Between confinement-related boredom and spring cleaning, your interior is shining brightly right now. However, carpet maintenance can be a tricky issue and is often put off until later. Still, dust, pet hair, crumbs and stains start to show. In addition, unpleasant bad odors are becoming more and more noticeable. So, motivated or not, there is no question of neglecting the cleaning of rugs and carpets. The question is how and with what to clean your carpet. Grandma gives you all her tips for deodorizing, cleaning and reviving this sometimes fragile decorative object without damaging it.
Bonus idea: Also consider making the car floor mats while you’re at it. It also needs a little refreshment!
What tools to clean your carpet?
Of course, you need a vacuum cleaner to clean most of the carpet. Besides, we are not all equipped with a shampoo machine or a steam cleaner. However, it is sometimes possible to rent or borrow to a neighbor on mutual aid sites between neighbors or loans. Otherwise, a lint-free microfiber cloth, a good sponge or a soft brush will do the trick for scrubbing. However, avoid using the brush and using too vigorous movements on the most fragile carpets. If you have animals, also provide something to remove the hair. A silicone squeegeeand dishwashing glove or a nylon tights remove them in one pass.
Some easy-to-apply maintenance steps
Regular maintenance helps preserve the shine and color of the carpet. To do this, vacuum your carpet very regularly to remove as much dust and mites as possible. To neutralize unpleasant odors and revive its beauty, it is also possible to sprinkle baking soda on it. Once a week, leave this deodorizer to act for at least an hour and vacuum up the remaining powder for a long time. Please note that you can add a few drops of essential oil to your baking soda before sprinkling it. to give the carpet a good smell. Otherwise, mix the bicarbonate with spices or aromatic herbs (rosemary, cloves, lavender, etc.), again to freshen the smell.
What products should you use to clean the carpet?
To do a major cleaning, vacuuming and sprinkling baking soda won’t be enough. Take your cleaning tools and combine them with these ecological and economical products:
– Warm soapy water (dishwashing liquid, Marseille soap or black soap ideally)
– A starchy infusion made from water and potato peelings
– Sparkling water to best preserve the colors
Test your eco-friendly cleaning solution on an inconspicuous corner of the carpet to make sure it doesn’t stain. Then apply it without over-moistening the carpet. Otherwise, it will be impossible to dry and it will rot. So work with little product on the brush or sponge. Then let it dry quietly.
Finally, how to clean stains from carpet?
Very often, a little white vinegar with a few drops of dishwashing liquid will suffice against stubborn dirt and stains. Excellent stain remover, black soap mentioned earlier is also an outstanding stain remover. Even more surprising, shaving foam (not the gel) is very effective on most stains. For these three stain removers, leave on for a little before rinsing. Please note that it is also possible to consider the use of white wine on red wine stains. Finally, let’s remember the most effective tip against stains. To make it, you need to spray a mixture of water and white vinegar. Then cover with a damp cloth and a hot iron programmed on the steam program. After 30 seconds, remove the iron and repeat if necessary.
In addition, discover 8 techniques for cleaning a carpet depending on the type of stain