How to spot clean carpets.
There's nothing more frustrating and aggravating then walking into your living room with a nice big plate of nachos or a glass of red wine and then-crash!-instead of in your hands, it's on your carpet. Or maybe you've just had the carpets cleaned and the kids come home from school and track mud all over the place, and then grind it into the carpet. Or what about that time when your toddler was finger painting and decided that the paper you gave her just wasn't a big enough canvas? Spills and messes happen all the time. Spot cleaning your carpet when something happens can keep your carpet clean and means that you won't have to pay as much for professional carpet cleaning and carpet replacement. Here are several ways that you can spot clean your carpets to keep them looking good, no matter what your kids or your dinner guests or your husband puts them through.
Carpet Cleaning Solution 1
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1. Put ¼ c. mild liquid dish detergent (bleach free) and 1 gallon warm water in a bucket.
2. Mix them thoroughly.
3. Test the solution on an out of the way spot on your carpet to make sure that it doesn't turn it some strange color of blue or something like that.
4. Put the solution in a spray bottle. Spray it on the carpet in a small area (about 2 to 3 feet). Alternately, use a sponge and sponge the cleaning solution onto the carpet after wringing out the excess water.
5. Using a brush with medium bristles, scrub the solution into the carpet.
If you are cleaning a particular spot, then scrub or brush from the outside of the spot towards the inside. Otherwise, you will just end up spreading that red wine all over your carpet. The idea is to contain and to sop it up.
6. Get out a clean sponge. Immerse this sponge into clean water, wring out the excess, and pass it over the cleaned area in order to remove any extra solution that is remaining.
7. Repeat step 6 as many times as is necessary until no more soap is coming up out of the carpet onto your sponge.
8. Choose another area of your carpet. Repeat steps 4 through 7.
9. Using a white, lint free, and clean towel, gently blot all cleaned areas until they are dry.
10. If you have any particularly nasty stains that just won't come out, attack them with a clean toothbrush.
11. After the carpet has dried completely, you can fluff the carpet and bring the nap of the carpet back up by brushing it with a brush that has stiff bristles.
12. If you are cleaning a carpet with wool fibers, use a different solution. Instead of using the mild detergent, combine ¼ cup of wool-care detergent, like Woolite, along with the 1 gallon of warm water.
Some more tips:
1. You can also use club soda to clean your carpets. Club soda will get out stains without the soapy residue that can attract even more soil and dirt and grime.
2. You can also use Dow Scrubbing Bubbles or similar cleaners. Make sure that you test this on an area of your carpet to ensure that it won't discolor any part of your carpet. Simply spray, scrub (softly), and then blot the carpet until it's dry.
3. You might also be able to use Simple Green, as long as you dilute the solution so that it doesn't destroy your fabric.
4. Use straight white vinegar. Just pour it on a rag and scrub. One warning, however: this will make your house smell like vinegar for about a day.
