How to Clean a Carpet: Tips and Home Remedies

Carpets make for more cosiness in the home. To ensure that we can enjoy them for a long time, we must care for them. Here you can learn how to clean carpets properly and how to remove stains easily.

Cleaning a carpet with a vacuum cleaner

To remove loose dirt and dust from the carpet, regular vacuuming is important. Even though most vacuum cleaners have a carpet gland, the normal brush attachment is more suitable, as it beats up the carpet and allows the dirt to be absorbed more easily.

Carpet cleaning: Washing properly

Small carpets made of cotton/ polyester, polyacrylic and viscose can be put into the washing machine without any problems. At 30 degrees with an easy-care programme nothing can go wrong. A mild detergent or wool detergent is also suitable, the spin cycle should be avoided.

Cleaning a high-pile carpet

Regular vacuuming is important for high pile, a smooth carpet gland is particularly suitable. Thorough carpet cleaning is recommended every two to three years (especially with long pile, dirt quickly collects in the fringes).

A small high-pile carpet can be soaked in warm water in the bathtub without any problems. Let the dirty water drain off and fill the tub with water and some shampoo again. Important: Do not brush high pile carpets, just let it soak in. Then rinse the carpet with clear water and let it dry on a carpet rod. For larger high-pile carpets, a carpet cleaning machine should be used.

Cleaning a wool carpet

Both wool carpets and carpets made of new wool and felt should only be cleaned gently. It is best to pour lukewarm water into a bathtub and add wool detergent. To avoid creases in the wool carpet, the carpet should be carefully placed in the tub and soaked – firm scrubbing should be avoided.

Removing stains

If a stain has come onto the carpet, it means: act quickly so that it does not dry up. It is important here that we dab the stain out and do not rub on it, otherwise we will only get it out worse.

These home remedies help

• Baking powder: One of our most popular household remedies is baking powder – a real all-rounder. Simply add baking powder to the stain with hot water and let it work (this works the same way with baking soda). You should neither dab nor rub the stain. Finally, vacuum everything off. By the way, baking powder also works wonders in the kitchen. Take a look here: Clean the oven.
• Vinegar and lemon: Stubborn stains can be removed with vinegar and lemon – even coffee stains and chocolate stains don’t stand a chance here. The stains disappear very quickly due to the acid – but the acid also has a bleaching effect. With chocolate, the stain should be carefully cut out of the fringes and then treated with vinegar.
• Salt: Salt absorbs liquids. Wine stains can be treated with it and the whole thing can finally be sucked off.
• Curd soap: Curd soap is particularly suitable for synthetic fibre carpets. Mix curd soap and water and dab on the stain with a sponge or cloth. Important: Only moisten the cloth, do not get it wet. Allow to soak in and dab with a dry cloth.
• Shaving foam: A brush is used for shaving foam. Handle the stain with care and brush it out lightly. Vacuum – ready.
• Blotting paper: The candle wax dripped on your carpet? Blotting paper helps here. Simply place it on the stain and iron over it with an iron. This way the wax dissolves and sticks to the paper.

Get rid of mites

Dust mites are not only found in our bed, but also in carpets. Since they do not like the cold, it is helpful to put the carpet outside overnight from time to time or even put it in the freezer. No kidding! This way mites don’t have a chance. Alternatively, we can also get rid of them with baking soda. How this works and more tips against mites can be found here: Change the sheets.

Impregnate carpets

To prevent dust and dirt from settling on the carpet in the first place, impregnation spray is suitable. This way we have friends on our carpets for longer and not so much work in cleaning.