In this modern world, everything is technology-based, and it has changed our lives in many ways. As far as carpet cleaning is concerned, there are steam cleaners that help you out in no time. It is equally possible that you don’t own a steam cleaner because of its expense, or your steam cleaner is not working correctly. You don’t need to worry about it because you can get your job done pretty much the same way without using a steam cleaner. This review will tell you how to disinfect your dirty carpet without using a steamer cleaner.
How To Disinfect Carpet Without Steam Cleaner
Carpets can catch dirt from inside and outside of the house. The bacteria, dust, molds, insects, pet hair (see Bissell Crosswave review), along stains of juices, ink, or oil can make your carpet look worse (see also ‘How to Get Rid of Maggots in Carpet‘). All that causes skin irritation, respiratory problems, stomach issues, and pet germs that can harm your health as well. Disinfecting a carpet without using a steam cleaner or a steam mop can be a bit time-consuming, but I assure you, you will get a spotless carpet by following these simple steps.
Materials You Need
The materials you need to disinfect your carpet include an old rag, baking soda, vinegar, a cleaning brush, cold water, bucket, and liquid detergent. All these materials are readily available at home. You can get a stain-free and disinfected carpet by spending very little money. The steps you need to follow are clearing the area, preparing the mixture for cleaning, scrubbing, rinsing, and drying.
Remove The Furniture
Disinfecting a center carpet is easy as you can reach it without much hassle. But if you are about to disinfect a large carpet, you will have to move some of the furniture for easy cleaning and the best results. Once you clear the area, remove the debris and dirt on the carpet using a vacuum cleaner. The better way to vacuum the surface is to start cleaning in slow motion and in four different directions. Also important is not to forget to maintain your vacuum cleaner (see our guide to cleaning Bissell Crosswave Pet Pro) because of the build-up of dirt in the water tank, purifying filters, and other parts of the vacuum – check out the post on how to remove the bad smell in vacuum cleaners we shared earlier.
Preparing The Mixture
Sprinkle baking powder and let it sit for five minutes. In the meanwhile, prepare a disinfecting mixture in a bucket. Take equal parts of cold water and vinegar, add a few drops of liquid detergent to get a foamy consistency. Whip the mixture well in the bucket. Vinegar is known for its acidic properties and can dissolve minerals like dirt, grease, oil, etc. it kills harmful bacterias with its cleaning and disinfecting properties (see how to deal with carpet beetles, too).
These ingredients can be suitable for some carpet materials, but you should take a mixture and test it on a small portion for the carpets and rugs made of wool, silk, or delicate material. If you see no discoloration or damage to that portion, it is safe to use for the remaining part of the carpet.
Scrub The Carpet
Take a scrubbing brush and dip it in the bucket of the mixture. It is important to note that you should not make the carpet too wet. Get it a little wet with the brush and start scrubbing from one corner of the carpet to the other corner. Apply a good amount of pressure while scrubbing your carpet to remove the stains. You can re-saturate your brush when necessary. Repeat the procedure of scrubbing, depending upon the condition of your carpet. Wait for five minutes, so the mixture sits on the carpet to get good results.
Rinse The Carpet
Rinse the carpet with cold and clean water. Replace the scrubbing brush with an old rag and repeat the procedure. Dip the rag in the water and clean the carpet to disinfect the bacteria and other particles picked by the mixture. Start cleaning with the rag from one corner of the carpet to the other. You can wet the rag when necessary or change it with a new one when it gets dirty.
Drying And Vacuuming The Carpet
Clean your carpet on a dry day or when the humidity is low to speed up the drying process. A fan can also help your carpet in the drying process. Make sure your carpet is completely dry before moving to the next step. Vacuum the whole carpet once again to make sure no residue of the mixture is left. It also helps to get your carpet’s fluff back as it was in the original form.
Keep Your Carpet Disinfected
Once you have cleaned your carpet, you will want to keep it clean and disinfected for a longer time. It is not vital to follow all these steps again to keep your carpet disinfected. After disinfecting your carpet once, take an equal amount of vinegar and cold water. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle and spray it on the whole carpet. It will keep your carpet clean and disinfected. If you have pets or children, repeat the procedure more often. Otherwise, experts recommend using this method once a week or fortnightly for better results.
Cleaning Your Wool Carpets Without Steam Cleaner
As wool and silk are delicate materials which can be affected by the acidic properties of vinegar. So you can clean your organic material carpets with snow. Snow is a natural cleanser and will not harm your carpet. You will need white snow, a broom, and a rag for the cleaning process. First of all, take the carpet out and shake it well to remove the dust.
Distribute 5-inches of snow evenly on the carpet with the help of a broom. With the flat side of a broom, beat the carpet slowly, so the ammonia in the snow reacts with the cold air to clean the dirt present in the carpet. Let it rest for 20 minutes and flip the carpet. Repeat the procedure if necessary. Hang the carpet for 30 minutes for drying prices, the snow will evaporate, and you will get a dry carpet.
Related Carpet Guides: How to clean carpet without a vacuum | Remove dried blood from carpet
Conclusion
Steam cleaning is an easy and quick way of disinfecting carpet, yet expensive. Cleaning and disinfecting your carpet with the ingredients available at your home saves both time and money. Over time, the dirt and dust particles accumulate in your carpet, making it look old and worn. It is essential to keep your carpet clean to increase its lifespan and ensure a healthy indoor environment. This review will help you to disinfect your carpet without spending a lot of money.
FAQs
1. How can I disinfect my carpet naturally?
Start by mixing two parts water and one part vinegar in a big spray bottle. You need half a cup of vinegar to make one cup of vinegar. Combine the vinegar and water in a spray bottle with one teaspoon of salt per cup of water.
2. What can I spray on my carpet to kill germs?
Well, no doubt, you can go for a carpet cleaning company. However, you can try some DIY options too. The basic idea behind this is that you are spraying the carpet with water, so you can easily make a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. Spray it on the carpet, leave it for a while, and then vacuum it. This will kill the germs and make your house germ-free. Also, you can put some vinegar in the water and use the same method to clean your carpet. This will definitely make you feel good about your clean floor, but it will be less effective than the hydrogen peroxide and water solution.
3. What can I use instead of steam cleaner?
Vinegar is one of the best natural cleaners. After mixing 1/4 cup with two glasses of water, spray on windows and wipe clean. Most floors can be mopped with a bucket of warm water and a few drops of vinegar. Spray vinegar on the wall and let it sit for a few minutes before wiping it clean.
4. How can I disinfect my carpet without bleach?
Chlorine bleach is often used to disinfect carpets. But its strong chemical odor and harsh effects on the carpet fibers make it a questionable choice. It is also not without environmental and health risks. Non-chlorine disinfectants are safer to use and equally effective. In fact, they leave a fresh, clean scent when used. They also don’t harm the carpet and are much gentler on your lungs. The best home-made disinfectant is a solution of one part vinegar to three parts water. Using a soft cloth, dab the solution on the soiled area and leave it for about half an hour. Then, blot the area dry with a clean, soft cloth or a paper towel. Repeat the process if you are treating a large area. A mild detergent used in conjunction with vinegar can also be used to clean and disinfect carpets.
5. Can carpets be sanitized?
You can sanitize carpets by spraying them with distilled white vinegar, according to many online resources. Vinegar is not recommended by the EPA. A carpet cleaning agent should be tested on a fiber in an unnoticeable area to ensure that it does not stain the carpet. The solution should be sprayed directly onto the fibers.
[tcb-script type=”application/ld+json”]{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [{ “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “How can I disinfect my carpet naturally?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Start by mixing two parts water and one part vinegar in a big spray bottle. You need half a cup of vinegar to make one cup of vinegar. Combine the vinegar and water in a spray bottle with one teaspoon of salt per cup of water.” } },{ “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What can I spray on my carpet to kill germs?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Well, no doubt, you can go for a carpet cleaning company. However, you can try some DIY options too. The basic idea behind this is that you are spraying the carpet with water, so you can easily make a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. Spray it on the carpet, leave it for a while, and then vacuum it. This will kill the germs and make your house germ-free. Also, you can put some vinegar in the water and use the same method to clean your carpet. This will definitely make you feel good about your clean floor, but it will be less effective than the hydrogen peroxide and water solution.” } },{ “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What can I use instead of steam cleaner?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Vinegar is one of the best natural cleaners. After mixing 1/4 cup with two glasses of water, spray on windows and wipe clean. Most floors can be mopped with a bucket of warm water and a few drops of vinegar. Spray vinegar on the wall and let it sit for a few minutes before wiping it clean.” } },{ “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “How can I disinfect my carpet without bleach?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Chlorine bleach is often used to disinfect carpets. But its strong chemical odor and harsh effects on the carpet fibers make it a questionable choice. It is also not without environmental and health risks. Non-chlorine disinfectants are safer to use and equally effective. In fact, they leave a fresh, clean scent when used. They also don’t harm the carpet and are much gentler on your lungs. The best home-made disinfectant is a solution of one part vinegar to three parts water. Using a soft cloth, dab the solution on the soiled area and leave it for about half an hour. Then, blot the area dry with a clean, soft cloth or a paper towel. Repeat the process if you are treating a large area. A mild detergent used in conjunction with vinegar can also be used to clean and disinfect carpets.” } },{ “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “Can carpets be sanitized?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “You can sanitize carpets by spraying them with distilled white vinegar, according to many online resources. Vinegar is not recommended by the EPA. A carpet cleaning agent should be tested on a fiber in an unnoticeable area to ensure that it does not stain the carpet. The solution should be sprayed directly onto the fibers.” } }]}[/tcb-script]