Little tricks on how to clean old stains from a carpet at home
Every housewife knows that if there is a carpet on the floor, sooner or later stains will appear on it. Especially often those who have children have to clean.
Sometimes when mom sees spilled paint or chewing gum stuck to the carpet, she gets angry. Cleaning up such contaminants is not easy.
How to clean a carpet at home for old stains? Having studied the methods and means of dealing with them in advance, you can prepare and, if necessary, apply your knowledge in practice.
Content
How to remove stains: universal methods
Before you start cleaning, you should prepare. To do this, just remember a few rules:
- The best option at home would be dry cleaning, using a broom or vacuum cleaner. Most materials from which carpets are made do not like water, especially hot water.
- Hard brushes can damage the bristles. It's better to choose something softer. When cleaning a stain, you should move towards the center so as not to rub the dirt all over the carpet.
- When using household chemicals, you must strictly follow the instructions. First, you need to test the product on a small, inconspicuous area. Aggressive substances can damage the pile and cause the colors to fade.
The carpet should be vacuumed thoroughly before cleaning. Small debris and dust can interfere with cleaning.
Soda and salt
Substances are taken in equal proportions, the mixture is sprinkled on the dirty area and left for 20 minutes.. The carpet is then swept or vacuumed.This method can be used to clean small, fresh stains.
How to remove with vinegar?
Table vinegar is great for cleaning wool carpets. It gives the pile shine and refreshes its appearance. To do this, mix 20 ml of vinegar with a liter of water.
After treating with vinegar, you need to ventilate the room well and let the carpet dry completely.
Ammonia
When removing stains from fresh juice, this product is simply irreplaceable.
First, prepare a solution. For this mix a liter of water with two teaspoons of ammonia. After the carpet has been vacuumed, it is wiped with a brush dipped in the solution.
Then leave it to dry for five minutes and wipe with a dry cloth. Only the pile is treated with liquid. The base of the carpet should not get wet.
Starch
This is the simplest method that does not require prior preparation.. Sprinkle starch on the carpet and gently rub it over the entire surface. After ten minutes you can vacuum.
How to remove complex traces?
The cleaning method is selected depending on the complexity of the contamination. Almost any stain can be removed using improvised means:
- Coffee. Apply a napkin to the wet area. It should absorb all the liquid. Next, the carpet is treated with a vinegar solution or a special chemical. For example, Vanish, Help, Udalix Ultra.
If coffee with milk has been spilled, you should not delay cleaning. In just a day or two, an unpleasant sour smell will appear.
- Blood. This is the most difficult and persistent pollution.It can only be removed without a trace if the blood has not yet dried. To do this, blot the stain with a damp cloth.
Then moisten a rag with hydrogen peroxide and repeat the procedure. If the stain begins to dry out, then the peroxide should be replaced with ammonia.
- Wax. To remove it from the carpet, you must wait until it dries completely. Use a sharp object to scrape it off the pile. Then place a clean napkin on the dirty area and iron it with a slightly warm iron. Finally, the stains are treated with an alcohol solution.
- Wine, chocolate, fruit. In this case, a bar of laundry soap will come to the rescue. It is grated and dissolved in a liter of water. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to the solution. The composition is applied in a small amount to the carpet and blotted with a dry cloth. If the stain is dry, treat it with ammonia.
- Glue. A fresh stain can be easily washed with soapy water. If it is dry, you need to soften it with glycerin. The procedure is the same as in the case of paint. Then mix a teaspoon of ammonia with two glasses of water. Moisten a rag with this solution and apply it to the stain for 2-3 hours.
- Ballpoint pen and felt-tip pen. The best option is alcohol. It is applied to a cotton pad and the stain is treated until the cotton wool stops staining. Contamination should not be rubbed. When the marks from the felt-tip pen or marker have disappeared, wash the area with soap and water.
- Gum. Place several ice cubes in a sealed bag and place on the stain. The gum should be completely frozen. After this, it will be easy to clean off with any sharp object. If you are unable to completely remove the chewing gum the first time, you can repeat the procedure.
- Paint, gouache. Such contamination is removed when it is dry.The top layer is carefully cleaned off. Then rub with glycerin and leave for four hours. When the paint has softened, treat it with a soap solution.
Often spilled gouache is difficult to deal with. In this case, a special product called white spirit will help. Before use, do a test on an inconspicuous area of the carpet.
- Iodine. The contamination is treated with lemon juice or ammonia solution. The stain must be well wetted and left for 20-30 minutes. Then blot with a sponge or napkin.
- Zelenka. In this case, hydrogen peroxide will come to the rescue again. Pour liquid onto the stain and apply a cotton pad. It is very difficult to remove such stains. You may have to use aggressive chemicals or hire dry cleaning services. Green stains should not be rubbed. You need to place a rag under the carpet so as not to stain the floor.
- Nail polish. A special nail polish remover or acetone will perfectly remove spilled nail polish from the coating. Moisten a cotton pad with the liquid and wipe the stain until it disappears.
- Ice cream. The remaining ice cream is carefully collected with a spoon. Wipe off dirt with a sponge soaked in cold water. If the ice cream is not completely clean, wash the area with dishwashing liquid.
- Dirt from shoes. Such contamination must be allowed to dry. Then the sand is swept away. If necessary, the carpet can be washed with a special carpet shampoo.
This video will show you how to remove various stains from a carpet:
Removal nuances depending on the color and material of the carpet
To successfully deal with any contamination, it is necessary to take into account the properties of the carpet, its color, pile length, etc.:
- Long pile requires very careful handling. An ordinary vacuum cleaner does not cope well with this task. Everything will have to be done by hand.
A soap solution and a sponge will help restore the carpet to its original cleanliness. Problem areas can be treated with a steam cleaner.
- Short pile unpretentious and does not cause housewives much trouble. It can be cleaned dry or wet.
- Natural materials. Gentle care is needed here. This fabric gets dirty more often, and stains on it are more difficult to remove. For cleaning wool products use a vacuum cleaner, steam cleaner, starch or soda.
In the case of silk, any aqueous solutions should be avoided. When mechanically cleaning, you must move very carefully. If you press too hard, the fibers will break down and the carpet may tear.
- Synthetic materials more stable and durable. They retain their beautiful appearance for a long time and are resistant to stains. If something is spilled on such a coating, it should be cleaned immediately with available means. Stubborn stains are more difficult to deal with.
- Dark coatings cannot be washed with powders. Starch, soda and salt will leave a white coating on the pile, which will be difficult to remove. As a result, the pile will become hard and unpleasant to the touch. For dark carpets, recipes based on vinegar and ammonia are suitable.
- Light rug doesn't like lemon juice. It leaves yellow spots. The stain-fighting product you choose should not be greasy. It is difficult to get rid of such divorces. Any white powders and solutions of laundry soap will do.
Adviсe
There are many carpet cleaning chemicals available on the market. They are available in the form of powders, liquids, gels, foam. Foaming products are suitable for heavy soiling. It is this property that allows you to remove even the most stubborn stains:
- Powders are used for dry cleaning with a vacuum cleaner. They are suitable for daily cleaning. Stubborn stains cannot be removed this way.
The product is distributed evenly over the coating and left for several minutes. The carpet should then be vacuumed.
- A steam cleaner will help clean any coating and remove all dirt.. This is an environmentally friendly and simple way. The device is similar to a handheld vacuum cleaner. It acts on the carpet with hot steam. This way all the dirt comes off easily, killing germs and small insects.
Conclusion
To remove the stain on time, you need to keep suitable products at home. Fresh stains are much easier to clean than dried ones. If for some reason you couldn’t wash the carpet, don’t be upset, you can always order dry cleaning.