One of the biggest drawbacks to renting commercial carpet cleaners is that the cleaning solution that comes with them is filled with toxic chemicals. Not only do they smell bad while they're being used, but they can also leave a residue on your carpets where your little ones and pets play. Not a pretty thought, is it? So how about if you could make a natural carpet cleaner out of simple products you may already have in your kitchen? These are items, such as white vinegar and baking soda, that you use in cooking, so you know they are 100% safe. In addition, they really do a good job of cleaning your carpets.
Smaller spots on your carpet, even old dried in ones, can be easily removed by applying a paste made of white vinegar and baking soda with an old toothbrush. Be sure to wait until the spot you treated is completely dry, then vacuum up the powdery residue left behind. If the stain has really set into the carpet, it may take more than one treatment to pull it all out. With a fresh spot, you can often just blot the liquid out of the rug using paper towels. If you need a little help for staining, apply a little club soda and then blot. Repeat the process until the spot is removed.
Using a rental steam cleaner is still an option, but instead of chemical cleaners, you might want to try using a solution of equal parts warm water and white vinegar. Before using a rental machine, however, you might want to run some plain water through it to remove chemical residue. Then all you need to do is pour your vinegar solution into the machine and clean your carpets as per the machine's instructions. You can also use warm water and white vinegar to saturate a fresh pet stain and then blot or suck as much water from the carpet as possible. For a pet stain, though, you need to follow up the water treatment with a sprinkling of baking soda. Wait until it dries and then vacuum away.
Although these natural carpet cleaning methods may seem too simple to be effective, they actually do work without the cost and chemicals of commercial cleaners. The answer to that spot on your carpet may well be sitting on your kitchen shelf.
