One of the best and most natural ways to clean a carpet involves using vinegar. It might not seem like vinegar would be the best thing for the job, but it has remarkable cleaning properties when removing stains.
Read on and I’ll share more.
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How Often Can I Clean Carpet with Vinegar Water?
There’s a process when it comes to using vinegar to clean carpets. You can’t just dump it on and hope for the best.
The main thing to remember is that all carpets are different. The best thing to do is to make a vinegar-water mixture (one part vinegar to two parts water) and test it on the part of the carpet that’s not visible easily.
Once you’re sure the vinegar won’t stain, you’re good to use the mixture as much as you need to. There’s not going to be any detrimental effect to the carpet as long as you’re careful, you follow directions, and you don’t simply pour a gallon of vinegar on your carpet.
A water and vinegar mixture is best for spot cleaning, but you can also use a larger amount and run it through a carpet cleaner for a similar effect.
How Often Should I Be Cleaning My Carpet?
One thing to remember about carpet cleaning is that you should clean your carpet based on how much use it’s getting. For example, a carpet that gets light traffic should be vacuumed once a week and deep cleaned once a year to a year and a half.
A carpet used frequently should be vacuumed two to four times a week, and deep cleaned every three to six months. For extreme use carpet, like a commercial or restaurant carpet, daily vacuuming is the best. You should deep clean the carpet every two to three months.
Spot cleaning should happen immediately, regardless of how much traffic a carpet gets. The longer you leave a stain to set, the harder it’ll be to get out of the carpet.
How Long Should You Leave Vinegar on Carpet?
When you spray a stain with a vinegar-water mixture, it needs to settle in and permeate the stained area. A few minutes should be fine to do the trick. Put the vinegar and water solution into a spray bottle and spritz the stained area.
After it’s been sitting for a little while, blot it with a lint-free rag. If that doesn’t work, put the liquid onto the rag itself and then blot the area, starting from the outside of the stain and working into its center. Repeat this process until the stain is gone. For extra stubborn stains, increase the amount of vinegar used.
Some stains will be more stubborn than others, like coffee, ink, or pet stains.
Can You Spray Vinegar on Carpet?
Absolutely, but always test it first to make sure it won’t discolor the carpet. Also, mix it with two parts water. Lukewarm water actually works the best. It’s essential to get to a stain right away.
Don’t let it sit and sink into the deeper part of the carpet. As soon as the stain happens, get a lint-free cloth and blot out the liquid. The most crucial part of making sure the stain isn’t permanent is getting to it quickly.
Can I Make a Scrubbing Paste Using Vinegar?
If the vinegar-water solution isn’t quite doing the trick, there’s another way to scrub a stain out. Mix vinegar and salt together, or vinegar and cornstarch, until it makes a paste. Once you have the mixture, rub it over the stain, start from the outside, and move toward the center.
Because it’s a paste, you can leave it overnight. Simply vacuum it up the next day and then treat the stain with the water and vinegar mixture again.
Can I Use White Vinegar on My Carpet?
White vinegar is the preferred vinegar to use when cleaning the carpet. A colored vinegar could potentially stain the fabric, further exacerbating the problem.
Because white vinegar is clear, it won’t leave any discoloration, but be sure to test it first. Look for distilled white vinegar to use for cleaning.
Some companies make already measured out cleaners with a ratio of vinegar and water.
Do not mix vinegar with hydrogen peroxide, as this will bleach your carpet. Don’t mix it with baking soda either, as it’ll just make a gooey paste.
The good news is that vinegar is safe for both kids and pets and less harmful than chemical cleaning agents.
How Can I Make My Carpet Smell Nice?
There are a few different methods when it comes to deodorizing a carpet. The simplest and easiest way to do so is to sprinkle baking soda all over the carpet. Baking Soda is a natural deodorizer, and it’s dry, so it won’t make a mess.
Don’t hold back when using the stuff – there’s no way to use too much. Everything is going to be used anyway. You can either sprinkle it straight from the box or use a sieve. For deeper carpets, do a section at a time and then manually work the baking soda into the carpet.
Let it sit for a few hours, or let it sit overnight for a tough carpet, and then vacuum it in the morning.
You can repeat the process if your carpet is extra smelly. Vinegar also works. Simply mist the carpet with the vinegar and water mixture and let it air dry. Open windows if necessary to speed up the process.
If the vinegar smell is too much, add a little citrus juice to the mixture to give it that nice clean and fresh scent.
