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We currently live in an apartment and I am saddened to say that our carpet has not been cleaned in the 3 years that we have lived here. I have scrubbed out a few spots with a towel but it has never been properly cleaned.
This is quite appalling when you consider that my father owns and operates a professional carpet cleaning company, you would think I’d know better.
However, I don’t have extra money to spend on professional cleaning and dear daddy is two states away. I finally convinced myself that I NEEDED to clean the carpets so we borrowed a household steam cleaner.
I have been trying to figure out what to clean our carpets with for awhile. As the daughter of a carpet cleaner, I know all the proper tools of the trade but I also know that they are fully of nasty chemicals. Since I’m going green and crunchy, I decided to find a safer alternative.
After doing a bit of researching, I found out that once again vinegar has yet another use: carpet cleaner. I can’t say I was too surprised to find out about vinegar. I use it to clean just about everything in my all-purpose cleaner so why not carpets?
I used 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water in the steam cleaner. Yes, it smelled like vinegar! However, once the carpets dried the smell was gone, just like all the other vinegar cleaning I do.
I must say, I am quite impressed. It did a great job. Now, I still think my carpets could have been cleaned a bit deeper but I do not blame the vinegar, I blame the puny steam cleaner.
Once again this carpet cleaner’s daughter has been spoiled by having properly cleaned carpets, so I “know” better. That being said, my carpets do look nice.
As far as I can tell my spots are gone and I know it cleaned it to some extent by the color of the water I was dumping!
DIY Natural Carpet Cleaner
1 part white distilled vinegar
2 parts water
Directions:
Pour cleaning mixture into the liquid/soap container of your portable steam cleaner.
Clean carpets like normal.
Open your windows to help air flow and dry carpets quicker.
The next time you need to clean your carpet, you might want to give vinegar a try.
It works great and if you have ever read the ingredients on a commercial cleaner, you’ll go running for something more non-toxic. Vinegar is a great alternative.
I so have to try this. I wish I owned a cleaner though, but vinegar is still better than stain removers!!
Vinegar is like baking soda, too many uses in one ingredient. Using vinegar in cleaning carpets would not just save you more money but also helps in restoring our dear planet from dreadful chemicals. There are many techniques and alternatives in carpet cleaning. In Portland, Or., they do green cleaning by using gentle products that would not risk the health of the entire household and the environment.
I have been using vinegar water to clean my carpets for years! It works great and it actually keeps the carpets cleaner longer than conventional cleaners because it does not leave a residue that soaps and cleaners would. If you have a tough spot, just put a borax paste on it an let sit 15 minutes – overnight (depending on how bad the spot is) and you'll have green clean carpets even a pro would be proud of! -and if you don't have your own steam cleaner, you can rent one at the grocery store or hardwars store for under $20!!!