Did you or your family member fall ill recently? Covid-19 maybe? It’s time to disinfect your carpet! Let me tell you that germs love to reside in your carpet. And it’s a great place for them to hide. That’s why it’s so important to disinfect your carpet. It’s most important whenever someone in your house falls ill.
There are multiple ways to disinfect your carpet. You can use a professionally formulated disinfectant, vinegar, or a solution made of borax and baking soda. All of these methods have been proven to work and we’re going to see them one by one on this post.
How to disinfect carpet?
Before we proceed, I would like to mention a few steps that should be taken before any disinfectant method is carried out on your carpet. Take a look at those.
1. Clear the room
This is a preparatory step before you can deep clean your carpet. Try to move as much furniture as you can to clear the space for the cleaning session.
2. Vacuum the carpet
You should always vacuum the carpet thoroughly before cleaning. It helps in removing loose dirt and dust. This will make your disinfecting process easy.
The following step is always helpful post-disinfection.
3. Vacuum again
Vacuum the carpet to give the carpet a fresh look after the disinfectant process is completed.
The following are four of the most commonly used methods to disinfect your carpet. These are not only easy-to-conduct but also very effective. Let’s take a look at each one of them in detail.
Method 1: Disinfect with an industrial strength disinfectant
This is one of the most guaranteed methods of disinfection. All you need for this is a disinfectant and a steam cleaner. Yup, just two things. You are probably happy right now that disinfection doesn’t require a list of things.
–1: Select a cleaning solution:
This is the key ingredient in disinfecting a carpet. You should choose a product that has all the important elements. It should be tested and proven.
I did some research and found the top carpet disinfectant solution. It is an OdoBan disinfectant. It kills 99.99% of germs. It also has an original Eucalyptus scent. It also eliminates odor. It has a stellar 4.7-star rating out of around 2000 reviews. People who have used this amazing product say they can’t imagine their lives without it. That’s how much of a savior from germs it is.
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–2: Use a Steam Cleaner:
All you got to do now is pour the cleaning solution in the steam cleaner’s detergent vessel. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to use the cleaner.
–3: Let the carpet dry:
Give it time to dry. If you can use a drying machine or fan, well and good. Otherwise, you will have to wait for some time, preferably overnight. Ta-da!! Your disinfected carpet will be ready.
Method 2: Disinfect with vinegar
You might not want to use a chemically formulated disinfectant in your house. Don’t worry. You can still disinfect your carpet with the resources available in your house. Yup! That’s right. You need a spray bottle, vinegar, and a vacuum.
–1: Prepare a cleaning spray:
This is the first yet most easy step. Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water. Pour this mixture in a spray bottle.
–2: Spray the home-made cleaning solution:
Spray the mixture of vinegar and water on your carpet. The important thing to remember here is, do not go overboard with the spray. Just lightly mist the carpet with the mixture.
–3: Let it dry:
Now just let it dry. Have a coffee or a snack while you wait. You have some deep cleaning coming ahead. LOL.
–4: Prepare a cleaning solution:
Take three parts water and one part vinegar. Mix it up well. Pour this solution in the steam cleaner’s detergent vessel.
–5: Steam clean the carpet:
Run the steam cleaner over your carpet as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure that you steam clean thoroughly.
–6: Let the carpet dry:
All you got to do now is let the carpet dry. Using a fan can speed up the drying process. However, otherwise, you have to wait at least for the night to pass.
Method 3: Disinfect with a home-made solution
Many people like to make a cleaning powder using household resources. You can do so too. All you need is baking soda, borax powder, cornmeal and vinegar.
–1: Prepare a cleaning powder:
Take 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1 cup of cornmeal and 1 cup of borax powder. Mix them up well. It is recommended to have a finely ground cleaning powder.
–2: Spread the powder:
This step is easy. Spread the powder over the carpet. Make sure to take care of the edges as well. You should sprinkle it all over the carpet thoroughly.
–3: Rub the powder:
Take a brush and rub the powder on the carpet. Make sure it goes deep, and the particles cling on to the fibers.
–4: Let the powder sit:
Waiting time! Just let the powder sit in the carpet and do its job.
–5: Prepare a cleaning solution:
Mix three-part water to one part vinegar. Pour it into the steam cleaner’s detergent vessel.
–6: Steam clean the carpet:
You are almost there! Now just follow the machine instructions to steam clean your carpet thoroughly.
–7: Let the carpet dry:
Last but not the least, let the carpet dry. You can shorten the drying time by using a fan or any other drying source.
Method 4: Disinfect without steam
If you don’t own a steam cleaner, no problem at all. We don’t want you to spend a penny on renting one. The following method doesn’t require a steam cleaner. You just need white vinegar, baking soda, dish soap, and a brush. It’s simple!
–1: Spread baking soda:
Sprinkle baking soda all over your carpet. Be generous in doing so. Don’t hold back.
–2: Let it sit:
Wait for at least 10 to 15 minutes after applying baking soda. You can use this time in preparing the cleaning mixture you will be using next.
–3: Create a cleaning solution:
Pour equal parts water and white vinegar in a bucket. Also, add a little dishwashing soap.
–4: Scrub:
Dip a good quality brush in the cleaning solution. Scrub the carpet with this brush. Keep in mind that you do not want the carpet to be soaking wet. It should be just damp.
–5: Wait:
You can grab a packet of Doritos and watch some TV. Let the solution do its job for 10 to 15 minutes.
–6: Rinse the carpet:
It’s time to rinse the carpet. Use a clean cloth and freshwater. Rub it all over your carpet to remove the cleaning solution used earlier.
–7: Let the carpet dry:
You are almost done! The carpet just needs to be dried now. You can use a fan for this purpose or just wait. Overnight drying times do the job.
Precautions for disinfecting carpet
Disinfecting carpet has its precautions, just like any other cleaning activity.
1: Wear mask and gloves
Use a mask and gloves while applying any powders and cleaning solutions. You don’t want to inhale any particles or fumes from synthetic vinegar etc. Avoid contact with these at all.
2: Test the cleaning solution
ALWAYS try the cleaning solution on a hidden spot on the carpet or any spare piece of carpet that might be just laying around in the store. Once you see that the ingredients of the solution don’t have any bad effects on the carpet, only then you should proceed with the entire carpet.
3: Take care while using steam cleaner
Be very careful whenever you have to use a steam cleaner. Those machines are hot and can cause burns. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions to set the optimum temperature.
4: Keep children and pets away
Keep pets and children away while you are carrying out the disinfection process. We all know how curious children and pets are. They would not miss a chance to touch something or even drink any solution. So, keep an eye.
5: Avoid using wet carpet
Don’t let anyone on the carpet until it is dry. If it is inevitable, then place thick towels on the carpet. Remove those at night when everyone is in bed. You will have a clean fresh carpet the next morning.
Conclusion
That was all about how you can disinfect your carpet. I hope the methods described in the post prove to be helpful for you. They are easy and effective, so you should trust them. Free your carpets of all germs.
You don’t depend on any particular cleaning product or a steam cleaner. Disinfection of carpet is possible with just the everyday materials we have in our houses.
We have a list of the best carpet powders. Take a look to find the most effective powder you can use on your carpet.
Get ready to disinfect!