Carpet isn't as trendy as tile or hardwood, nor as DIY-friendly as laminate flooring, but it's still a popular and versatile flooring option. It's cozy and comfortable underfoot, there's a color or pattern available to suit any decor and a price to fit any budget. Its real downside is that when it gets dirty or stained, you can't just toss it in the washer like you do with your clothes. When that happens, you could call in the pros or rent a carpet steamer, but first try one of these handy household hacks.
The
same liquid detergent you use to wash your dishes deserves an honored
place in your stain-treating kit as well. Stir a few drops of dish soap
into a cup of warm water, then use a spray bottle to mist the stained
area heavily. Scrub it in with a soft cloth or a brush, then blot it up
with your cloth. Dish soap is especially good at getting out food stains
and anything greasy — that's what it's for — and once the stain is gone, you can rinse it away easily by blotting it up with a cloth soaked in clean water.
This is a weird one, but it genuinely works.
There are foamy stain removers and soapy stain removers, after all, and
shaving cream is both soapy and foamy, so it's logical enough. Spray
shaving cream directly onto the affected area, then rub it down into the
pile of the carpet with a cloth or brush. Let it sit for at least 30
minutes, or as long as overnight, then scrub off the shaving cream with a
wet cloth. It's great for tough stains from food or coffee spills, and
unlike some DIY stain removers, its smell isn't overpowering or
unpleasant.
Another
of the most versatile cleaning products in your house is hydrogen
peroxide, and it's just as adept at sprucing up your carpets as
everything else. Just spray the stained area with peroxide or wet a
cloth and blot it in, then scrub at the stain with your cloth or a
brush. If you want to help the peroxide cling to the carpet's fibers,
make a paste of it with cornstarch or cream of tartar and scrub that
into the stain with a brush. Scrub it off or let it dry and then vacuum
it up. Peroxide also disinfects and deodorizes, so it's a great
"full-spectrum" cleaner.
When
pets or toddlers have an "accident" on your carpet, or have too many
treats and vomit in the middle of the floor, baking soda is your friend.
Start by wiping up the mess as well as you can, then sprinkle baking
soda over the entire area and rub it in with a cloth or paper towel.
Once it's dry, you can vacuum up the residue. Baking soda doesn't just
clean up the spill, it also disinfects and gets rid of the odor. That's
important, and not just because the smells are unpleasant. Pets are
creatures of habit, and once a spot smells of urine they're more likely
to use it again for the same purpose.
If
you're right on the scene when a spill happens, reach for the nearest
bottle of soda water. Diluting the stain and keeping it wet helps
prevent the stain from setting, and the effervescent bubbles in the soda
water will help lift the potentially staining substance out of the
carpet's fibers. Pour it liberally over a sponge or absorbent washcloth,
then use those to scrub the stain and blot it up. Repeat as necessary.
Beer, another quintessential foaming beverage, works the same way and may be even better for getting up coffee and tea stains. Both are best applied while the stain is fresh and hasn't yet set.
Some of the toughest stains of all come from spills like ink or paint, things which are intended
to make a permanent mark. For those, you'll usually need some kind of
solvent to remove the stain before it sets permanently. One you'll
usually have around the house is nail polish remover. Use it to moisten
an absorbent cloth, and then use the remover to scrub and blot the stain
until it's gone. Paint thinner works much the same way, and so do
gasoline and dry cleaning solvent if you happen to have one or the other
in your basement or garage.
