Vinegar, baking soda, and salt are common household items that can be used as carpet cleaners. Soften a carpet by mixing fabric softener, hot water, clear vinegar, and dishwashing detergent.
In many cases, using plain water in your carpet cleaning machine is enough to flush out soil and dirt. You can even add a bit of dishwashing detergent to help freshen the carpet. (Dishwashing soap with grease-cutting capabilities can even help remove certain oil-based stains.) Dish cleaners are safe and gentle.
Carpet shampooing can be accomplished by hand or steam cleaning using heat, water, and detergent to loosen and remove tough stains, spills, and odors. The fastest and most economical way to clean your carpet is to rent a steam cleaner from a hardware store.
Yes, you should keep cleaning the carpet until the water is clear. This will ensure that your carpets are clean and free of dirt, dust, and other allergens. However, you should be careful not to scrub too hard or use too much water. Doing so can damage the carpet and lead to more stains in the future.
Laundry Detergents aren't Formulated for Carpet Cleaning
Of course not! Cleaning solutions are specifically formulated to clean and not damage the machines they're used in and the material they're treating. Laundry soap is designed to be used in washing machines to clean clothing.
Mix dishwashing liquid and hydrogen peroxide and pour on the stain. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes, then blot dry. Repeat until the stain lifts.
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.
Baking soda is great for cleaning and deodorizing carpet, and it's also great to clean multiple areas throughout your home.
Vinegar and baking soda are still the best solutions when it comes to a carpet stain or odours. All you have to do is combine the two substances with warm water and you have a highly effective homemade remedy for carpet cleaning.
The short answer is that you should not use vinegar for carpet cleaning. There is truth to the idea you can use vinegar as a natural disinfectant for cleaning but it cannot remove dirt or soil from a surface or from carpet.
You have to rinse the carpet removing all the excess soap. Now, take mix half cup of fabric softener with one gallon of warm water. Spray that solution over the entire carpet and allow it to set for about 2 minutes. You have to extract and rinse with clean water now to get soft and fluffy carpet.
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.
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.
Start by sprinkling baking soda over the carpet and vacuum thoroughly to remove loose debris. (The baking soda also works to remove odors.) Add two drops of carpet shampoo and warm water to a clean spray bottle. Spray the mixture over the carpet, taking care not to saturate the fibers.
Dish Soap. While dish soap won't get as bubbly as laundry detergent, it's still not something you should use to clean a spill. When you use dish soap, the soap gets rid of the dirt and possibly even the stain, but it might seep into the fibers of the carpet.
A recent report in The Telegraph newspaper suggested that washing up liquid beats most carpet cleaners. While that may be true for a small minority of stains, it is not recommended for all. What's more, concentrated washing up liquid can damage a carpet or leave it feeling sticky to the touch.
Carpet Cleaner Compatibility
You can use most carpet shampoos in any type of carpet cleaning machine. However, some solutions may have specific requirements, such as an upright or water-based machine.