Rugs are among the most versatile pieces of furniture you can have in your home. Useful and decorative, elegant and fine, but also practical and sometimes delicate. It is essential to know how to take care of them to prevent them from becoming dust and mite magnets and losing their original colors. Let's see together everything you need to know to wash carpets in total autonomy, with small tricks and tricks for a guaranteed success. Daily carpet maintenance If you have a carpet in your home you know that daily maintenance is necessary, especially for carpets placed in areas of the house where we often pass, from the entrance to the kitchen and bathroom. Regardless of the material they are made of, carpets get walked on and easily accumulate dust and germs. While washing carpets is not recommended too frequently, it is a good habit to remove dust and surface dirt as often as we sweep the floor. If we have a vacuum cleaner we can simply vacuum the whole carpet, either upright or inverted, to remove even the deepest fibre dust. Alternatively - and this is an operation to be done outdoors - we can beat the rugs vigorously, even with the help of a carpet beater, and let them breathe for a few hours on the balcony or terrace, thus also eliminating moisture and preventing the possible formation of mold. How to wash carpets with natural ingredients The daily maintenance of carpets allow us to delay the more thorough washing of the same or make this operation easier and faster. Much depends on the material and the delicacy of the carpets, as well as their destination. The cotton carpets and rugs that are used in the bathroom or kitchen can be treated as real towels and washed in the washing machine at every possible opportunity. More care, on the other hand, should be given to Persian rugs or wool carpets. Regardless of the material the rugs are made of, we can wash them using only natural ingredients. Here is what we need: Warm water Baking soda White vinegar or apple cider vinegar Rock salt A few drops of essential oil The advice we feel to give you, especially if it is the first time you try to wash a carpet, is to make a test on a small area of the carpet and wait for the area to dry completely before making the treatment on the entire surface. How to wash wool carpets After removing the dust from the wool carpet, we proceed by following these steps: Mix 200 grams of bicarbonate of soda and a few tablespoons of warm or lukewarm water until the mixture is smooth and without lumps; Spread the mixture on the carpet; Pour 500 ml of water and 100 ml of white vinegar in a bowl; Moisten a clean cloth or cotton cotton clothMoisten a clean rag or cotton cloth, wring it out well and pass it gently on the carpet; Let it act for at least an hour; We beat the carpet, even with the help of a carpet beater, until the complete removal of bicarbonate. For a less thorough but still effective cleaning we can: Dilute some mild detergent in a bowl of cold water; you can use R5 Detergent in sheets, in this case dissolve half a sheet in 5 liters of water. Dampen a microfiber cloth or cotton cloth in this solution, wring it out well and pass it on the surface of the carpet dabbing it following the direction of the hair; Wait a few minutes and repeat the previous step; Empty the basin and fill it with cold water; Wet the cloth, wring it out and wipe the surface of the rug; Use a dry cotton cloth to remove excess moisture; Allow to dry outdoors, out of the sun's rays. How to wash Persian carpets After removing the dust from the Persian carpet, we proceed as follows: We mix white vinegar and coarse salt in equal parts until we get a creamy paste Spread the paste over the surface of the carpet and leave it to work for at least an hour. When the paste has dried, brush the carpet until the complete removal of the compound The use of vinegar allows us to sanitize the carpet e remove odorsbut also brighten the colors and soften the fabric. If we have a pressure washer at home we can use it after sprinkling the carpet with mild detergent, having the foresight to wash away all the soap and let the carpet dry for several hours, always keeping it away from direct sunlight. The water pressure is always very effective, but may be too aggressive on very delicate carpets. Our advice is not to use the pressure washer too often, once a year might be more than enough if we perform the above procedure throughout the year. How to remove stubborn stains on carpets If we find ourselves in the presence of a car that is still fresh, damp or even oily, we can simply treat the affected area by using a mixture of cornstarch and baking soda and applying it to the stain. Leave it to act for at least an hour and, with the help of a brush and a vacuum cleaner, remove the now dry mixture.
