Carpets can start to look soiled and aged very quickly. After all, people, pets and muddy boots trudge all over them every day leaving behind dust and dirt. So it’s not surprising that carpets are screaming out for some TLC.
Soda crystals, as they do in lots of areas around the house, can work wonders when it comes to cleaning carpets!
So, if you fancy giving your greying carpet a bit of a spruce up, here’s how you can use soda crystals to do so.
How to Use Soda Crystals on Carpet
Before using soda crystals
Here are a few musts before you begin using soda crystals:
- Test – Before you apply any product to a carpet, you should test the item out on an inconspicuous spot of carpet (under your sofa or a cabinet). This could stop you from ruining the whole carpet!
- Check to see if you can use soda crystals on your carpet.
- After you’ve cleaned an area of carpet, keep away from it – stop kids, animals and yourself from walking over the area.
- Open windows to keep the air circulating.
- Wear gloves.
- Keep in mind that the colour of your carpet might fade a little after a product has been used on it.
- Make sure your carpet has enough air to dry – a dripping wet carpet will only result in a whole load of new problems for you!
Method
Here’s what you need to do:
- Test the soda crystals out on an inconspicuous piece of carpet first.
- If everything looks okay after this test, continue to work with the product.
- Hoover or sweep the carpet beforehand. This will clear out any large chunks of debris – bits of food/hair, for example.
- Lightly soak the carpet in some warm water – get a damp warm cloth and press it over the carpet.
- Do not pour a whole bucket’s worth of water over your carpet – all you need is a little warm water.
- Sprinkle an even layer of soda crystals over the carpet.
- Leave the crystals to sit like this for a few hours.
- Hoover the carpet – make sure all the soda crystals have been picked up.
- Repeat Step 8 if need be.
Depending on how grimy your carpet is you may need to repeat this process, or you may need to leave the soda crystals on the carpet overnight to see a better impact.
On the other hand, you may not see the desired end result using soda crystals, so you may need to look into other ways to clean your carpet.
Alternatives
Soda crystals aren’t for everybody, so are there alternative carpet cleaning methods? Yes, there are. Keep on reading to find out more.
It’s not absolutely essential to clean a carpet with soda crystals, you can use several other household goods! Plus, some of these goods are better to use in a house where there are children and animals running around.
You could try using:
Additionally, you could try:
- A supermarket-bought carpet cleaner
- Professional cleaning help
Points of Consideration
There are lots of products you can use to clean your carpet. But think about the following points before you dive into your cleaning session:
- You will get mixed results with the products and methods you decide to use. Some people get better results after using soda crystals than others, for example. So, it may be a case of trying a few different methods out before you get a clean carpet.
- If you have very old stains on your carpet, you need to find a method that will actually get rid of the stains. For example, if you have a lipstick stain on your carpet, you’d be better off trying rubbing alcohol to remove the mark, because soda crystals may not clear away the problem.
- You should always choose a carpet cleaning method that is safe for your home. Soda crystals, for example, can be fatal if consumed. Bicarbonate of soda, on the other hand, can be eaten. So, if you know there’s a risk, you should go with the safest option for your family.
Conclusion
Soda crystals are good at cleaning carpets, but you should be very careful when you use them.
If you’re unsure whether or not to use soda crystals, you could try the other products mentioned above.
FAQs
How do you keep a carpet clean?
Here are a few tips to decrease the amount of dirt that gets onto your carpet. But, do keep in mind that grime will always find its way onto your carpet regardless.
- Take your shoes off before you walk on your carpet.
- Wash your dogs/cats feet before they go walking on your carpet.
- Vacuum regularly.
- Sweep the floor.
- Don’t play with arts and crafts on the floor – and if you do, put a sheet down to save the carpet.
- Mop up stains before they age – think tea, red wine and pet’s wee.
- Don’t eat near the carpet – limits the chance of food getting into the fibres.
I’ve tipped tea on my new carpet, what should I do?
We drink insane amounts of tea here in the UK, so a cup or two of tea is bound to tip over a lovely carpet at some point.
The good thing is, tea can be cleaned off a carpet very easily and quickly. Just follow this guide and your carpet will be free from tea, and you can sit back and enjoy another brew.
How do I get foundation off my bedroom carpet?
Good old liquid foundation is great at finding its way onto a carpet! And it just loves to embed itself in the carpet’s fibres too.
It’s not visually appealing, and it can be a costly disaster if you buy an expensive foundation too! But, luckily enough, it’s really simple to remove foundation from a carpet, read more about it here.
Bethan has a passion for exploring, reading, cooking and gardening! When she’s not creating culinary delights for her family, she’s concocting potions to keep her house clean!
