How to Clean Carpet on Stairs
Carpeting on your staircase can add style, texture and color to your home. Carpeting is also a smart way to protect your stairs to make them safer for your children and pets to go up and down. The problem that most people have with stair carpeting is that it can become extremely dirty, especially in a high-traffic area of your home. Cleaning carpeting on a staircase can also prove difficult and time consuming. Consider an easy and effective way to clean the carpet on your stairs. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Broom
- Cordless handheld vacuum
- Scrub brush
- Wet/dry vacuum or thick towels
- Large bottle or container
- 3 cups hot water
- 2 cups baking soda
- 1/2 cup liquid castile soap
- 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 tbsp. lavender oil
- 1 tsp. peppermint oil
Instructions
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1
Use a stiff broom to remove large pieces of debris from the surface of your carpet. Start at the top of your staircase, and work your way down each step until you reach the bottom.
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2
Use a cordless handheld vacuum cleaner with attachments to remove dirt and small debris that are stuck to your carpet. Start at the top of your staircase---vacuuming each step one at a time. Use your brush roller attachment or hose attachment to remove the dirt from the corners of your stairs. Do not use a regular vacuum cleaner to clean the carpeting on your stairs because they're too large to carry up and down your stairs.
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3
Prepare a homemade shampoo for your carpet. In a large bottle combine hot water, baking soda, liquid castile soap, white distilled vinegar, lavender oil and peppermint oil. Shake the bottle until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed together.
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4
Start at the top of your stairs, and apply the shampoo liberally to the carpet. Use a scrub brush to work the shampoo into your carpet, paying special attention to dirt and stains. After scrubbing the step, use a wet/dry vacuum to remove all excess water. Repeat this process for each of the steps until you reach the bottom. If you don't have a wet/dry vacuum, use a thick towel to absorb the excess water. Alternatively allow the stairs to air-dry for at least 12 hours.
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5
Use your cordless handheld vacuum cleaner to go over the stairs again once they're completely dry.
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Tips & Warnings
If you're in a hurry and don't wish to shampoo the carpet on your stairs, try steam cleaning your carpet instead. Rent a steam cleaner with a hose attachment from your local home improvement store. Use a steam cleaner the same way you would use a vacuum cleaner. Start at the top of the stairs, and work your way down one step at a time.
Always test a small, inconspicuous part of your carpet before applying the carpet shampoo to see how your carpet fibers will respond to the shampoo ingredients.
