Using Vinegar For Cleaning Carpet Stains

If you are like most people, you probably have experienced feeling shocked and dismayed upon seeing the appearance of an unwanted stain in your carpet. Home and carpet cleaning is definitely one of the major problems that homemakers face every day. Many have tried to use chemical-based, fume-smelling stain removers, not knowing that the real stain hero can be found in your kitchen pantry – Vinegar.

Note that this discussion is in regards to the use of vinegar for manual carpet cleaning of stains. We do not advise readers to use a vinegar mixture in their carpet cleaner machines, as the chemical reaction may damage the machine.

For starters, note that this will be effective only for organic stains. It is not advisable to use this method when faced with an ink stain or other inorganic stains. Furthermore, better results are guaranteed if you get on the stain when it’s still new and wet. To start, all you need is your secret ingredient – a half and half mixture of water and vinegar. Test this out in a small hidden carpet patch for colorfastness or any other issues.

Before using/testing the vinegar solution, you may want to take off as much liquid as you can from the carpet stain area. Do this by placing a clean towel over the stain and start blotting with your fingers or palm so that the towel can absorb as much liquid as possible. Keep in mind that rubbing is a no-no as this might spread the liquid more.

Continue blotting until the towel has absorbed most of the liquid. Place the vinegar mixture into a spray bottle and spray on the stained area. Spritz a generous amount of the mixture and leave for five or more minutes. Finally, place a cleaning towel over the stain to dry the area. This time, you may blot and rub to soak up the mixture. Now your carpet is as good as new!

Vinegar & Baking Soda Combo Method

Aside from this method, there are other home and carpet cleaning methods that also use vinegar. One of them includes an equally powerful all-natural product, baking soda. For this method, after you spray on vinegar on to the stain, you add baking soda on top of the stained area. Make sure to add the baking soda after the vinegar or else you will end up with an even messier carpet.

Leave the mixture for a few minutes then dry it with a towel or use a vacuum. Aside from helping with stain removal, the baking soda removes the odor as well. Another effective method involves the use of a flat iron. This time, after your spray on vinegar, place a damp towel over the stain and iron for thirty seconds. If stain does not come off, repeat the procedure as needed.

After knowing these very helpful house tips, you surely won’t fret the next time you encounter a tough carpet stain situation.