DIY Carpet Cleaning – 17 Homemade Stain Removers

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Before you hire professional carpet cleaners, you can DIY clean with these homemade carpet stain removers:

1. Beer

By just pouring a little beer on a coffee or tea stain on your carpet, you can remove the stains. After pouring the beer on the spot, rub lightly to remove the stain. However, you may have to repeat the process severally to eradicate the stain.

2. Ammonia

To prepare this cleaning solution, mix one cup of clear ammonia in 2 litres of water and then sponge your upholstery or carpeting materials on the solution. If needed, you can repeat the process to thoroughly clean your carpet.

3. Vinegar

Vinegar is very effective in stain removal. However, there are different formulas of vinegar to remove different stains. Some formulas include:

• For light carpet stains, dissolve two tablespoons of salt in a ½ cup of white vinegar. Use the solution to rub your carpet and then leave it to dry.
• For larger or darker carpet stains, add two tablespoons of borax to the same mixture above and use the same process to clean your carpet.
• If you’ve got a tough, ground in dirt, you should make a paste of 1 tablespoon vinegar with just one tablespoon starch and rub the paste using a dry cloth on the stain. Let the paste set for two days and the vacuum.
• For spilt paint, you should use 1.5 teaspoons vinegar, 1.5 teaspoons of laundry detergent and two cups of water to make a cleaning solution. Use the solution to remove the paint and then rinse with cold water.
• To clean fruit and juice stains, make a cleaning solution with one tablespoon of laundry detergent 1.5 tablespoons of white vinegar and 2 cups of water. Clean the stain with the solution and then blot.
• To clean coffee and tea stains, mix equal amounts of vinegar and water to make a cleaning solution.

4. Shaving Cream

Shaving cream can be used to clean juice spills, grease and oil stains. To clean, blot the juice spill and spat it with a wet sponge. Rub some shaving cream on the spot and then wipe it clean using a damp sponge. However, for grease and oil stains, apply some cream on the stain and let it dry. Then rub it off with a damp cloth.

5. Corn starch

It’s used mostly to clean ink spills. Milk and corn-starch are mixed to make a paste which is the applied on the ink stain. After applying the paste, allow it to dry on the carpet for some hours and then brush it off. Later, vacuum your carpet to clean it thoroughly. You can also use corn starch to clean grease and oil stains using the same procedure.

6. Salt

If you spill red wine on your carpet, salt can help you clean it. To clean the red wine on a white carpet, you need to act fast. While still, the red wine is wet on the carpet, apply some white wine on the spot to dilute the colour and then clean the spot using a sponge and cold water. Then, sprinkle some salt on the spot and wait for about 10 minutes before you vacuum.

If you are cleaning greasy food stains on the carpet, just mix up 1 part of salt and 4 parts rubbing alcohol and then use the solution to clean. On the other hand, if it is a ketchup spill, you need to act even faster because once it dries you cannot remove it. To clean ketchup spills, sprinkle salt on the spot and wait for a few minutes before vacuuming. Then, sponge any residue and continue salting until the spill is removed.

7. Borax

To use borax cleaning solution, dampen the stained area thoroughly and then rub some borax on the carpet. Leave the spot to dry and then vacuum or blot it using a solution of equal parts soapy water and vinegar. The leave it to dry. However, it is advisable to test this carpet cleaning solution on a carpet scrap before using it.

8. WD-40

If you’ve got an ink stain or any other type of stain, apply WD-40 on the carpet and then wait a minute or two before using your regular carpet cleaner to clean your carpet. Alternatively, you can use a sponge, warm and soapy water to clean the stain.

9. Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide can be used to clean any type of carpet stain. Mix a teaspoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide with a little cream of tartar. Then rub the paste on a stain using a soft cloth and then rinse thoroughly.

10. Baby wipes

Baby wipes absorbs both the liquid and the stain. You can use baby wipes to clean stains from your carpet, rugs, upholstery or clothes.

11. Toothbrushes

You can use a toothbrush to remove a stain that has been soaked into the fibres. However, use a soft bristled nylon toothbrush and rub gently until the stain is gone. You can use available stain removing agent e.g. vinegar or bleach to clean the stain.

12. Ice cubes

If chewing gum has stuck on your carpet, use ice cubes in a plastic bag to freeze the gum first before scrapping it off with a butter knife. You can then blot the spot that had chewing gum with a trichloroethylene which is a dry cleaning fluid.

13. Dry cleaning fluid

With a dry cleaning fluid, you can remove grease, oil, lipstick and butter from your carpet. Use a paper towel to blot excess oil and then use the dry cleaning fluid to remove the stain. You should clean from the edges towards the center.

14. Paint remover

A paint remover can be used to remove leaked ink, paint or spilled nail polish. However, if it fails, use a dry cleaning fluid to clean.

15. Baking soda

Baking soda is efficient in cleaning vomit or urine stains from your carpet. First, wipe up as much as you can and then pour baking powder on the spot. Leave the powder to dry completely before vacuuming the residue. Typically, baking powder cleans, sanitizes and deodorizes the spot.

Additionally, baking soda can be used to remove greasy stains when mixed with equal parts of salt. After making the mixture, sprinkle it over the greasy spot and then use a stiff brush to clean the spot. Later, after 4-5 hours, vacuum the carpet to remove the stain completely.

16. Meat tenderizer

If you’ve got blood stains on your carpet, use equal parts of cold water and meat tenderizer to cover the spot. Leave the solution on the spot for about half an hour and then sponge it off using cold water.

17. Club soda

Club soda is good on pet stains as well as other tough stains. You should remove excess urine with a paper towel and then use club soda to soak the spot. Blot the spot again and then use diluted carpet shampoo to clean and deodorise your carpet. Club soda can also be used to remove spilt coffee and tea stains on your carpet.

source http://refreshcarpetclean.com/?p=2342

5 signs it’s time to clean carpets and air ducts

Originally published on the Seattle Times.

Even the most diligent homeowners don’t always know how to recognize signs that a home more than an annual treatment.

Seattle-area residents are known for living “green” lifestyles, striving to use cleaning products that leave a minimal environmental footprint and that don’t worsen allergies or medical conditions. But even the most diligent homeowners don’t always know how to recognize signs that a home needs serious air duct or carpet cleaning rather than the usual once-over with off-the-shelf cleaning products.

“Many people in this region have pets and allergies, and more homeowners here are investing in air conditioning systems as summers heat up, which increases the risk of mold,” says Eric Moe, owner of Alpine Specialty Cleaning, a family-run business that has been cleaning homes around Seattle since 1969. “Without proper cleaning, these homes run the risk of accumulating and recirculating dirty air in ducts and developing unhealthy carpet conditions.”

As more homeowners use their forced-air heating system for heat in winter and to fan air in summer – or to circulate cooled air from an air conditioning unit – these ducts are in service all four seasons, Moe notes.

Is it time for a deep cleaning? Here are five signs.

•  Your home was built energy-efficient. Energy-efficient homes are sealed tighter than most homes, meaning air recirculates more frequently than in traditional-built homes. This makes duct cleaning more important, as a tightly sealed home with pets, kids or lots of wall-to-wall carpet may accumulate dust, mold or smells faster than in a home where outside air can leak inside more easily.

•  Carpets have black lines around their edges, matted fibers or numerous visible stains. If your carpet has black lines around its perimeter or where the carpet hits doorways, that means dirt is infiltrating through gaps in walls, beneath doors, or due to broken screens. Matted fiber may result from soil buildup. Heavy stains need treating for removal.

•  Dust has accumulated. If you clean and dust regularly but dust persists, it may be living in ducts and carpets that need a thorough cleaning. Additionally, if you need to frequently change furnace air filters because of dust or other accumulation, that may be a sign your ducts are dirty.

•  You’ve got allergies or respiratory health issues. If you’ve got asthma or other respiratory health conditions, or if you’re allergic to common substances like pollen, pet hair or other airborne particles, keeping carpets and ducts professionally cleaned can reduce exposure to irritants at home.

•  It smells! Smells may be a sign of mold, moisture problems, or soaked-in stains that need professional cleaning.

How often should you clean carpets? Moe says that most homeowners need professional carpet cleaning at least annually − as often as every 6 months if pets, crawling babies or toddlers, or allergies or respiratory sensitivities are present.

Ducts typically need thorough cleaning every two to three years, but again, a more frequent cleaning may be necessary if pet hair or the above factors are present in the house. Moe encourages those in the market for a duct cleaner to carefully vet the outfit they hire, making sure that like Alpine Specialty Cleaning the company is certified by NADCA, a duct-cleaning association that holds member companies to rigorous standards.

“Most people clean their ducts first, then turn to their carpets,” he says. “September is typically our busiest month, as people prepare for fall when heating systems are turned on and rain begins. But you can clean carpets and ducts any time of year – they’re year-round systems, especially ducts which carry air for both heat, fans, and air conditioning.”