Soft and fluffy: how to clean the carpet from dirt at home

For carpets to last as long as possible, you need to clean them correctly. You can use the services of cleaning companies, but at any time, knowledge about how to clean the carpet yourself using household chemicals at home or how to apply folk remedies can come in handy. To choose the right methods for a certain type of carpet, so as not to spoil it, our recommendations will help.

Types of carpets and their care features

Methods for processing coatings depend on their classification.

• Woolen. One of the highest quality and most expensive types, soft and elastic. The wool remains in its original form for a long time, absorbing moisture and absorbing electrostatic electricity. Such a carpet does not collect dirt and dust. Deforming slightly under heavy furniture, it quickly recovers after it is removed. But a woolen palace is attractive to moths and molds. Coatings of this type need to be vacuumed from two sides; they cannot be moistened, dried with a hairdryer. You can clean with ammonia, alcohol, salt or soda. For this, dry high-quality powders, foam, liquid soap or detergent powders are also used. Before you remove the carpet for the summer, it is dried, treated with a moth repellent. Store coating required in a dry room.
• With a long pile. The longer the fibers on the carpet, the more difficult it is to clean. Folk remedies are not suitable here, such rugs are not treated with hard brushes, otherwise you can damage the base, and the villi will fall out. The best method for cleaning such a coating is soap foam. It easily and quickly removes dirt, penetrating deep into the pile, and leaves no residue. Shaggy carpets are well cleaned with a steam cleaner, which are well refreshing and remove stains from the surface.
  

  The amount of dust directly depends on the length of the carpet pile
• Short hair. This is one of the popular coatings that are easy to clean from dirt and stains. Almost all products are suitable for cleaning.
• Light shades. Such carpets are not cleaned with coloring agents - tea leaves, lemon juice and others. Best suited shavings for household soap dissolved in a glass of water. It is applied to the contaminated areas with a brush. And chemical products for light carpets are chosen by those that are suitable for them.
  

  A short pile of carpet is not whimsical
• Dark shades. Their cleaning does not cause any particular difficulties, starch-containing preparations and soda are contraindicated, since they leave whitish stains.
• From natural fibers. How to care for the cleanliness of woolen carpets has already been mentioned. But other natural coatings require gentle and gentle care. As a rule, frequent wet treatment is harmful to them, since a fungus can get from it. Carpets with the addition of silk threads absolutely do not tolerate liquids, they are cleaned only with a vacuum cleaner.
• From synthetic fibers. Such carpets are unpretentious, they remain in their original form for a long time. To prevent the pile from fading, it is sufficient to vacuum them periodically.Sometimes they need a wet treatment. Synthetic rugs should be treated with an antistatic agent so that less dust and dirt is collected. The use of solvents and harsh chemicals is not permissible.

Table: cleaning options for various types of carpets

How to clean a carpet at home

There are several ways to clean carpets at home:

• dry - without chemistry and heavy equipment. Designed for minor contamination. A vacuum cleaner with detergent is used in dry steam or freeze mode. This method is used to process natural materials and delicate fabrics;
• extractor - it is used for cleaning coatings of medium contamination and any synthetics. Cleaning is carried out with a washing vacuum cleaner followed by drying of the palace;
• intensive - with its help they clean persistent impurities, while using vacuum machines and chemicals;
• steam cleaning using steam generators without chemicals. This is not the most effective method, but its advantage in environmental friendliness.

Often, different household cleaning products are used for cleaning, more on this.

Hot water is harmful to carpets; you cannot clean them against pile. Wet cleaning should be carried out no more than 2-3 times a year. So that after this there are no scuffs, hard brushes are used infrequently. Shock absorbers are placed under the furniture to avoid deformation of the rugs.

Use of household chemicals

The list of effective carpet cleaners is great, some of which are:

• Mitex is a powder with hypoallergenic properties for rugs and upholstery. It copes with dust, dust mites, but it cannot afford old spots.
• Karcher - a product with environmentally friendly ingredients, forms a foam that crystallizes after drying, then this powder is removed with a vacuum cleaner. Cope with almost all pollution. The powder in an amount of 50 g is diluted with 5 liters of water and poured into a device for wet cleaning.
  

  Before shampooing the carpet, vacuum it.
• Sanlux is a powdery preparation without harmful additives that successfully removes dirt between carpet fibers.
• Extra Profi is also a powder, it copes well with blood stains, removes chewing gum, stubborn smells of pets.
• Spot Lifter is a wet and dry cleaner. With it, you can clean any carpeting.
• Vanish (Vanish) - a liquid for deep cleaning of serious contaminants. In this case, a measuring cup of the product is diluted in half a liter of water and beat in foam. Then distribute it with a sponge or brush on the surface of the carpet, and after drying, the palace is vacuumed.
• "5+" is an inexpensive shampoo, use it as a stain remover and to clean the entire carpet. The concentrate is applied to the spots. The exposure time is 15 minutes, after which it is washed off. During general cleaning, the product is diluted one to five with water, whipped in a foam and evenly distributed on the carpet. Let it dry, then clean it with a vacuum cleaner.
• Udalix Ultra is a preparation for cleaning complex contaminants with a whitening effect, it contains enzymes, is applicable for any coatings, the solution is prepared according to the instructions, applied to stains, then washed off with water.
• Antipyatnin is a soap with the help of which fresh and old stains are removed. It is moistened with water and rubbed on the places of pollution. After a quarter of an hour, the soap foam is washed off with a damp sponge.

The use of folk remedies

Folk remedies, tested over many years of practice, often help out even better than chemicals, they are natural, which means that, with some exceptions (ammonia, vinegar), are safe for people and pets. Here are the most popular improvised home remedies:

• Snow cleaning. This is a well-known winter carpet cleaner. Snow should be white and dry, therefore cleaning is carried out only in frosty, clear weather. During the procedure, the carpet is laid down on the snow, then flips over to the front side. Snow is evenly poured over the entire surface, waiting for it to absorb a little dust. Then a natural cleaner is swept away with a broom. It is better to repeat the procedure a couple more times. This method is effective in that it not only cleans the carpet, but also refreshes it, saturates it with freshness. This is an exciting activity for the whole family.
  

  Before cleaning the carpet with snow, it is recommended to vacuum or knock it out
• Soda cleaning. This is a simple and safe way in which half a glass of soda is dissolved in five liters of warm water. It is best to spray this solution all over the carpet from a spray bottle. After half an hour, the carpet is vacuumed. It becomes not only cleaner, but also returns to its original color. Soda removes dirt, dust, fluid stains and grease. It is effective in the treatment of mold, urine and other contaminants of an organic nature. Fungal spores are removed with a concentrated solution, whitish stains that appear appear with a wet sponge.
• Vinegar cleaning. To restore the brightness of the colors of the carpet using a solution of vinegar, make it at the rate of a tablespoon per liter of warm water. With severe contamination, add another tablespoon of powder. Brush with a solution to clean the carpet in the direction of the pile, after half an hour, excess cleaning agent is blotted with a sponge and the palace is vacuum cleaned. Organic stains are removed with vinegar: fresh wine, tobacco, fat, animal urine and others.
• Ammonia. This tool can not only clean, but also lighten darkened light coatings, restore their shine. Two teaspoons of ammonia are used per liter of water. Wipe the palace with a soft cloth moistened with a solution, then pat it dry with napkins. For the best cleaning effect, equal parts of washing powder and ammonia are taken.
• Sauerkraut. Two kilograms of cabbage squeezed from brine are washed well under a tap to reduce the smell of acid. They scatter it on the carpet and wait half an hour for it to absorb the dirt. Dirty cabbage is swept away with a hard broom, washed well and the cleaning procedure is repeated several times until the cabbage has absorbed all the dirt. After that, the carpet is dried in the sun. With such cleaning, dirt is effectively removed from virtually any carpet.
• Tea brewing. With its help, it is good to clean colored and dark surfaces. For this, the tea leaves are evenly distributed on the carpet, left for half an hour.Then they are swept away with a hard brush and the palace is dried in the sun.
• Raw potato peeling. Finely grate three peeled medium potatoes, pour the resulting slurry with a liter of warm water, insist a couple of hours. Then drain the liquid and spray it evenly on the carpet. Wipe it with a hard brush, and then repeat this with a damp cloth.
• Cleaning with salt. You can efficiently clean the carpet with ordinary table salt. It is scattered on the surface, and then swept away with a clean, moist broom. After that, it is washed in clean water. After pouring a new portion of salt on the carpet, repeat the cleaning several times until the swept away salt is clean. Then it is carefully knocked out of the carpet. But only short-haired items can be cleaned in this way.

Removing stains from carpet in folk ways

Tea or coffee spilled on the carpet can be removed with hydrogen peroxide. First, the spots are blotted with clean napkins, then they are already treated with a peroxide swab. Also effective on these spots and beer. Old pollution is removed with glycerin. First, a tablespoon of the product is mixed with a liter of water, rubbed into the pile, and after half a day clean with soapy foam.

Stains from coffee on the light surface of the carpet are not easily displayed.

Only cold water is used to remove blood stains. Dried contamination is first soaked and then wiped with a sponge moistened with water.

The juice stains are first blotted with a clean cloth and cleaned with a wet sponge. Then rub with shaving cream, it is also cleaned with a wet sponge.

Pollution from tar, ink or greens clean gasoline or kerosene. A napkin with a solvent is put on the problem area, then it is washed with soapy water.

The stains on the carpet must not be rubbed so that the pollution does not penetrate deeper

Steam carpet cleaning

A steam cleaner is able to dissolve dirt and absorb it.

A steam cleaner is a device for softening stubborn dirt and stains. But he is not able to completely neutralize them. After exposure to steam, you still need to walk with a brush to completely get rid of pollution.

Actions are performed in the following order:

1. Warm water is poured into a special container with a temperature according to the attached instructions.
2. The entire surface of the carpet is evenly treated. The pile is slightly moistened. You can not stay in any area, from this the coating may be deformed.
3. The remaining dirt particles are removed with a hard brush.
4. Then the coating dries for about half a day.

Only a powerful machine is effective for cleaning, otherwise it will not cope with pollution. Usually, distilled water is contemplated.

In this way, stains from paint, antifreeze, tea, coffee are effectively removed.

It can not be used to clean stains of protein origin - from blood, eggs or milk. This is due to the fact that when heated by steam, the protein changes its structure; getting rid of them after that will be problematic.

High temperature allows not only to clean the coating, but also to disinfect it

A steam cleaner that combines the functions of a powerful vacuum cleaner and steam cleaner is more effective for cleaning any dirt from the carpet. With it, you can remove dirt, disinfect the surface, remove dust mites and other allergens.

Scrubbed carpets cannot be laid on wet floors.

Special cases

There are still special cases when cleaning requires a combination of different drugs and the use of different methods.

Cleaning the carpet from animal hair

When there are animals in the house, the problem of carpet cleaning is important and everyday. Their long hair is fairly easy to clean with a vacuum cleaner. But the short and thin hairs of the undercoat are so clogged in the carpet that over time it is completely covered with a coating. There are several ways to solve this problem:

1. First you need to raise the pile of the carpet to make it easier to get rid of clogging.This is achieved by sweeping it with a wet, hard brush.
2. Then you have to collect the wool by hand with a damp cloth, rolling it into lumps.
3. The next stage of cleaning - spraying on the carpet fabric softener mixed in equal parts with water. This leads to the removal of electrostatics from it and the separation of adhering wool.
4. After the solution has dried, after a quarter of an hour, you can finally vacuum the carpet. Then it becomes clean.

Vacuuming the carpet raises the pile and removes loose dirt

Removing plasticine and similar impurities

Getting rid of a sticky thin film, like plasticine, is not an easy task. In order not to select it in parts, when there is no guarantee of a complete cleaning of the surface, you can use the following cleaning methods:

• Wrap a piece of ice in cellophane and attach it to a contaminated area. Soak for a few minutes. After this, it is easier to remove the cured film.
• An iron or hairdryer will also help get rid of pollution. When cleaning, the pile is covered with a cloth and ironed until the clay comes off the carpet. You can hold the hair dryer on for 10 minutes. The effect of such a cleansing procedure is wonderful.
• Gasoline with sawdust is a reliable tool for cleaning carpets from clay, stains of chocolate, nail polish and other contaminants. It eliminates even old spots that are difficult to resist with household chemicals. Before the procedure, the carpet is vacuumed, then the problem areas are sprinkled with sawdust soaked in soapy water with the addition of a tenth of gasoline. Drying up, sawdust absorb dirt, spots completely disappear. After 2.5 hours, the sawdust is sweeping with a broom, then the carpet is vacuumed.
• You can also scrape off the top layer of plasticine with a plastic scraper, and then iron the carpet through a paper towel, where the rest is absorbed.
• A good anti-stain carpet cleaner. They lather the contaminated area of ​​the coating, and after half an hour wash it off with warm water.

How to get rid of unpleasant odors

Often you have to get rid of not only pollution, but also from unpleasant odors associated with them. A few tips will help solve these problems in the most common cases:

• The smell of a new coating. The new carpet due to various chemicals, impregnation, latex or glue has a rather unpleasant smell. It may even cause its owner to be allergic. To get rid of it, you need to ventilate the room for at least two hours daily. A week is a deadline when there is no trace of this smell.
• Dampness. When the carpet is in a room with high humidity or improper care for it, the smell of dampness may appear. It’s easy to get rid of it - you need to dry it in the sun by hanging it on a rope. In this case, in order to avoid burnout of the product, it should not be kept for long under direct sunlight.
• You can get rid of the smell of dry cleaning in a few days by airing the carpet in dry weather during the day, and bringing it home at night.
• The smell of cigarette smoke is one of the most difficult to remove. It is quickly absorbed not only into the carpet, but also into other coatings. Processing the apartment with an antistatic will help here. From the carpet, this odor is neutralized by Odorgon spray, after which it is dried and aired for several days. They do this only in the yard, the method is applicable only to coatings that are not harmful to moisture.
• The smell of fungal mold. It is removed only with the integrated processing of the entire room with special means. When cleaning the carpet to protect against spores, use protective gloves and a mask. They take him outside or open the windows. Cleaning is done with a hard brush on both sides, then an antifungal agent is applied from the outside. Before this, you must definitely study the instructions that accompany it. After impregnation with the appropriate preparation and the necessary exposure after that, the coating is washed and dried in a ventilated room or outdoors.
• The smell of vomiting is removed after cleaning the carpet from contamination with soapy water or gruel-like soda. Then it is washed with water and dried.
• Beer spilled on the carpet is blotted with napkins or a towel. Then it is washed with soapy water, but you do not need to soak it too much and rub the stain. And for drying, it is better to put something under it. Then you need to often ventilate the room. After a few days, the smell will go away.
• The fishy smell from the carpet will help to remove ordinary kitchen salt or a weak solution of vinegar. You can lightly wipe it with a mild soapy solution.

You can effectively get rid of the unpleasant smell of pets on the carpet with the help of folk remedies

Big trouble is caused not only by the wool on the carpet, but also by the fetid smell of urine from pets. There are several ways to get rid of it:

• Potassium permanganate - this method can be used only for dark rugs, because its crystals leave spots on the carpet. A weak solution of manganese is applied to the surface, allowed to absorb a little, then wiped.
• Contaminated areas are wiped with vodka.
• Acid effectively breaks down urine, so diluted citric acid, lemon juice or vinegar (in a proportion of one to three) is poured into a spray bottle and sprayed onto problem areas. After that, wipe the liquid with a clean cloth.
• Salt is poured into the fetid area, after a few hours it is passed through with a vacuum cleaner.
• Cat's amber can be removed with iodine in the ratio of: 20 drops per liter of water, with this solution, wipe the problem area.
• Soda helps get rid of stench. A thick paste with water is applied to the palace and left for half an hour. Then clean this cleaner with a vacuum cleaner. You can combine the powder with rosemary, lavender or peroxide. But such mixtures are best used on colored or dark coatings, because they leave spots on light ones.

Contamination on home carpets may not be noticeable, but their fibers easily accumulate dust, dirt and microorganisms. Therefore, they must be processed regularly and efficiently, choosing cleaning products for each type of coating, and preventing stains from being eaten into the rugs.

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