It is good to have a carpet in your home. This piece of equipment not only insulates the floor, but also gives the interior a cozy feel. However, it is enough to spill something on it to reveal its main shortcoming.
However, even this is not so significant that you should give up the pleasure of walking on a soft carpet. There are numerous home methods to remove even the most persistent stains. It is not worth rushing to give the carpet to a dry cleaner or to buy special cleaning agents. You can remove stains from your carpet on your own, at home, with the help of easily available products.
The main advantage of “grandma’s” methods is that you usually have all the necessary cleaning agents at hand. There is no need to run to the store to buy some untested chemical with questionable effects on the environment and your health. Baking soda, ammonia solution, hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, sauerkraut and even tea grounds can help you remove stains from your carpet.
Baking soda is ideal for removing fresh drink stains. Its main advantage is that it not only removes dirt, but also neutralizes unpleasant odors.
So when you happen to spill your morning coffee on the beautiful beige carpet in the living room, run to the kitchen for baking soda. Spread it evenly in quite a thick layer on the still damp stain. Wait half an hour and remove the baking soda with a vacuum cleaner.
Baking soda is not good for removing old stains that have eaten into the fabric, even after soaking. If you do, the baking soda will only penetrate the bristle structure and prove ineffective.
If you don’t have soda on hand, you can use salt or potato starch to remove the stain on your carpet.
An ammonia solution is good for removing stubborn stains such as dried blood or red wine. This natural cleaner penetrates deep into the fabric and removes stains easily. However, ammonia is better to use on light colored carpets – dark colors can discolor.
The least pleasant aspect of carpet cleaning with ammonia is its pungent smell. If you are ready for it, prepare a solution of water and ammonia, combining these ingredients in the ratio of 1:1. Using a soft bristle brush, wipe the dirty surface thoroughly with this mixture. Wipe the stained area with a dry cloth. Once you have done this, let the carpet dry on its own. It is not worth to speed up the process because when the carpet is slowly drying, the ammonia does not “idle”, it removes especially those contaminants which are especially deeply rooted in the pile. Once the stain is dry, air out the room. The smell of ammonia will quickly disappear.
You can also use hydrogen peroxide to remove stubborn stains. It can easily deal with wine, coffee, tea or tomato sauce stains. As in the case of ammonia, it is better to use it to remove stains from light carpets – dark colors may fade. There is only one “but”. You will need a significant amount of hydrogen peroxide to remove the stain.
So, mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda or ¼ cup of dishwashing liquid with ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and use it to apply the solution on the surface to be cleaned. Let it sit for a few minutes and then remove the solution with a dry microfiber cloth.
If, after drying, you find that the stain is not completely gone, you can repeat the procedure.
Lemon juice is another stain slayer and also a neutralizer of unpleasant smells, such as those left by cats marking their territory. However, the process of cleaning with lemon juice is not a quick one. Moreover, lemon juice may discolor the fabric, especially if you are cleaning a cheap rug or kilim. For the sake of good order, first conduct an “experiment” on a small, unobtrusive part of the surface.
If the experiment was successful, squeeze the juice of 1-2 lemons, depending on the size of the dirt. Spread it on the surface with a spray bottle, cotton wool ball or cloth and let it sit for 1.5-2 hours. Remove any remaining juice and dirt with a sponge wetted with warm water. Run a dry cloth or towel over the surface again to absorb any residual moisture. Allow the cleaned area to dry.
It turns out that this popular Polish pickle can be successfully used as a cleaner to remove old stains. Interestingly, cabbage, although it smells quite strong itself, helps to get rid of unpleasant odors. Note that you need real sauerkraut, without the addition of vinegar, to perform such an operation.
If you don’t mind cleaning your carpet with sauerkraut, you can proceed. First, squeeze the sauerkraut well. Rinse it under a stream of water to get rid of the characteristic pungent smell. Spread the “treat” on the carpeted area and rub it with a brush. When you see that the cabbage has turned gray, rinse it under a stream of water and repeat the cleaning. Repeat the procedure until you have removed the stain. Pick up any remaining cabbage with a broom or vacuum cleaner.
Tea grounds can be used not only for good luck, but also to benefit your home. Tea grounds are good for removing stains from carpets, but because of their slight staining properties, they can only be used on dark floor coverings.
How to remove the stain with the help of tea grounds? First, squeeze the used grounds well to remove the dyes and excess moisture. Then, spread them on the surface to be cleaned and leave them for half an hour. After that time, use a broom or vacuum cleaner to pick up the grounds. Tea grounds also refresh the color of the bristles, so you can use them during a general cleaning of the apartment. The only question is where to get enough tea grounds to cover the entire carpet
Photo: Pixel-Shot/Adobe Stock
