How to clean carpets: the best low-cost do-it-yourself remedies
How beautiful the carpets! With their colors and their softness they are able to characterize every corner of our home with style. Of course, however, it is not easy to always take care of it. Because if a new carpet is soft and shiny, it is also true that a stain is enough to ruin it. With this little guide, you will discover how to remove stains without resorting to a professional wash and how to return your carpet to its former glory without effort. To keep the carpets clean, the first rule is to pay a little attention. And it goes for the whole family!
Mistakes not to make with carpets
In the event of a stain it is important to act quickly to remove it effectively with one of the natural remedies that we will illustrate below. It will be useful to dab the stain with water to prevent total absorption: if you act in a short time you could have an excellent chance of having a good result immediately. And if the water alone seems too little, you can try it with a few drops of shampoo. When it comes to carpets, never beat them too vigorously and never put them in the washing machine: disaster is assured.
Another mistake not to make is not reading the instructions for specific carpet cleaning products: they often require long rest times. Whatever product you want to use, finally, do not do it immediately on the whole product but test its effectiveness on a small hidden area.
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Home rugs are truly splendid accessories capable of warming rooms and domestic environments. It is important to keep them well clean both for aesthetic reasons but also for health, because a dirty carpet can cause allergies. With this little guide you will find out how to clean a carpet with natural remedies: these are all ingredients you already have at home, a nice saving right?
There are many ways to clean your home naturally without resorting to chemicals. The carpets are just the beginning!
See also: How to clean the house in an ecological way: tips and tricks to respect the environment and save money!
© iStock How to clean the house in an ecological wayHow to clean carpets: the ingredients you have at home
An excellent ally for cleaning carpets is salt, which is particularly suitable for red wine stains. Sprinkle the spots with coarse salt and wait for it to turn red before dabbing everything and removing the salt. Repeat the process as many times as necessary until it wears off.
Baking soda is suitable for stained carpets. Just sprinkle the stain with baking soda and then pour a little warm water over it. Dab with a clean cloth and repeat the operation until it disappears completely. Another ingredient that you surely have at home and that can be very useful for cleaning your carpets is lemon juice, which can remove stains and disinfect. But pay attention to its effectiveness: it is similar to bleach so use it only on white carpets or you will end up ruining them.
For stubborn stains on carpets you can also use Marseille soap dissolved in water or a natural remedy widely used at home: the mixture of water and vinegar. Then there is an ingredient that you would never have thought of among the natural remedies for cleaning carpets at home: shaving cream. A valid alternative to detergent foams on the market, as long as it is colorless and free of additives. It is applied on the stain and left to act for 20 minutes after this time it washes off gently with a damp cloth. However, if your carpet cleaning needs do not concern a single stain but the cleaning of the entire carpet, the only way to save money and avoid professional washing is to have a steam cleaner. Under normal conditions a carpet should be cleaned every 6 months, but if there are pets in the house or many people, clean the carpet more frequently.
How to clean your carpet
The rugs are not all the same: there are those in wool, warm, for living room, those in more elegant and refined silk, those in very resistant acrylic materials or in natural fibers suitable for indoors and outdoors. Depending on the material your carpet is made of, you can then choose a specific washing treatment. Do you have a wool rug? A professional would opt for dry cleaning but you can also try your hand at home washing. First remove the dust with a vacuum cleaner and then immerse it in cold soapy water and comb it carefully. Finish with drying in the air and in the sun, holding the rug inside out. Is your carpet made of silk? Remember that it is the most delicate material. To clean it, use only baking soda. Sprinkle the entire carpet, leave it to act for an hour and then remove everything using a vacuum cleaner. This process is also suitable for cleaning carpets made of acrylic materials. What if your carpet was made of natural fibers? If you have a natural fiber carpet, you can clean it with soap and water and then let it dry in the open air.