Family life has left my carpets worse for wear over the past few years, challenging even the best vacuum cleaner. Wear and tear, spills and stains mean my carpets often find themselves in a very sorry state. Luckily, through trial and error I’ve managed to find a few ways to help deep clean my carpets.
These methods involve a fair bit of time and a lot of elbow grease, and honestly, if I could afford to have professional carpet cleaning after every spill, I definitely would. Instead I just try to keep stains at bay, clean regularly, then splash out a couple of times a year on getting my carpets cleaned by someone else.
If you’ve got the energy (and sheer determination) to truly deep clean your carpet, then read on for some excellent carpet cleaning hacks!
How to Deep Clean Your Carpet Yourself
You can’t deep clean your carpet without giving it a good superficial clean first. Make sure your vacuum head is free of hairs and your drum has just been emptied. Prep your vac before you start.
The superficial clean
If you’re going to deep clean your carpet, you first need to vacuum. This isn’t the daily once-over that you’re used to, this vacuum session should involve moving furniture and using a few of the tools for the nooks and crannies. Leave no stone unturned and get as much hair dust and superficial dirt from your carpet before the deep clean commences. If you have noticed moths starting to infest your carpet you should take the necessary steps to stop them from multiplying, getting rid of carpet moths can be very tedious but it can be done with the proper materials and knowledge.
Stain Removal
There’s no point in doing a deep clean if your carpet still looks stained and scruffy on the other side. Get rid of all your stains before the deep clean commences. Try not to use spot removers as they can leave the carpet permanently discoloured.
Red wine stains
Red wine stains have a bad reputation for a reason. Ideally you should act fast and try to get the stain out immediately after the spill has taken place. If the spill is fresh, blot the wine first to try and soak it up before it spreads. You can try and use a small amount of white wine to lift the colour if the stain is very fresh, but only do this if the stain has just occurred.
If the stain isn’t new, mix washing up liquid, white vinegar and water together and apply directly to the stain using a plain white cleaning cloth. Add the solution to the stain, then blot until the stain has completely lifted.
Baby food stains
As a mother of two, I’m no stranger to baby food stains. For some reason, even though everyone knows the majority of a baby’s meal will end up on the floor, they still make them in vivid colours that stain easily!
Mix washing up liquid with water and a small amount of colour-safe laundry detergent and apply to the stain. To keep the texture of your carpet in tact, try not to scrub, instead dab the solution on the stain and blot as you go.
Tea stains
I’m guilty of frequently sloshing a splash of tea over the side of my mug when I walk in a room. I’m a chronic spiller (which is partly why I’m responsible for the carpet cleaning duties), which means I do this a lot.
Mix white vinegar and water then apply directly to the stain using a cloth. Blot as you go until the stain has listed.
Rent a carpet shampooer
In my experience, carpet cleaners are much heavier than one might expect. Follow the instructions for how much detergent to add to your carpet shampooer, then very carefully clean every inch of your room. Your carpet will be damp after this treatment so it helps to work towards the door, otherwise you just end up trapped in a room with a wet carpet!
The best times of year to do this are either summer, when it’s hot and you can leave your windows open, or winter when you can crank the heating up. Your carpet needs to be completely dry before you start using the room again, or you could stain it further – and you don’t want want that to happen!
*Collaborative post
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