From spot cleaning to scrubbing your whole carpet, this guide has you covered
Carpets get dirty; that’s just a fact of life. Whether your toddler spilled a cup of grape juice or your shoes tracked dirt through your home for months, you’ll probably have to learn how to clean up more than a few messes.
Though carpet cleaning isn’t always a fun job, it’s a job that eventually needs to get done (ideally as soon as the mess appears). So, how do you clean your carpets if you don’t have a carpet cleaner? It’s time to put on your DIY hat.
Before you can clean your carpet, you need to do a little prep work. A carpet cleaning pro knows which cleaning method is best for your specific carpet, but if you’re doing the work yourself, you’ll need to assess your carpet cleaner of choice to see if it’s safe. Check the manufacturer’s instructions (on both the cleaner and your carpet) and always perform a spot test.
When choosing a cleaning agent, you’ll want to start with the gentlest method possible. You may be able to blot a fresh stain away with some club soda or clean your carpet with a vacuum or broom if there’s loose dust and dirt. Otherwise, you can use one (or some) of the following:
Powdered carpet cleaner
Baking soda
Carpet shampoo
Vinegar
Dish soap
Commercially available carpet cleaning products are the most convenient if you need to clean the entire rug. Baking soda, dish soap, and vinegar tend to work well for spot cleaning stains. You should always spot clean stains first before attempting to clean your entire carpet.
After you spot treat stains, you’ll need to clean your entire carpet. This guide will walk you through it step-by-step—without leaving dirty shoe prints.
Start by cleaning your carpet with a vacuum, removing loose dust and dirt. If your vacuum is too delicate to vacuum, you can try brushing it with a stiff-bristled broom. It may take a little more elbow grease, but it works well—especially on pet hair.
It’s not just for baking cakes: Baking soda is a multi-use green cleaning product that can banish nasty odors. Sprinkle baking soda across your carpet, and let the powder sit for at least 30 minutes before you vacuum it away.
You can use a powdered carpet cleaner just like you would baking soda. These cleaners are available at most home improvement stores and are a great option for wool, which doesn’t respond well to moisture. Follow the directions on the packaging. Most of the time, you’ll have to sprinkle the cleaner on the rug, let it sit for around 30 minutes, then vacuum it up.
If you’re using carpet shampoo, you can make a gentle cleaning solution by diluting it. Put a couple of drops of the liquid carpet cleaner in a spray bottle filled with warm water, then follow these steps:
Spray your carpet using as little solution as possible. You don’t want to saturate the fibers—moisture leads to mold and mildew.
Remove caked-in dirt by brushing your carpet with a carpet brush.
Blot the carpet with a dry towel to remove as much of the cleaner as possible.
Spray the carpet with fresh water (again, don’t saturate it).
Blot the carpet with a dry towel until it’s as dry as possible.
Brush the pile with a carpet brush to make sure it looks neat and tidy.
Before you clean your entire carpet, you’ll need to spot clean the stains, ideally when the stain is fresh. Each carpet cleaning method has its pros and cons. Some are gentle, albeit less effective, while others are harsh but can lift tougher stains. Start with club soda (which is typically harmless unless you’re dumping lots of it on a wool rug that can’t handle moisture) and move from there.
If you’ve got a fresh, liquid spill on your hands, blot it immediately with a white paper towel or absorbent microfiber cloth. You may be able to blot up the entire stain before it sets. If not, move to another method.
Blot—don’t scrub—your stain using a white paper towel and a small amount of club soda. Use just enough to saturate the area. This method will help dilute and lift a fresh stain. It won’t work well with a stain that has already set, so in that case, move on to the next method.
You can use vinegar and clear dish soap to make a powerful DIY spot cleaner. Keep in mind that vinegar is acidic, so it can lift some of the pigment in a dyed carpet. Do a spot test first. To make the solution, mix the following ingredients in a bowl:
1–2 cups of white vinegar
1 cup of warm water
2–3 drops of clear dish soap
Use a clean sponge or cloth to apply the solution to the stain, dabbing from the edges to the center of the stain. Let it sit for a few minutes to lift the stain, then blot it with a dry towel. Repeat the process if needed. Once you’re done, use a clean cloth to blot the area with water. You want to remove the rest of the cleaning solution.
A baking soda paste works well to remove deep carpet stains. Here’s what you need to do:
Combine three parts baking soda with one part water to make a paste.
Work the paste into the carpet (a toothbrush can help you get in deep).
Let the paste sit for a few hours.
Once it’s dry, vacuum up the paste.
If you can’t get all the paste up, you can blot the area with warm water.
When all else fails, spot clean your carpet using a carpet shampoo or a powdered carpet cleaner. Follow the directions on the packaging.
There are a few things to remember when cleaning a carpet without a machine. Not every material is the same. Some are damaged more easily. To ensure your carpet comes out looking—and smelling—like new, consider the following:
Always use the gentlest cleaning method possible.
Always spot test your cleaner before applying it to a noticeable area on your carpet.
Limit moisture, which can encourage mold and mildew to grow.
Open your windows to help moisture evaporate.
Move your furniture out of the way to give you a better workspace.
Blot, don’t scrub. Scrubbing can spread a stain or embed it deeper into the pile.
If you’re cleaning the whole carpet, start in a corner and work your way across. You want to avoid stepping over areas you’ve already cleaned—especially if they’re still wet or covered in powder.
The typical cost of professional carpet cleaning is $120 to $230, depending on the job. You’ll pay an average of $240 for shampooing or $300 for steam cleaning. If you do the job on your own using something other than a steam cleaner, you’ll just have to pay for materials. Commercially available carpet cleaners typically cost less than $20 at a local hardware store or online.
You can save money on carpet cleaning by doing the job yourself. DIY cleaning generally works well as long as the carpet isn’t very delicate and doesn’t have significant stains or sticky odors (think: pet urine and cigarette smoke).
If your carpet is delicate or has deep-set stains, you’ll probably want to hire a professional. You can’t deep clean by hand as well as you can with a machine. A simple steam clean can make old carpets feel brand new. On top of that, a local carpet cleaner will know the best cleaning method for the type of carpet and the grime at hand.
You can clean your carpet with products you probably already have underneath your sink. You can use baking soda the same as a powdered carpet cleaner. Club soda can lift new stains, while white vinegar and dish soap can pull out old stains.
Vinegar is the most popular natural carpet cleaning substance. Mix a one-to-one ratio of vinegar and water to make a homemade cleansing solution. Don’t completely drench your carpet with it, but you can blot some on with a rag or spritz it on with a spray bottle, then work the mixture in with a brush, allow it to dry, and vacuum the area.
Although shampooing can quickly fix odors, it causes more wear on your carpet over time than steam cleaning. Another advantage of steam cleaning is that it doesn’t leave residue on your carpet fibers and will usually leave them feeling softer than shampooing does. Although a steamer is more expensive, it’s worth the cost when considering the wear on your carpet and the replacement cost.
