What Soap to Use to Shampoo a Rug

Those awful carpet stains, glaring at you every time you walk by the living room, send you scrambling to the cupboard desperate to find anything to remove them. You can use an effective carpet shampoo to remove stains and get your carpet as clean as the day you purchased it. Before you create or purchase carpet shampoo, be sure that it is compatible with the fabric and fiber of your rug and that you have the right equipment to complete the job.

General Carpet Shampooing

If you choose to use a commercial carpet cleaning machine on your wall-to-wall carpet, always follow manufacturer directions for soap use. Only use the recommended brand and type of shampoo for best results and to avoid damaging the carpet cleaning machine.

Any of the commercial carpet cleaners such as Resolve will remove dirt; however, most leave a soapy residue which actually attracts more dirt, requiring you to re-shampoo your carpet again. One carpet cleaning solution that doesn't contain soap is Oxy Clean, but always test the solution in a small inconspicuous area before applying it to your room.

You can also lessen the soap residue impact of general carpet cleaners by adding a few household items. Add ½ cup white vinegar to every 2 cups of carpet cleaning solution to dramatically cut soapy residue. Another idea is to try no more than 2 tbsp. liquid fabric softener to every 2 cups of carpet cleaner to diminish soap effects. Be careful how much fabric softener you add because too much can have an opposite effect and attract dirt to your carpet.

If you need to remove a stubborn stain add one part Wisk laundry detergent or Oxy Clean to two parts of your regular carpet cleaner. Test the area before applying. Other substances to try include bubbly club soda or 1 or 2 tsp. rubbing alcohol applied directly to the stain followed by a carpet cleaning agent.

Cleaning without a Carpet Cleaner

You can effectively clean your carpet by hand with a little elbow grease and some spare time. If you want to shampoo the carpet in a room, use a new clean mop that has a sponge surface, several white clean towels and a squeegee. Create your solution in a bucket, and dip your mop into the bucket to absorb the mixture. Don't squeeze the excess; instead simply begin "mopping" the carpet area.

Apply the solution to the entire room; then rinse your mop, and use the clean mop to rub and absorb excess soap. Squeegee as much soap out of your carpet as possible, and use your mop to rinse the carpet. Dip the clean mop into a bucket of warm water, squeeze the excess and mop the carpet. Repeat this step until all soap is removed. Quickly dry the carpet by placing clean white towels around the room and stepping on them to absorb excess moisture. Avoid walking in the room until the carpet is completely dry.

References

• How to Clean Rugs