Clean Your Area Rugs at The Car WashTake your area rugs to the car wash to get them super clean! I have done this numerous times with a helper and a truck, and know others who do the same. It's amazing to see the dirt run out off the rug!
Shaving Cream to Remove Carpet StainsSpray shave cream directly on the stain and let sit about 30 minutes. Blot with a clean washcloth. Repeat until completely gone. For deep down stains, try scrubbing with scrub brush after spraying shave cream. Reapply shave cream and let set a little longer before blotting.
Toothbrush to Fluff Dented CarpetsSave your old toothbrushes. They will come handy if you need to fluff any dented carpets from old furniture or if you're moving! To fluff the carpet, move the toothbrush in all directions vertically, diagonally, horizontally and it'll help the carpet to fluff up again.
Comb Your Rugs CleanOn a whim I thought I'd try to comb my little rug carpets using my pet brushes. One is the "Furminator" pet brush and another just a cheap little wire pet comb/brush. Both worked great!
Isopropyl Alcohol for Lily Pollen Stains on CarpetLily pollen stains on carpet -- yes! Isopropyl alcohol 99.9% really reaches the stains other cleaners cannot reach. Having tried soap and water, carpet cleaner, etc. I thought that the stains were simply made worse and permanent by my attempts.
Using a Swiffer and Washrag to Clean Area RugsBy using a wet wash rag on a Swiffer broom, I am able to get all the hair off of my area rug. It is amazing how effective this is ;) I have a German Shepherd Husky mix, named Samson, who is blowing his under-coat due to the warmer weather, so there is a big bunch of fur that comes off of this area rug.
Windex for Vomit StainsWindex worked on a pink vomit stain when OxiClean, Shout, Folex, Challenge, Ram, and Scrubbing Bubbles wouldn't touch it. So glad I found this.
Liquid Laundry Soap for Shampooing CarpetsWith pets and children, shampooing your carpet or car interiors is something that is just part of life. I have found that using liquid laundry soap works really great in these shampooing devices.
Hydrogen Peroxide to Remove Pet Urine OdorMany years ago a vet tech suggested using hydrogen peroxide to remove pet odors from carpet, rather than buying the all too expensive store bought cleaners. I gave it a try and have been hooked ever since. If it's a stubborn/very strong odor, you may need to repeat the process, but when you're done, the odor will be completely gone and you will have saved a lot of $$.
Hairspray for Removing Nail Polish from CarpetI knocked over a container of nail polishes onto my light blue bedroom carpet. Needless to say some of them broke; hot pinks, lime greens, etc. After I blotted up what I could with a napkin, I used a bottle of liquid hairspray, a brush, and after scrubbing a bit it came out in no time.
Isopropyl Alcohol for Carpet StainsThanks for the tip about isopropyl alcohol for stains. After a vase of lilies fell over onto our cream carpet, there was a stubborn yellow stain which was resistant to all cleaning solutions known to mankind.
Dove Liquid Soap For Carpet StainsI have used Dove soap on carpets to remove all kinds of stains. Plus, it leaves the room with a beautiful clean scent. You only need a small amount of Dove liquid soap and water in a spray bottle.
Use A Sponge Mop To Clean RugsWhen my vacuum broke, I remembered how my former housekeeper would clean the upholstery with a damp cloth. So, I used my sponge mop on all carpets and rugs.
Vacuum the Living Area WeeklyI was blessed to live in a house with no carpeting for over 4 years. Now, I unfortunately not only have to contend with a scuzzy wall-to-wall carpet, but some colorful throws which, though attractive, seem to gather all manners of dust and grime.
Homemade Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner for Dog UrineHere is a recipe to use on dog urine stains on carpet or upholstery.
Don't Risk Damage To Your Carpets With Homemade CleanersI have been in the floor covering industry for 18 years now. In my honest opinion, there is no such thing as a homemade carpet shampoo recipe that will actually work.
White Vinegar For Carpet CleaningI have a Bissell Shampoo machine, bought especially because I had 2 older dogs, that once in a while peed on my carpet. To make a long story short, I tried everything everyone suggested and happened upon a good one.
Hydrogen Peroxide For Carpet StainsDeciding to finally "power" clean my son's room while he is at college, I got everything off the floor. To my dismay, I found huge, dark brown spots of coffee, tea, soda (or whatever it used to be) all over my cream colored berber carpet. AAUUGGHHH!
Removing Candle Wax from Carpet Using an IronPlace a thick (grocery store type) dry paper bag on the carpet and use a clothes iron
Laundry Detergent as Carpet CleanerI am cleaning my carpets today, I ran out of store bought carpet cleaner, and I wanted get done. I started looking around the house to see what I could use. I decided on my brand of laundry soap.
Keeping Rugs Sweet SmellingAre you paying expensive costs to professionally clean your expensive wool area rugs? We used to bring them in once or twice a year and pay $50 - $100 each time. Now I sprinkle them with Arm and Hammer Baking Soda on Vacuum Day.
Using Ammonia to Clean Stains from CarpetI used to be a housekeeper for an apartment complex years ago, and when we had to get rid of any type of hard to get out food or pet stains we would make a 2/3 milk 1/3 ammonia mixture. Use right away and dispose of the rest.
Add Vinegar to Steam CleanerTo reduce soap bubbles in a steam cleaner, add about 1/4 cup white vinegar. Use the same amount in the rinse water to remove detergent residue and make carpets stay fresh longer.
Using Baking Soda and Vinegar on CarpetGet old, dark stains out of your light-colored carpet once and for all. Pour, don't sprinkle, apple cider vinegar all over stain. Immediately after, drown puddle of vinegar with a mound of baking soda; it should be fizzing.
Shampoo as a Carpet Stain RemoverPut 1/2 shampoo, 1/2 water in a spray bottle, spray the stain, let it sit for a minute or two then scrub lightly with a rag or brush.
Cheap Carpet DeodorizerSprinkle baking soda on carpets to neutralize pet odors then vacuum.
Salt to Remove Ink StainsSalt works impressively on ink stains on carpet. If the ink is still wet immediately cover it with salt. Allow the salt to sit overnight then vacuum the area. The salt will absorb the ink. If the ink is already dry, wet it thoroughly before trying the salt treatment.
Removing Oil Stains From CarpetMy husband was good at tracking mud and oil into our carpet, until I finally made him clean it up. The stains were a nightmare. Not so much the mud, but the oil that he tracked in along with the mud sent me through the roof.
Rubbing Alcohol for Carpet StainsAlcohol rubbed on carpet using white paper towels (no colors) has removed rust stains, coffee stains, and pet stains containing multi-colors from food. My husband dropped a glass of purple grape juice on a light gray carpet.
Scrubbing Bubbles as a Spot Rug CleanerFor those of us that have pets, especially cats, I have found that a can of Scrubbing Bubbles is the best thing you can have in your cleaning arsenal.
Use Salt On Carpet SpillsWhen spills happen on the carpet and you can't get that last bit of dampness out pour salt on the spot. The salt naturally draws out the moisture and then you can just vacuum it up after. This is particularly helpful for pet or child pee-pee spots on the rug.
Use Ammonia for Carpet CleaningKeep carpet cleaning simple. I have a small steam vacuum. I have always had trouble rinsing out soap residue on carpet areas even when using very little soap in the cleaner. Recently I tried adding a little ammonia to the water instead of soap.
Fingernail Polish on CarpetI spilled dark wine fingernail polish on my light bedroom carpet. Panic! I grabbed polish remover and poured on it and rubbed with a rag and made a worse mess. By now it was almost dry. Help! Someone said to use Windex of all things.
Removing Shoe Polish from CarpetTo get black shoe polish out of beige carpet, use Goof Off but saturate the cloth and dab on affected area. It works!
Removing Drink Stains on CarpetTo my horror, my strawberry margarita slipped off the end table and disaster struck on my light beige apartment carpet. Being a typical male I begin rubbing not blotting the stain and after a while of scrubbing gave up and went to bed.
Use Hot Water in Carpet Steam CleanerWhen steam cleaning your carpets yourself, don't waste your money on the shampoo. Instead, put a large pot of water on the stove, heat it until it almost boils (to where it's steaming but not boiling). Pour the water into your machine and clean.
Shaving Cream for Emergency Carpet CleaningAfter coming home from a twelve hour day at work, I was greeted by my loving, newly adopted Boxer! I was also met with a stench that would wake the dead, and when I looked inside my home.
Freshen House While You VacuumHere's a good way to freshen your house while you vacuum. When putting a new vacuum cleaner bag in your machine, place a cotton ball soaked in clove or you favorite scented oil inside the bag (or in the plastic container on the bag-less models).
Use Corn Starch for Rug SpotsUsing corn starch for rug spots actually works. Using a kitchen sifter, liberally apply pure corn starch to trafficked area as well as in front of sofa, chairs, etc. Leave it on 1 hour and vacuum up. It soaks up black marks very well.
Add Mouthwash To Your Steam CleanerGet more cleaning and germ killing power with your steamer cleaner if you add a little mouthwash to the measure of water your steamer uses! I have done this countless times and always love the clean feeling this gives me!
Shaving Cream To Remove Paint From CarpetMy husband and I painted our bedroom forest green. What we didn't realize was that the paint we dripped on the drop cloth was seeping through. We had a ton of dark green paint spots on our near white carpet.
Clean Rugs With VinegarWhen washing area rugs and carpets in your home, eliminate the carpet detergent once in awhile and instead fill the tank with hot/warm water and 1 cup of white vinegar.
Muddy Foot Prints on CarpetHere's a tip for dealing with wet, muddy foot print on carpet. Sprinkle cornstarch over the foot print and let it dry. Once dry, vacuum up the cornstarch.
For Deodorizing CarpetJust sprinkle on the carpet and vacuum up as you would with the leading brand. It is cheaper, smells fantastic, and has a long-lasting fragrance.
Make Your Carpet Last LongerHere are some tips to help you get more life out of your carpet.
Muddy FootprintsWhen you get muddy footprints in my house or car, sprinkle them with baking soda and let them dry. Once dry, vacuum up the dirt and then clean any leftover stain with Resolve or a similar carpet spot cleaner.
Cut Down on Static From CarpetTo cut down on those annoying static shocks from walking on your carpet, mix 1 part fabric softener to 5 parts water in a clean spray bottle. Put the spray bottle on its widest setting and spray your carpet with a light mist.
Potpourri in the VacuumPut potpourri in your vacuum sweeper bag before you use it for a pleasant odor as you vacuum.
Remove Musty Odors from Vacuum CleanersPut 4 or 5 drops of your favorite essential oil in your vacuum cleaner bag to release a fresh clean scent in the air. Some good scents to try are peppermint, orange or lemon citrus, sandalwood and lavender.
Lint Brush for StairsUse a lint brush on carpeted stairs to remove fuzzies and pet hair instead of dragging out the sweeper
Cleaning Raw Egg Off CarpetDropped an egg on the carpet? Or anywhere for that matter. Not a problem. Don't try to clean it up until you pour salt over the egg (and I mean lots of salt), cover it well, give the egg time to absorb the salt. It will become quite firm and you will be amazed how easy it is to pick up.
By Barbie
Club Soda for Carpet StainsI recently had my carpets professionally cleaned and I asked what is the best thing to use to clean spots without leaving a residue that actually attracts more dirt (such as Resolve and Oxiclean). He told me the best thing to use was plain old club soda. He said to pour it on let it sit a few minutes and then use a shop vac or wet dry vac of some sort to suck up the excess liquid. He said for most stains you shouldn't even have to rub at all. He said this will work on pet stains also.
By D.Bulanda
Homemade Dry Carpet CleanerI have found that by mixing a ratio of 5 lbs white cornmeal and 2 lbs of cornstarch together will make a very nice carpet cleaner. I sprinkle it on using my small mesh strainer and scrub it in with a long handled brush.
Homemade Steamcleaner Solution for Oil StainsMy husband is a mechanic and sometimes he tracks oil into the house, forgetting to remove his shoes. I have found that degreaser (like Havoline) at Walmart or the dollar store works on carpets. I add a capful of it to very hot water in the well, then I add 1/2 cup of Pine-sol.
Put Cornmeal on Carpet StainsIf you spill coffee or tea on carpet or upholstery, immediately sprinkle corn meal on the spot, making it twice as large as the original stain. Do NOT vacuum up the corn meal until the next day when the spot has totally dried.
Cleaning Your Carpet During Mud SeasonTo clean mud from carpet easier, let it dry then scrape what you can up with a brush, and vacuum.
Spots on CarpetHere's hint/tip on a homemade all-purpose carpet cleaning solution. Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and water (half & half). Spray then lay down paper towels on the spot. It will help lift a lot of spills.
