Home remedy carpet cleaning has been found by many people to be just as effective, if not more effective than any carpet-cleaning product you buy in the supermarkets. Andersens’ would like to share some of their home remedy carpet cleaning tips to help give your carpets the best chance of looking new for longer, despite spillages.

When dealing with a variety of liquids spilled on your carpet, there are some different methods of cleaning up each individual spill, depending on the type. The different types can include wine, animal marks (eg.urine) and blood but, there are some important things to remember when first sighting a spill.  These are:

• Act fast – The longer a spill/stain is left, the more difficult it is to get out
• Don’t Scrub – Clean up the spill by dabbing with paper towel or a dry cloth
• Don’t oversaturate carpet – Use minimal liquid for solution = less chance of mould
• Use appropriate solution – Right solution means removes spill/stain faster

One of the most popular and successful carpet-cleaning home remedies is good old white vinegar.  This can either be used in a carpet-cleaning machine or mixed with water to dab or spray with a spray bottle on the stain or spill.  Only apply a solution after you have already absorbed as much of the spillage as possible with paper towel or a dry cloth.

When mixing a solution of white vinegar to dab or spray onto the stain, mix 50/50 with water and white vinegar.  Allow this to absorb into the carpet fibres so that it reaches all the fibres, not just the top layer.

Solutions with white vinegar can vary from 1 to 10 with water, to 50/50 so it can depend on the severity of the stain, mainly by the colouring.

If you have a wet/dry vacuum cleaner, use this too as it will assist with the process after you have applied the solution and help to dry out remaining moisture. Putting some baking soda on it will also help bring out the moisture; just remember to vacuum it up once it is dry. If baking soda is still showing, use a stiff brush to brush the carpet, as this will help bring it to the surface so you can vacuum it up entirely.

White vinegar can be just as successful when mixed like a normal cleaning solution into a carpet-cleaning machine.  Whether you use a carpet-cleaning machine or a cloth, you may notice the vinegar smell while cleaning, but that will disappear once the carpet is completely dry.

Soda water is another popular carpet cleaning solution home remedy. Just apply the same as the white vinegar, but you can pour directly onto the stain.  Be careful not to saturate the carpet.  Allow it to penetrate for about five minutes, then dab with paper towel or a dry cloth.  This can also be repeated if necessary if you are still seeing remnant of the stain.

If you don’t have any baking soda, salt can be just as effective. Just pour the amount of salt required to cover the dampened area.  Then cover with a damp cloth and allow to sit for a few minutes. Once the area is dry, vacuum up the remaining salt residue.

Another simple carpet cleaning home remedy is with ammonia. This is recommended for spills and stains with grease, dairy, egg and blood.  The solution mix should be half a cup of water to one tablespoon of ammonia and use gloves before mixing and while cleaning.  Remember though to cleanse the area with a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water afterwards by dabbing with a cloth.No matter what home remedy carpet-cleaning tip you use, just also remember to dry the carpet as soon as possible afterwards.  The fastest way to do this is by putting a fan or heater facing the dampened area to assist with the drying process.  If you don’t have a portable heater or fan, then the next best option is to use a hair dryer.

For an easy-to-follow guide on which solutions to use for which spills or stains, then use our “Spotting Guide” for carpet which is located on our ‘Floor Care’ webpage on our website.