How To Clean Carpet In 5 Easy Steps

Carpet cleaning is easy, especially if you’ve got a good vacuum. Part of being an adult is coughing up a pretty penny for a food vacuum, but it’s totally worth it. (Oh, and part of owning a good vacuum is also making sure you’re emptying it between each use!)

This guide describes not only how to best clean your carpet, but also how often you should clean your carpet and then some additional bonus cleaning tips for specific ways to remove stains and spot treat problem areas.

How to clean a carpet in 5 easy steps

1. Vacuum

• Why? The vacuum slurps up all those little particles that are hiding out among your carpet, preventing dirt from getting ground into the carpet or wearing away its fibers.
• Move imposing furniture, cords and miscellaneous clutter out of your way (shoes, the dog bed, floor pillows, your foam roller, etc.).
• Don’t forget to play with all the various vacuum attachments to really get into the carpet’s edges and beneath the furniture that was too big or annoying to move.
• Vacuum in both directions to make sure you really cover all that ground.
• We prefer a vacuum with a rotating bristle to really suck out any embedded dirt.

2. Spot clean + pretreat stains

• Depending on the type of stain, you can use a clean, damp rag to blot at it (never scrub the stain, it’ll usually just make it worse!).
• Give the stain a firm blotting using one of the following: club soda, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or a dish soap (such as Dawn Dish Soap) and water will usually take out most stains and spots. (More on specific types of stains below.)
• Always finish spot cleaning a stain with a clean water blot to remove any residual cleaning products, especially soap.
• For more stubborn stains, you can try a salt solution.
  • Pour some club soda onto the stain to saturate it.
  • Dump some salt on top of club-soda-saturated stain. The salt serves as a buffer that prevents the stain from setting.
  • Let the salty soda solution sit and dry out for about 20 minutes.
  • Vacuum up the dried salt.

3. Scrub to disinfect

• Combine a DIY solution of 1 part white vinegar + 3 parts water.
• Scrub your carpet using a soft bristle scrub brush and your vinegar solution to disinfect any problem areas that might be smelly or unsightly.
• Vinegar’s acidic properties will help to deodorize your carpet, even if it currently has your living room smelling like a bag of chips.
• Blot away vinegar with a clean, dry towel.
• If you’ve got some real weird smelly bits of carpet, try sprinkling the offending areas with baking soda, and let it sit for about 20 minutes before vacuuming it up.

4. Steam clean

• With steam cleaners, always follow the directions.
• Using hot water and a small amount of the ready-made cleaner of your choice, begin steam cleaning the carpet, navigating the steam cleaner slowly back and forth.
• Steam cleaners push out water when you push them forward and suck it back up when you pull them backward. It’s important to move the steam cleaner slowly so it effectively removes as much moisture from the carpet as possible, to prevent mold or mildew growth.

5. Vacuum (again!)

• Think again: You’re not done cleaning until you make one more final pass with the vacuum. Plus, those lines in the carpet are just so satisfying.

How often to clean a carpet

Is this even a question? Come on. Sorry, but if you’re asking, you know you ought to be vacuuming your carpet at least once a week, if not more often. If you’ve got pets, you should hit the carpet with a vacuum almost daily. You should give your carpet a deep clean (aka a steam bath) at least twice a year. And when it comes to spot treating or cleaning up stains, that should be obvious because they’ll be visible. Best to attend to stains as soon as possible, while they’re still fresh or wet.

How to remove bad smells from and deodorize a carpet

We can all agree that no one wants a stinky carpet. Here are some suggestions on how to tackle specific odors and neutralize unappealing scents.

Smoke

Pour baking soda into a colander, and sprinkle it over the affected areas. Baking soda is a natural absorbent, so it’ll eat up those odors, plus it’ll seep all the way to the base of the carpet. Walk around on top (no bare feet) so that there’s an even coating everywhere, and let it sit for 30 minutes. Vacuum it up for a fresh start.

Mildew

Soak up any moisture from your carpet with a dehumidifier or several fans pointing downward. Once the area is dry, mix 2 cups of warm water with 1 cup of white vinegar, and spray the carpet. The powerful acidity in the vinegar will dislodge the odor-causing compounds and exterminate them. Try not to get the carpet overly saturated while treating it, or you’ll just be perpetuating the mildew problem. Don’t worry, when the carpet dries, that vinegar scent will fade away.

Bacteria + mold

For stubborn odors like bacteria and mold, we recommend hitting the carpet with a shot of vodka. The alcohol will break up the odor-causing compounds. Pour a bit of vodka into a spray bottle, and spritz any moldy areas. Let the alcohol sit for 15 minutes, then blot the spot with a clean rag. If the mold persists, sprinkle some baking soda onto the spot, let sit for 30 minutes and then vacuum up any residue.

Pet urine

Sorry, but if you know, you know. Soak up the stain as best as you can with a dry towel. Combine 2 cups of warm water with 2 cups of white vinegar in a bowl, and (slowly!) add 4 tablespoons of baking soda. Once you’ve stirred it all up, pour it into a spray bottle, and apply the mixture to the stained area. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and blot the spot with a clean, damp rag.

Club soda is a fine substitute for pet pee because its aerated carbonation lifts stains up and out of carpet fibers. Just pour some over the stain, and let it sit for a few minutes. It helps to open a window or turn on a fan in the room so the carpet can dry faster. Blot it up, and repeat until the odor goes away.

Sweat

All those home workouts might have your carpet smelling a bit like a locker room. A spray of Febreze Fabric should help, neutralizing odors and replacing them with far better scents, like lilac or violet.

How to remove stains from a carpet

Stains come in all shapes and sizes. Here are a few tips for getting specific stains out of your carpet.

Paint

First, no matter what type of paint you’re using, do this:

• Use a spoon or putty knife to collect extra gobs of puddling paint from your carpet.
• Be careful not to spread the paint around to any not-yet-stained areas.
• Try not to rub or push the paint deeper into the carpet while doing this part.
• Blot excess paint with a dry rag or paper towel.

For acrylic paint:

• White Vinegar + Warm Water
  • In a plastic spray bottle, mix 1 part distilled white vinegar with 10 parts warm water. Shake it well to mix the solution.
  • Spray the vinegar/water solution directly onto the paint stain.
  • Blot with a damp paper towel or sponge.
  • Afterward, use a sponge with cold water to blot the paint stain.
  • Continue alternatively spraying and blotting until the paint stain has dissolved.
  • Let the spot air dry completely.