Even if yours is a shoe-free household with no pets, there is no escaping the fact that, over time, carpet can start to look pretty grimy, losing its newly-fitted, immaculate appearance – which is why learning how to clean carpet it on a DIY basis is a skill well-worth knowing.
All types of carpet need some form of maintenance and while you can obviously call in the professionals to help you restore your carpet's fresh finish, this can be an expensive thing to do on a regularly basis – particularly when it is quite possible to carry out the task yourself armed with the right products and know-how – as well as a little patience.
Whether you are keen to get your carpet pristine for the imminent arrival of house guests, are staring in horror at a newly acquired stain or share your home with four-legged friends who have a total disregard for the doormat, we have gathered together the best expert advice around to help you get the job done to pro standards.
How to clean an entire carpet
The main reason people tend to call in the professionals is because the prospect of cleaning an entire carpet, either within a single space such as a living room or throughout the home, can feel a little overwhelming. However, this is a job that can, with the right tools and know-how, be successfully carried out on a DIY basis.
"For a full refresh, steam cleaning is one of the most effective DIY methods," reveals Lynsey Crombie, aka Lynsey Queen of Clean. "Many steam cleaners come with a dedicated carpet tool, where the steamer sits in a refresh tray to loosen and lift the top layer of dirt. This helps revive dull carpet fibres and remove everyday surface grime without harsh chemicals.
"Another option is to use a carpet cleaner machine," continues Lynsey. "These work by spraying a mix of water and carpet shampoo into the fibres, then sucking the dirty water back out. They give a deeper clean than steam alone and are great for households with kids or pets, where carpets see more spills and muddy footprints."
Lynsey Crombie is ITV This Morning's resident home expert and the UK's No1 'Queen of Clean TV presenter. Lynsey's best-selling book 'The 15 Minute Clean' is available to buy from AMAZON
Shop carpet cleaning machines
With large capacity clean and dirty water tanks, this carpet and upholstery cleaner makes it easy to get your carpets spotless in no time at all. Additionally, it comes with a spot cleaning tool and a hard floor adaptor, as well as the professional cleaning solution that promises to kill 93% of bacteria — it even has a quick dry feature that leaves carpet ready to walk on in just one hour.
There are so many strings to this handy tool's bow. Not only does it function like a regular steam cleaner, working its magic on all kinds of hard floors, but is also adapts to a handheld tool that can be used to clean worktops and so on. And, when used in combination with the carpet glider, it gets soft floor coverings fresh and clean easily too. It is also lightweight and foldable, making storage simple.
This is a seriously powerful carpet cleaner that features a built-in stain and spot eliminator. Thanks to its high-speed roller and high-pressure water spray, it penetrates deep into the pile of the carpet without saturating it. It comes with a range of useful handheld accessories and a powerful 'dry only' mode to ensure you can walk over your clean carpet as soon as possible after treatment.
How to get stains out of carpet
From red wine and mud to pollen and sauces, at some stage in its life, a carpet is bound to be subjected to some pretty stubborn stains. Thankfully, there are ways of dealing with them that don't mean investing in a new rug to cover them up – or entirely new flooring.
"When it comes to stains, one rule stands out from the rest – blot, do not scrub!" warns Scott Schrader, cleaning expert at CottageCare. "For stains associated with food or drink like red wine or coffee, a simple mixture of warm water and one drop of washing-up liquid will work, as long as you simply blot up the liquid with a clean towel afterwards. For grease stains, a small amount of bicarbonate of soda will work really well if left for a short amount of time prior to vacuuming."
"When dealing with stains, the type of spill makes a difference, but there are some golden rules," explains Lynsey Crombie, who goes on to reveal what these are:
- Always blot, never scrub.
- Use a clean white cloth to gently dab the stain. A white cloth helps you see the stain lifting and avoids colour transfer.
- Cold water first. Most stains should be treated with cold water as soon as possible to prevent them setting.
For more specific stain treatments, Benjamin Hirst, MD of Smart Cleaning has some insider tips.
- For stains like wine or juice, try 1 tbsp white vinegar plus 1 tbsp washing-up liquid and 2 cups warm water. Blot with a clean cloth. Rinse and blot dry.
- For coffee or tea use equal parts white vinegar and water. Again, dab gently, then rinse and blot dry.
- For harder stains like grease or oil, use cornstarch or baking soda, then dab the residue with isopropyl alcohol. Leave for 15 min, then vacuum.
- With mud, let it dry then vacuum. Use a mild detergent with warm water. Again, blot never scrub.
- If you're got pet stains, you want an enzymatic cleaner (try Nature’s Miracle). This breaks down odours and bacteria.
- With ink stains, try Isopropyl alcohol or hairspray (with alcohol). Blot gently using a white cloth.
Benjamin has led Smart Cleaning since its inception for over a decade. Starting out as a carpet cleaner, since then reliability trustworthiness and honesty have been the cornerstone of the business to enable it to grow into a multi service company with regular commercial contract cleaning being the largest service within the company.
Scott Schrader is the chief marketing officer at CottageCare, a leading home cleaning company with over 41 locations nationwide.
Shop household stain busters
It might not be glamourous or boast the same aesthetic value as some cleaners, but white vinegar should be a staple in your cleaning cupboard. This large bottle and handy spray will come in so handy for eliminating all kinds of stains, odours and grime.
Thanks to its bio-enzymatic formula, this cost-effective spray cleaner is capable of breaking down all kinds of pet-related mess and stains on contact, leaving a fresh melon scent in their place. It is safe to use on most fabrics and surfaces too.
There are so many ways to use isopropyl alcohol. While it works well to remove ink stains, it can also be used to sanitise surfaces, remove mould, get glass gleaming — the list goes on. Be sure to stock up.
How do you clean a carpet by hand?
If you decide to forgo hiring or buying a carpet cleaning machine, there are still ways to get your carpet back up to scratch. In areas of light use, such as in the case of bedroom carpet, a clean by hand might be all that's needed.
"Use carpet cleaning sprays and solutions," suggests Lynsey Crombie. "Products like Dr. Beckmann Carpet Cleaner from Amazon are popular for home use because they’re easy to apply and come with built-in applicators or brushes to work the solution into the fibres. These treatments are ideal for tackling high traffic areas that look flat or grubby, such as hallways and living room walkways."
"Before any wet cleaning, remove as much loose debris as possible with a vacuum," advises Benjamin Hirst. "Vacuum slowly and in multiple directions to lift ground-in dirt. Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda before vacuuming to neutralise odours. Dry carpet cleaning powders also works well. Brush in, leave to absorb, then vacuum."
Is it worth hiring a carpet cleaner?
Hiring a carpet cleaning machine is a common solution. Prices vary, but, as a guide, expect to pay around £27.99 per 24 hours for a standard machine. Bear in mind, this probably won't include the cost of the detergent you'll need to go in it and any accessories for corners and so on — however, it is a great way to deep clean your home as well as deal with any invisible mould.
"Once or twice a year, a DIY refresh with a rented carpet cleaner or a home machine will go a long way to reset your carpet pile," explains Scott Schrader. "Just be certain that you have the appropriate solution, and be mindful not to over-wet the carpet – over-saturating can leave behind cleaning residue resulting in dirt, or, in worse case scenarios, lead to mould, which isn’t good for anyone."
If it is just small patches you need to get clean, rather than hiring a full-size carpet cleaner, a small handheld model makes a great investment – plus many can also be used on upholstery and mattresses.
"For smaller areas or quick refreshes, spot cleaners are a handy tool," says Lynsey Crombie. "These portable machines target individual patches and are perfect for tackling accidents, stains, or high-traffic areas without having to clean the entire carpet."
"If you are only spot cleaning, a little spray bottle filled with half and half vinegar and water will work for cleaning up stains ,too" adds Scott Schrader. "If you decide to conduct spot cleaning yourself, I would suggest utilising a stiff bristled brush after applying the carpet cleaner in addition to a stack of clean microfibre cloths as your cleaning accessories."
Shop spot carpet cleaners
Spot cleaners are great for quick clean ups and are also perfect for other uses, such as on mattresses or sofas. This one comes with two duplicate tools so you can use one for really dirty jobs like cleaning up pet messes and another for everyday cleaning.
Compact, lightweight, yet pleasingly powerful, this Karcher spot cleaner delivers brilliant results and is quick to set-up and use. Despite being on the smaller size, it has a generous cleaning radius making it suitable for use over larger areas too.
When used with Shark's cleaning solution, this spot cleaner promises to banish even stubborn stains and odours with minimum effort required. It is highly portable too meaning it is ideal to use on stair carpet and rugs.
FAQs
What should you not clean carpet with?
It is important that, in your bid to get your carpets spotless, you don't end up doing more harm than good by using unsuitable cleaning products – particularly in the case of natural carpets.
"It’s best to avoid bleach-based products," picks up Lynsey Crombie. "While bleach can remove colour, it often damages carpet fibres permanently and leaves behind patchy marks that are worse than the original stain. Similarly, harsh chemical cleaners not designed for carpets can degrade the backing and shorten the carpet’s life."
"You want to avoid anything harsh, like bleach, or anything with a strong fragrance while cleaning up the carpets too," adds Scott Schrader. "The reason is simply that they can easily damage the carpet fibres and create residues."
"Avoid ammonia too," says Benjamin Hirst. "It is harsh and may damage wool. And don’t soak carpets as excess water leads to mould. Finally, steer clear of abrasive brushes that can fray fibres."
If there is one room in the house to avoid carpet it is the bathroom – there are so many better bathroom flooring ideas to choose from.
