Carpet Cleaning Hacks: Why You Should Tread Carefully

Everybody knows that you shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet – and this is especially true when it comes to cleaning tips. What may seem like a cheap carpet cleaning hack can end up making the situation worse or just wasting your time and energy. To make your life easier, here are some popular carpet cleaning hacks: debunked.

Renting cleaning machines

Renting cleaners is often recommended as an easy way to deep clean your carpet by yourself. However, without the right expertise and know-how, these machines can cause further problems for your carpets. Often, they can take a long time to dry, giving mould and mildew the opportunity to grow.

Scrubbing

Many people believe that with enough elbow grease, you can scrub out any stain. This is far from true. Scrubbing your carpet can flatten the fibres and even spread the stain.

Salt for spills

When you spill something at dinner, it's common for someone to grab the table salt. However, this carpet cleaning hack isn’t really worth its salt. It can cause a stain of its own – salt leaves behind a residue that can even crystallise.

Blitzing with deodorisers

Many deodorisers promise to cure a stinky carpet, but the truth is that they only last so long. Deodorisers only cover the smell, not remove it, leaving the problem to fester.

Undiluted cleaning products

Many websites recommend dish soap, laundry stain remover or other household cleaning products to clean carpet. These products are not designed to be used on carpet, so they can cause damage or discolouration. This can even become dangerous when chemicals like peroxide and ammonia are used without proper care and protection.

Shaving cream

It's true that shaving cream may help with some stains, but there's a catch. Many types of shaving cream contain dyes, which can soak into your carpet and change its appearance. Shaving cream is also greasy, meaning that you'll be left with residue on your carpet that needs cleaning.

Beer for coffee stains

Coffee is a persistent stain, but don't fall for the suggestion of using beer to clean it. The smell of beer can hang around, leaving your home smelling like a pub.

White beans

Another of the most common carpet cleaning hacks involves the water from soaking and boiling beans, which is said to remove oily stains. However, it's incredibly time-consuming for an only mildly effective method. Save your time – and your beans – by getting a professional in to remove your stains.

White wine to remove red wine

Some people swear that white wine is the antidote to a red wine stain. While it's true that it can help break down red wine stains, it won't actually remove them. There are much more effective methods that don't involve pouring more wine onto your carpet.

Swap carpet cleaning hacks for a professional carpet cleaner

With so much misinformation in common carpet cleaning hacks, it’s much safer to consult experts. Many of the hacks above fail because people have no way of rinsing them out. For example, shaving foam will degrade fibres if left in the carpet or upholstery.

A professional carpet cleaner can take care of stains or general maintenance without the risk of destroying your carpet. The National Carpet Cleaning Association has a directory of insured, accredited carpet cleaners all over the UK.

Search our directory to find a carpet cleaner near you.