Dry carpet cleaning at home: the most popular methods

Cleaning the house is a necessary regular hygiene procedure. To clean carpets, vacuum cleaners are usually used to suck out dust accumulated in long or short pile. Such cleaning is carried out at least weekly, and preferably twice a week (especially if there are pets in the house). However, a vacuum cleaner alone is not enough. Once every three months it is necessary to carry out general cleaning of the apartment. Carpet cleaning is an integral part of the sanitary and hygienic procedure.

There are two ideal options for cleaning a carpet or rug:

wet washing with special powders or gels;
dry cleaning services.

Agree, not everyone has the opportunity to take heavy flooring outside and treat it with thick soapy foam, which must be rinsed off with plenty of water. Not everyone can carry a heavy carpet roll down the stairs (only a strong man can cope with such a task). And not all carpets can be washed with water. The services of special carpet cleaning companies are not a cheap pleasure if you use them once every trimester. The only option available to everyone is dry carpet cleaning using folk remedies.

When is it time to wash your carpet?

According to the rules of apartment hygiene, carpet cleaning should be carried out once every three months. We are not talking about using a vacuum cleaner, but about knocking out the carpet on a crossbar and then washing it. However, you will have to resort to cleaning the floor covering even more often if...

...there is a small child in the house (children often play on the floor; if the mother is distracted for a second, there will be a wet puddle, spilled juice or watercolor on the carpet);
...you have pets (a cat can mark a newly purchased carpet, and a dog can leave dirty prints after a walk);
...the rug or carpet lies on the kitchen floor (the appearance of greasy stains, traces of tea, wine, coffee, etc. is inevitable);
...you notice that the carpet gives off a musty, stale aroma.

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There are effective and simple methods for cleaning lint at home. Women can also clean a carpet using these methods, since there is no need to lift it and carry it.

How to clean carpet with a vacuum cleaner

The cut pile can be easily cleaned with the hard attachment of a vacuum cleaner. Additionally, the brush lifts trampled areas. Semi-long and long ones must be vacuumed, observing the direction of the pile. This will help get rid of streaks after cleaning and will thoroughly “comb” the coating. The only negative is that attachments with spirals, rubber spikes and other manufacturers’ tricks for natural carpets can greatly confuse and mat long piles, and render the looped covering unusable.

Important! Spiral brushes from a vacuum cleaner, pet slickers, hard brushes, and metal combs with hooks and loops for carpets should not be used to clean loop pile carpet.

Soda

Indispensable in everyday life, baking soda comes to the rescue again. Cleaning carpet with baking soda is one of the most popular and effective methods. Baking soda will help clean long piles and restore the original color of the product.

To clean a carpet or other covering, you need to prepare a solution. The amount of baking soda depends on the area you want to treat. For one square meter you will need about 10 g of soda and 1 glass of water. Dissolve baking soda in warm water. Pour the solution into a container with a spray bottle. Spray the entire surface of the carpet, wait until the liquid is absorbed and dries. Collect dried soda using a vacuum cleaner.

If you find a urine stain from a small child or animal, soak up as much of the liquid as possible with a paper towel, then cover it with a thick layer of baking soda. Baking soda helps remove unpleasant odors as it is a natural absorbent. Once dry, remove the powder from the carpet using a vacuum cleaner.

Price

Let's be honest, dry cleaning is still a novelty in our country. This can be explained quite simply: average Russians usually do not have expensive carpets in their everyday life.

Let's give a simple example: a Russian-made carpet 3*4 meters costs 5-7 thousand rubles. Cleaning such a carpet using the dry method will cost at least 4-5 thousand rubles. The cost of dry cleaning using an extractor is no more than 2 thousand rubles. It turns out that dry cleaning is almost comparable to the cost of a new carpet.

As can be seen from the comparison, on average, prices for dry cleaning are 2 or even 3 times higher than “wet” cleaning. This is primarily influenced by the cost of consumables and equipment. Appliances and cleaning products from the most popular brands, such as CARPET CLEANER (Austria), Envirodri (UK) are quite expensive in themselves. Add to this the company’s costs for downtime when there are no orders - and you get a price that is “unaffordable” for the owner of a simple synthetic carpet.

The dry cleaning method will truly be appreciated by those in whose home there are expensive Persian, silk, or handmade wool carpets. On the one hand, ordinary dry cleaning is not applicable to these carpets, but on the other hand, spending 5 thousand to clean a carpet worth more than 100,000 rubles is quite a commensurate price for luxury!

Sauerkraut

Cleaning coatings with sauerkraut is a “grandmother’s” method that is still used by some housewives. To do this you will need homemade cabbage, fermented without using vinegar. Squeeze out the excess juice and scatter the cabbage over the carpet area. The pile should be cleaned with a dry brush. Debris, dust and hair will stick to the chopped cabbage. If necessary, collect it, rinse under running water and repeat the procedure. Leave it to dry and then collect it with a vacuum cleaner. This method is considered effective and is used at home.

Unusual methods of dry carpet cleaning

Folk remedies suggest turning to very unexpected options for cleaning carpet.

For example, you can use homemade cabbage that has not been made with vinegar. The cabbage, slightly dried from the brine, is scattered over the carpet; debris and dirt stick to the cabbage particles. You can repeat the procedure by collecting and rinsing the cabbage. You can leave the cabbage to dry on the carpet, then you can vacuum it later. Many housewives consider this method effective, despite its external extravagance.

Another unusual cleaning method that is only suitable for dark carpet is cleaning the carpet with tea leaves. In this case, wet tea tree leaves are spread over the entire surface of the carpet and allowed to dry. Tea gives a pleasant smell and removes dirt, but in the case of a light carpet it can leave stains the color of brewed tea. For this type of cleaning, it is not necessary to brew fresh tea; you can use what is left after drinking tea. Small-leaf tea is better; it penetrates well into the structure of the carpet.

If scattering cabbage or tea over the carpet is too bold for you, you can turn to industrial chemicals specially made for easy cleaning of carpets at home. Typically, such products are presented as granules or powders that do not need to be further dried after cleaning. Dry carpet cleaning is often called powder cleaning, based on the shape of the most popular cleaning products. But this is only in appearance; in fact, the powder granules are not a surfactant, but a sponge. Micro sponges easily absorb dirt, form foam, and are easy to remove with a vacuum cleaner.

Professional products are more convenient and effective, but traditional ones are more environmentally friendly and cheaper. When choosing any cleaning method, you need to follow an effective cleaning sequence.

Salt

Before cleaning a rug or carpet with salt, it must be knocked out on a crossbar or dumped in the snow. If this is not possible, you can proceed directly to treating the carpet with salt. To do this you will need 1 kg of coarse table salt. Spread it in a thin layer over the rug. Using a damp brush with soft, long bristles, you need to clean the entire surface of the carpet, rubbing the grains into the structure of the product. In addition to cleanliness, you will notice the shining shine of the pile. After two hours, the salt must be collected with a vacuum cleaner. This is an easy and inexpensive way to clean your flooring at home.

Advice
Do not rub the carpet against the pile - this will reduce the service life of the product.

Carpet cleaning tools

The main tool for carpet cleaning is a vacuum cleaner with a carpet brush. However, you may need additional sets of brushes: to remove dust, dirt, and remove animal hair and hair.

If you are cleaning wool from a low-pile carpet, use a rubber window squeegee to help reduce cleaning time.

Advice! Buy a roller with adhesive tape. Use hard brushes that do not damage the structure of the pile.

Read how to clean a rug here, a carpet here, a white carpet here.

Vinegar

This is another way to not only clean the carpet from dust and dirt, but also restore its brightness and colorfulness. Prepare a solution of vinegar and water (2 tablespoons table vinegar per 1 liter of water). The liquid should be sprayed onto the pile, then brush the surface of the carpet. After a couple of hours, vacuum the rug or carpet. Despite the use of a solution, cleaning with vinegar belongs to the dry group, since it does not require subsequent drying of the carpet product in the fresh air.

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Tea brewing

Cleaning with black tea is only suitable for dark floor coverings. Brew a pack of inexpensive small-leaf tea and drain the tea leaves. Squeeze out the tea leaves. They should be moist. Scatter them over a dark carpet. Leave for several hours. After drying, vacuum the floor. Tea neutralizes unpleasant odors and pollution. If you often drink tea, you can collect tea leaves so as not to spend money on a special purchase of a pack of tea.

Care rules and useful tips

A few simple care rules will help preserve the appearance and functionality of your carpet for a long time.

The sooner you start tackling the stain (before it dries), the less effort will be required.
The more often and more thoroughly the cleaning, the more even the color and pile of the coating. Two to three times a week is optimal.
Less water on the carpet means less musty smell in the apartment, the adhesive base of the coating is more intact.
After wet cleaning or puddles, the coating must be dried. Otherwise there will be mold. Long-haired and woolen coverings are best cleaned using dry methods.
Loose dirt, dust, sand are perfectly cleaned by the vacuum cleaner without additional washing.

Cleaning carpet becomes a time-consuming and unpleasant task only if the dirt is trampled into the pile. When so many simple ways to clean the coating in a timely manner are known, cleaning becomes quick and tireless.

Special means

Cleaning carpets at home can be done using special products that come in the form of powders or granules. To alleviate the plight of apartment residents, manufacturers have developed special products that do not require subsequent drying. Dry cleaning is done as follows: you scatter the granules in an even thin layer, rub them into the pile with a brush, then collect them with a vacuum cleaner. The same type of cleaning occurs with powder.

Choose the most suitable method for cleaning carpet at home. Remember that folk remedies are less toxic.

Important Tips

For cleaning, it is better to use a broom of medium elasticity or a vacuum cleaner with soft brushes and additional attachments.
When purchasing a new carpet product, test its reaction on a small area of the carpet. To do this, take a piece of white cloth, apply liquid on it and apply it to the carpet (in a place that is hidden from human sight). If the fabric is slightly stained, this product is not suitable for the product.
When cleaning, make sure that the base of the carpet does not get wet.
For deep cleaning, use foaming products and cleaning machines that gently remove dirt without deforming the product.
Any stains that appear must be removed immediately. Do not listen to manufacturers who say that their product will help remove even old stains.

A rug is a piece of decor that constantly catches your eye when you walk into your home or sit in a room with friends. It is very important to maintain its neat and pleasant appearance. Plus, it's not difficult. The main thing is to choose the right method and means of cleansing.

Removing various types of stains

It is better to get rid of dirt on the carpet immediately. Stain removers will help with this. There are universal products, and there are more effective ones that cope with a specific type of pollution. If you don’t have them on the farm, you can prepare an effective composition with your own hands.

If a thick substance has fallen onto the carpet, carefully remove the dirt with a spoon or knife without smearing it. Cover the greasy and wet stain with an absorbent (soda, chalk, salt). Then apply one of the formulations below.