Household Tips and Improvements
Every parent knows how hard it is to keep the home in tip-top shape. Here are some tips to keep your carpets pristine even as you raise kids.
Of all the things you worried about before having children, stains in your carpeting was probably low on the list. Once your children arrive, however, it has probably moved to the front of the pack of daily problems you face.
Carpets can make your home comfortable and cosy, but removing stains can be a hassle. Food, paint, dirt, and other materials can ruin your carpeting if not taken care of quickly and efficiently. Luckily, many stains can be completely or mostly removed with some clever homemade solutions and techniques that will not further damage your carpet, no matter the type. Check out these carpet cleaning solutions made from products you probably already have in your home–they can help solve at least one of your most simple household problems.
Synthetic Carpets
If you own a carpet made of synthetic materials, you can easily create three different cleaning solutions that are useful in eradicating various types of stains. Make a detergent solution by mixing ¼ teaspoon of dishwashing liquid with one cup of tepid water. Vinegar solutions are easy, made by mixing one cup of white vinegar with two cups of water. You can also make a solvent solution with oil solvent or nail polish remover mixed with just a bit of water (the specific amount depends on the strength of the solvent).
Food and Drink Stains
If you somehow have found yourself with a serious stain caused by wine, ketchup, tea, coffee, beer, berries, juice, or anything similar, blot the area with a white cloth soaked in the detergent solution. Let the cloth sit on top of the stain for 15 minutes to soak up any excess liquid, and let the detergent seep through the carpet. Then, dip another white cloth into the vinegar solution and repeat the process. Rinse the stain with warm water and repeat from the beginning until the stain is gone.
Oil-based Stains
When oil-based stains caused by butter, oil, cheese or other products like lotion or lipstick have ruined your carpet, you should follow a different process. In these cases, just use the solvent and a white cloth to dab the area. Rinse with warm water and repeat until the stain is gone.
Natural Fiber Carpets
Natural fibre carpets require different treatments because of their sensitive nature. You can make four different types of natural solutions to remove these types of stains. A basic detergent solution can be made as mentioned above, by mixing a teaspoon of dishwashing soap with a cup of lukewarm water. A vinegar solution for natural fibre carpets can be made by mixing ¼ cup white vinegar with ¼ cup water. An ammonia solution can be made by mixing one teaspoon of ammonia with ½ cup of tepid water. A solvent solution for oil-based stains can also be made the same as for synthetic carpets, made with an oil solvent or nail polish-removing liquid.
Food and Drink Stains
If you have beer, coffee, or tea stains on your carpet, spray the stain first with the detergent solution and blot dry with a white cloth. Then spray it with the vinegar solution and blot dry again. Spray with the detergent solution again and blot dry one more time. Finally, rinse the area by spraying it with warm water and blotting it dry to finish it off. Repeat these steps until the stain is gone.
If you have the bad luck of having something like chocolate, berries, wine, juice, or milk on your carpet, follow these same steps but also spray the area with the ammonia solution after the first detergent round. When you have a tomato-based product or a drink like Kool-Aid on your carpet, follow the steps outlined initially, but replace the vinegar solution with an ammonia solution.
Oil-based Stains
For oil-based stains on your natural fibre carpet, place a bit of solvent on a dry white cloth and begin blotting the stain. Then spray the area with the detergent solution, again blotting dry. To rinse, spray the stain with tepid water and blot dry. If you see that the stain has lightened after about an hour, repeat the process until the stain is removed.
Although these homemade stain-removing tips can really help you out in a bind, don’t overestimate your capabilities. Many stains can be lightened by these products, but few can be completely removed. Enlisting the services of a professional carpet cleaning company may be the only surefire way to protect your carpet from being ruined.