely before walking on it.
Detergent Carpet Cleaner
For synthetic carpets: Mix ¼ teaspoon of a translucent liquid dishwashing detergent, such as Dawn or Joy, into one cup of lukewarm water. For natural fiber carpets: Mix one teaspoon of translucent liquid dishwashing detergent, such as Dawn or Joy, into 1 cup of lukewarm water.
Overall, carpets sustain much less damage from regular vacuuming than they do from dirt left in the carpet. This is is important to note as frequent vacuuming remains one of the best ways to keep your home clean. For general carpet protection, run your vacuum over high-traffic areas of space.
It is in the best of your interest to hire a professional carpet cleaning service merely because of their experience. This helps them to do a much better job than you can do it yourself. Further, their equipment has more extraction power than anything available to you.