A DIY, natural carpet cleaner to make at home

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Whether it’s a deluge of coffee or red wine flying in spatters from glass to carpet, someone will always spill something that leaves a corker of a stain. Fortunately, you’re not worried – they're enjoying themselves and that’s what matters most. If you don’t have a specialist carpet cleaner, you can just as easily treat the stain with a homemade carpet cleaner that doesn’t use harsh chemicals. Made with ingredients you’ll have to hand, it’s a more natural way to clean carpet piles effectively. Here’s how to make carpet cleaner and how to use it to deal with a variety of stains.

How to make a natural carpet cleaner with salt and vinegar

Vinegar has long been used as an efficient household cleaner, for ovens, windows, bathrooms and more. It’s one of those staple items that’s loved by many and used regularly as part of their effective household cleaning schedule. And, although a bit less tasty than a bowl of crisps, salt and vinegar combined makes a really good homemade carpet cleaner too.

Now, how to make your DIY carpet cleaner:

1. Combine vinegar and water at a ratio of 1:2 parts.
2. Pour into your spray bottle.
3. Add in a couple of teaspoons of salt and between 10 and 15 drops of your essential oil.

How to use your natural carpet cleaner

Once you’ve mixed up your ingredients for your DIY carpet cleaner you’re ready to get to work. Whether it’s wine, coffee, juice squirted from the carton, pizza grease, smushed raisins or otherwise, give the following method a try to get your carpet back to its best:

• Act quickly. The longer you leave it, the more set in the stain is likely to become. While you could think of it as a memory of fun with friends, you’ll probably want to avoid the splatter becoming a permanent landmark.
• Blot at wet stains. Soaking up as much of the spill as you can will remove a good deal of the stain before using your spray. Plenty kitchen paper is a perfect choice as it’s absorbent enough to soak up the stain effectively without breaking up on the carpet. Always blot wet stains, rather than wipe, as rubbing can spread the stain around.
• Clear away any solid debris. If it’s food, vomit or soil you need to clear, pick out as much of it as you can.

Once you’ve pre-treated the spill, you can move onto using your cleaner. Although this is a natural way to clean carpet piles, you should still do a patch test on a small, inconspicuous area of your carpet first – if there are any untainted bits left! That way you can check your new cleaning solution doesn’t react with the stain or the carpet’s colours badly, or leave its own mark. Once you’ve determined this, follow these steps:

1. Shake your bottle and spray the solution liberally. We’re talking mainly about using the cleaner for spillages and stains, but it can work on extra-large messes too.
2. Whether you’re spraying a little or large area, you now need to let the cleaner do its work, so leave it to dry.
3. Once it’s dry, you can hoover your carpet to finish the job. The essential oil will come into its own, leaving a sweet-smelling scent behind.
4. If the stain remains imprinted in more than just your memory, repeat until satisfied.

And that’s it – how to make carpet cleaner from salt and vinegar! So the next time your supposedly house-trained puppy leaves a smelly, squishy gift on your bedroom floor, give this method a go.