Clean soiled carpets yourself

The most important points in brief

• A dirty carpet is no big deal, but it does involve a lot of work.
• We differentiate between whether the carpet only needs to be cleaned - or whether real stains make the carpet look unattractive.
• In the first case, regular vacuuming is usually sufficient.
• In the case of stains, however, you usually have to use heavier guns.

Who doesn’t know the situation: A glass filled with cola or red wine slowly but unstoppably tips over and inevitably spills the contents over the light-colored carpet. One is paralyzed and for a moment only thinks of the stains that the liquid will leave on the runner. It is usually not as bad as it seems at first.

Daily cleaning is important

But let's start with the much more mundane occasions of cleaning a carpet. When the weekly house cleaning is due, you shouldn't forget the floor. And that includes the carpet. Before crumbs and dust get stuck in the protector, you should clean the protector regularly.

The vacuum cleaner is the means of your choice for this, it doesn't have to be more complicated. Only the choice of the right nozzle is important. When it comes to long-pile carpets, you should use a smooth nozzle; the brush attachment is the right alternative for all other carpets. If you have a garden and can hang the carpet outside, a carpet beater is also recommended to loosen the dirt.

What to do with stains?

If liquids fall on the runner, the first thing you should do is get an absorbent kitchen towel and dab the liquid away. Rubbing is not a good idea, it will only work the paint particles deeper into the fibers. If the stains are more harmless, such as coffee or cocoa, use mineral water for cleaning.

You drip this onto the resulting stain and dab the water away over and over again. Pay attention to the direction: always only from the outside to the inside! This will prevent the stain from enlarging. If this cleaning doesn't work, then you still have the option of using other calibres.

Clean the carpet with household remedies such as salt or baking soda

Anyone who thinks that the thing with the salt in red wine stains is drowned and lies, is wrong. Salt can be very useful - if it is sprinkled on immediately after the accident and the wine has not yet been drawn in. The grains of salt soak up the liquid, then you can simply remove them with the vacuum cleaner.

If this first aid measure is no longer an option because the wine has already dried out, you can sprinkle baking powder or baking soda on the stains and pour hot water over them. This opens the pores of the carpet fibers. Leave it on for a few hours and then gently dab the stain away. Proceed in a very similar way with liquid soda - soak a cloth in it (without heating) and dab the stain after allowing it to act for a while. Then wash the area with water.

Last but not least: shaving cream. However, this must not contain any dyes or menthol. Gently massage the foam into the carpet to remove the stain. You can also use lemon juice or vinegar water on light carpets - it is better not to use them on dark carpets because these substances have a bleaching effect.