Having a wall-to-wall carpet is great! It looks awesome and it’s comfy. The problem is cleaning your carpet. And not just because of how much time it takes to clean a carpet, but because it can be expensive. That’s why most people have wondered whether or not they should use a DIY Carpet Cleaner solution. And if they are going to use it, how to do it.
Most carpet cleaner solutions are soap and water-based. That way you can ensure that your carpet won’t suffer. However, depending on the type of stain you’re trying to deal with, you’ll have to tweak the recipe a little bit with other ingredients such as ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, etc. Keep reading to find out more!
Do DIY Solutions work?
Yes, but I wouldn’t always recommend using them. Let me explain why… and when you should use a homemade solution.
Carpet cleaning solutions are specifically made to clean your carpet using the as least amount of product as possible. And manufacturers design their solutions this way to prevent other (sometimes harder to solve) problems with your carpet.
One of the most common problems is carpet browning. Carpet browning happens when too much water is used to clean a carpet. Because of the moisture left in the carpet, it picks up dust, dirt, and soil leaving a brownish color on the surface when it evaporates.
Although this has a very simple solution (we wrote a whole guide on what causes carpet browning and how to solve it), you can see how this is can be a problem if the solution you’re using is homemade.
Most homemade solutions have way more water than the professional solutions, and so… they cause browning more often.
That being said…
Do Homemade Carpet solutions work?
YES!
But you have to know when you should use a homemade solution and when you shouldn’t. As a rule of thumb, use a homemade solution if these two conditions apply:
1. You don’t have a professional cleaner solution: If you have a better option, simply use it. You can’t go wrong.
2. Whatever you’re trying to remove is not huge. What I mean is… If you’re trying to clean your whole house or a big room, you’re risking browning. And you’re going to need a [amazon link=”B003M2F7NI” title=”wet vacuum”/] to solve the browning. And they were not cheap! However, if you only want to clean a small section of your carpet, these homemade solutions are perfect for you! No need to buy anything.
DIY Methods
That being said, there are different methods that will work better or worse depending on the type of stain you’re dealing with. Let’s take a look at what method you should use depending on the stain.
Keep in mind that most of these methods work specifically well for pets stains.
1. Solid Stain Remover Recipe
This first method is recommended by the Humane Society for pets solid stains.
Immediately your crafty little pet messes your carpet; you need to go with your reflex. Jump into action to get rid of the solid stuff without frittering away time. Most carpet materials are stain-resistant, and this design feature helps to prevent any fast soaking. Still, if you waste time before addressing the situation, you will increase the chances of leaving a more or less permanent mark.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoonful of soap solution
- 1 teaspoonful of detergent
- 1 half-filled cup of Coldwater
Tools
- Spatula
- Ink-free piece of cloth
- Scrapping tool
- Bristle brush
Instructions
1. By using an ink-free cloth (to avoid further staining of your carpet), begin blotting the blood stain. It is advisable to blot instead of scrubbing at first. Do not employ a scrubbing motion to prevent spreading the solid mess on your carpet, which can make the problem even worse, considering that carpet fibers can spread somewhat wet dirt quickly. Continue blotting until the spot is entirely dry and spotless.
2. You may need to scrape by using a scraping tool or a spatula, in case the solids are tough. A sticky and tough solid mess can be difficult to remove.
3. Brush lightly with a bristle brush to remove the scrapped solids and avoid damaging the rug fiber or wool.
4. By using a mixture of 1 teaspoonful of soap solution, 1 teaspoonful of detergent and 1 half-filled cup of cold water, blot the brushed rug till clean and dry.
5. You can now vacuum the carpet to ensure that the solid stain fades completely.
2. Blood Stain Remover Recipe
While it may be rare to find bloodstains on your carpet, this can still happen, especially if your pet is injured. This is common with extremely active dogs or puppies. When this happens, it’s anybody’s guess that you will first run up and about to attend to your lanky and particularly clumsy puppy. Of course, you will embark on cleaning the carpet later, at least when your pet is doing fine.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoonful of soap solution
- 1 teaspoonful of detergent
- 1 half-filled cup of Lukewarm water
- 1 half-filled cup of Coldwater
- 1 teaspoonful of ammonia solution
Tools
- Bristle brush
- Soft piece of cloth
- Sponge
Instructions
1. In case the bloodstains have dried up completely, you may need to use a bristled brush to get rid of the dry bloodstains. You will need to make all efforts to clean your carpet as fast as you can. With 1 teaspoonful of soap solution, 1 teaspoonful of detergent and 1 half-filled cup of cold water, begin cleaning and blotting the area gently. It is crucial to note that blood stains are cleaned with cold water instead of hot because the heat in hot water will make the stain even permanent.
2. Now, if constant cleaning, as well as blotting with cold water and detergent, is not making any difference, mix a half-filled cup of cold water with 1 teaspoonful of ammonia solution. By use of a sponge or piece of cloth, begin cleaning the blood stain with your 1 teaspoonful of ammonia solution. Continue blotting the blood stain until the ammonia solution is completely absorbed.
3. In the end, by using a soft piece of cloth or a sponge, blot the blood stain spot with cold water and leave the area to dry.
4. Blot a mixture of 1 teaspoonful of ammonia solution with one half-filled cup of water on your rug to get rid of stubborn stains until dry. It is advisable to use a low amount of ammonia solution to prevent your pet, such as dogs, from associating the smell of ammonia with urine. Some dogs can end up messing the exact spot severally because of the pungent smell of ammonia left behind.
3. Bad Odor Remover Recipe
Carpet stains are always the problem, and everyone works hard to get rid of them and restore a touch of elegance that your living space deserves. However, it is, in fact, impossible to forget about the bad odor that comes with pet stains. You may remove the solid mess on your carpet, but this will not kill the smell that is still trapped in the fibers of your carpet.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoonful of soap solution
- 1 teaspoonful of detergent
- 1 half-filled cup of Lukewarm water
- 1 half-filled cup of Coldwater
- 1 half cup of 3% of hydrogen peroxide
- High-quality pet odor remover
- Pet odor neutralizer
- Baking Soda
Tools
- Spray bottle
- Bristled brush
- Soft piece of cloth
- Vacuum cleaner
- Sponge
Instructions
1. Start by quickly getting rid of the bad odor from the pet’s mess by using a recommended 1 teaspoonful of detergent or 1 teaspoonful of soap and 1 half-filled cup of Lukewarm water.
2. Use a high-quality pet odor remover or neutralizer. You can find this special odor removing product in your local store or even online. It is still advisable to avoid using cleaning agents that contain extremely strong odors, such as agents with excess amounts of ammonia. Such agents can lure your pet to underpin the scent of urine in that spot.
3. Mix 1 half cup of 3% of hydrogen peroxide with one teaspoonful of mild detergent. This will help you to neutralize the bad odor.
4. Spray the mixture of hydrogen peroxide and mild detergent with a spray bottle on your stain area.
5. As pegged on the size of the stained area, sprinkle some baking soda on the stain spot together with some 1 teaspoonful of detergent solution.
6. You can blot the area gently with a soft piece of cloth, or sponge or brush it gently with a soft bristle brush while softening the baking soda into the carpet fibers.
7. Give the spot some time to dry fully.
8. End this process by vacuuming the spot.
4. Extremely Tough Pet Stains Remover Recipe
Some pet stains can break your back quite literally, especially if you do not apply the right removal techniques. Some pet stains can still remain visible even after the thorough removal process.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoonful of soap solution
- 1 teaspoonful of detergent
- 1 half-filled cup of Lukewarm water
- 1 quarter-filled cup of vinegar
Tools
- Soft piece of cloth
- Paper towel
- Sponge
Instructions
1. Use 1 half-filled cup of lukewarm water plus 1 teaspoonful of detergent solution or 1 teaspoonful of soap solution. To some extent, you may think that this amount of detergent solution is little and consider adding some more. Desist from adding more detergent because it is better to have as little as possible amount of detergent to rinse out than too much that is always a headache to rinse.
2. Add 1 quarter-filled cup of vinegar in 1 half-filled cup of lukewarm water and detergent, to get rid of stubborn stains. The best thing with vinegar is that it contains a small amount of acetic acid solution, which helps in dissolving the stain and also in clearing the detergent’s residue.
3. Consider sparing the spot with 1 half-filled cup of lukewarm water to rinse out any residue. Be careful not to oversaturate the spot, which could end up damaging carpet layers by oversaturation.
4. Use a paper towel, dry sponge or a soft piece of cloth to blot the spot until it dries up.
5. Continue blotting to remove the pending residue.
5. Carpet Pad (Underside) Cleaning Recipe
While you do all the cleaning, with detergents, water or solutions, prevent damaging the pad beneath the carpet or rug – the underside of the carpet. This is especially if you have wooden floors that can easily damage carpets when there are pet stains and much more a rigorous cleaning process. The cleaning of the carpet pad helps get rid of molds and must that not only damages the carpet and the flooring but also acts as a health hazard.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoonful of soap solution
- 1 teaspoonful of detergent
- 1 half-filled cup of Lukewarm water
- Baking Soda
- 1 quarter-filled cup of vinegar
Tools
- Spray bottle
- Toothbrush
- Soft piece of cloth
- Sponge
- Paper towel
- Vacuum cleaner
- Bucket
- Fan
- Heater
Instructions
1. Lift the carpet to expose the underside that you want to clean.
2. Blot the carpet pad with a sponge or a soft piece of cloth in case it is damp or wet.
3. Mix 1 quarter-filled cup of vinegar and 1 half-filled cup of lukewarm water. Dab the mixture on your rug with a sponge, especially the stained spots and leave the mixture to set for about 30 minutes.
4. Mix 1 teaspoonful of dish soap solution and 1 half-filled cup of lukewarm water in a bucket. Use a sponge to dab the mixture.
5. Use your toothbrush to brush stubborn stains.
6. Rinse the pad with 1 half-filled cup of cold water and dab with a sponge.
7. Wash out the soap residue.
8. Dry the carpet with a fan or heater.
9. Apply baking soda on the carpet pad to deodorize it and give it 15 minutes to settle.
10. Vacuum the pad.
Alternatives to DIY
If after reading these methods you’re still not convinced, here are a couple of alternatives.
Best Carpet Cleaner Solutions
We don’t want to bore you too much with the details, so here are our top solutions for cleaning solutions:
All-around use:
[amazon link=”B07R8WVBXW” title=”Hoover Renewal Deep Cleaning Carpet Shampoo”/]
I would recommend the [amazon link=”B07R8WVBXW” title=”Hoover Renewal Deep Cleaning Carpet Shampoo”/] cleaner to anyone. But it’s especially great if you own a Hoover carpet cleaner. It works amazingly well and it’s not too expensive. It’s concentrated also, which means that it’ll last longer.
[amazon box=”B07R8WVBXW”]
For pets (without machine):
[amazon link=”B00CKFL93K” title=”Rocco & Roxie Stain & Odor Eliminator”/]
I found [amazon link=”B00CKFL93K” title=”Rocco & Roxie Stain & Odor Eliminator”/] to be the best product if you need to remove a very hard stain. It’s usually the second product most people buy. Because when they realize that the first product isn’t working the way it should, they end up buying the Rocco & Roxie.
[amazon box=”B00CKFL93K”]
For pets (with machine):
[amazon link=”B07RCNWGL8″ title=”Hoover Paws & Claws”/]
I found the [amazon link=”B07RCNWGL8″ title=”Hoover Paws & Claws”/] to be the best Solution for light colored fabrics or set-in stains. It’s because of the Stainguard technology it uses. It works great on any type of carpet machines!
[amazon box=”B07RCNWGL8″]
Conclusion
If you’re trying to clean a stain that happened just a couple of moments ago and that is small enough to be cleaned without a machine, try one of our homemade cleaning products. Look for the one that fits your needs best. If it doesn’t work, you can always buy a professional product later. But remember not to use a lot of the product or browning might appear, read our ultimate guide on how to avoid browning.