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House Cleaning: Love Your Carpet (Part 1)
By
Courtney |
July 21st, 2009 |
Category:
Cleaning |
5 comments
Courtney is the perfect blend of 1950′s housewife and modern housewife. She keeps things simple. On her website, Homemaker Hero, she features tips and tricks of how things were done “back then” and applies them to modern living. You can also find Courtney on twitter @HomemakerHero.
House Cleaning: Love Your Carpet
Let’s start this one off with a little brain tease. Close your eyes (slightly opening them enough to read the rest of this article). Think about a piece of sand paper. Now think about the dirt on the bottom of your shoe and how it can be just as rough as that piece of sand paper.
Now think about your oily skin – especially when sweaty. Now think about the bottom of your bare feet and how much oil and sweat secretes from there on a daily basis. Just those two things alone explain so much when you wonder why your carpets can’t get clean.
The first step to loving your carpet is to wear socks or slippers around the house. You are now a socks and slippers gal. Your carpet will love you back for this one.
You will also need to vacuum regularly and avoid using liquid shampoos on your carpet. The liquid shampoo cannot be completely rinsed out and leaves a sticky residue that attracts all that shoe grime and various other things that come in contact with it.
Use a carpet cleaner that cleans with water only. Mix 1 cup vinegar for every 2 ½ gallons of water and clean according to directions. Go over the carpet again with warm water only. The vinegar will help pull out the grime the old shampoo left behind. You will probably need to do this a few times to see complete results, but your carpets will once again feel soft and grime-free.
Treating Carpet Stains
Never rub a stain! Just blot. Rubbing breaks down fibers and just smears it everywhere. Got food stains? Break out the shaving cream and spray it over the stain. Do NOT rub in the shaving cream. Just let it sit for 15 minutes and then rinse with a vinegar and water solution.
Need more cleaning tips? Come back next week for more carpet cleaning tips or visit Works for Me Wednesday! In the meantime, you can read How Do I Set Up a Housekeeping Plan?
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I really need to try my hand at cleaning my own carpet rather than paying a company to do it. Thanks for sharing these tips; I wouldn’t have thought to just use vinegar and water!
I always need carpet cleaning tips! Thank you!!!
Come stop by my blog ~ I’m sharing a tasty thing I found that works for me and my daughter, which you’ll see LOL. Plus I have a little info on a Non-BlogHer party going on with GIVEAWAYS and fun!!
Thanks for this–Im going to try it today- my family room carpet looks really bad and last time I used a cleaner. I am also trying to stay organnic now so going to give the vinegar a whirl!
Awesome tip! My living room carpet is in terrible shape. (My husband jokingly says it needs to be taken out and burned.) I am absolutely going to try the vinegar and water cleaner! Thank you!
Please let me know how it works for you! I love hearing success stories!!
Be sure to check out part 2 for more tips on getting rid of stains on the carpet.