When did you last vacuum your carpet? Carpets collect all manner of dirt from within and without the house. Organic compounds, mold, bacteria, insect husks, insect feces, dust, pet urine, pet hair, dust mites, name them. Combine these with spilled dirt water, oil, ink, etc. A carpet can have some nasty stains. All these are a health risk for you and your loved ones.
Contents
How to Disinfect Carpet without Steam Cleaner
Steam cleaning is the common way of cleaning and disinfecting carpets. However, you’ll need to buy or rent a steam cleaner, and this can be quite expensive. Are you aware you can disinfect your carpet without using a steam cleaner?
What’s needed?
- A rag
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Liquid dish soap
- A scrub brush
- A bucket
- Water
Just follow the procedure below.
-
Remove the Furniture
If there’s any furniture on the carpet, you’ll have to remove them. Vacuum the carpet to get rid of any loose debris or dirt. Sprinkle some baking soda on the carpet. Let it stay there for a few minutes.
-
Preparing the disinfecting mixture
Add vinegar and cold water in equal parts into a bucket then add some liquid dish detergent. Swirl the bucket and its content until the mixture becomes foamy. This mixture has both cleaning and disinfecting property but are also known to discolor some fabric. So, use a small area of the carpet to test it first. The mixture works with many carpets, and, likely, yours will not be an exception.
-
Scrub the Carpet
Dip the scrubbing brush into the mixture in the bucket then use it to scrub the carpet. Don’t make the carpet to become too wet. Starting from one corner scrub all the way to another corner of your carpet. Dip the scrubbing brush in the mixture as it may be necessary to keep it wet. Also, maintain a good pressure while scrubbing to remove all the stains. Once you are done scrubbing, let the carpet stay for about five minutes to ensure the disinfecting agent can work on it well.
-
Rinse the Carpet
Replace the mixture with cold, clean water and use a rag instead of the scrubbing brush. Dip the rag in water and use it to rub the carpet. This will help in removing the bacteria and dirt that the disinfecting agent loosened. Just like you did the scrubbing, use the wet rag to rub the carpet from end to end. Dip the rag in water as and when necessary. You can as well change the rag if it gets dirty.
-
Let the Carpet Dry
It is advisable to have the carpet cleaned and disinfected on a dry day, or when the humidity is low, so it can dry faster. If you have a fan, you can as well use it to dry the carpet. Let the carpet dry thoroughly before you move to the next step.
-
Vacuum the Carpet
Once again, vacuum the carpet to remove any debris that might still be clinging on the carpet. Vacuuming also helps in removing the disinfecting mixture that was used on the carpet. It will also help to fluff the carpet to restore its original texture and look.
-
Keep Your Carpet Disinfected
After you are done disinfecting your carpet, you would want it to stay that way longer. Try as much as possible to keep dirt and any spillage from your carpet. Once in a while, you can prepare a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar and spray this mixture on the carpet. This is the best way to disinfect your carpet quickly.
Final Words
If you don’t want the vinegar smell on your carpet, then you’ll need to get rid of the smell. The cheapest and best way to remove vinegar smell or spill is to use baking soda. Sprinkle some baking soda on the carpet and let it sit for some time. Finally, use a sponge or a clean rag to rub the carpet. You’ll be surprised that the vinegar smell will be gone.
If you don’t have baking soda, you can use isopropyl alcohol. Just dip a rag into the alcohol and use it to rub the carpet.