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Just have a broom and a dustpan? Here are some ways to clean carpets and rugs without a vacuum cleaner.
Vacuum cleaners are a boon to the cleaning world. Especially for tedious jobs like piled carpets and rugs, vacuum cleaners make things easy. If you own pets, then the hard work of cleaning carpets is doubled. You want to pull each strand of your pet’s hair out from the carpet, right?
Back in the olden days, how did people clean carpets and rugs without vacuum cleaners? All they had were brooms. But things have progressed a lot in the last hundred years. This article will discuss some additional effective carpet cleaning tools and methods that you can try.
8 Carpet Cleaning Methods Without a Vacuum Cleaner
Wet Cleaning Methods:
Wet cleaning is appropriate when the carpet or rug has not been washed for a long time. This type of cleaning is a little complicated, and you need to consider a few things that we will discuss later. For now, let’s look at the two ways of wet cleaning the carpets.
- Machine or Hand Wash
The density and size of the carpet will determine whether they should be machine or manually washed. Larger or denser carpets will lose their firmness when vigorously washed in a machine.
Before actually washing with water, sprinkle a mixture of baking powder and vinegar to loosen the stains. Then you can either use a scrubber to clean manually or wash in the machine.
Make sure you read the wash instruction tag of the carpet before washing it.
2. Steam Cleaners
Steam cleaners are one of the ways you can disinfect and sanitize your carpets and keep those pesky mites and bugs out. Steam cleaning is safe, as there is no chemical included. You just need plain water in the steamer to get that deep cleaning and sanitization.
However, as the steamer uses heat, you should be careful using it. Do not overdo steam cleaning since excessive heat can burn the carpet.
Dry Cleaning Methods
Unlike wet cleaning methods, dry cleaning is not much of a hassle. You can dry clean your carpets or rugs any time. There are some specific tools or simple traditional methods for dry cleaning; let us look at some.
3. Conventional Broom and Dust Pan
Get your broom and dustpan ready! It is one of the easiest, most cost-saving, and time-saving cleaning methods. Probably everyone has a broom in their house. While you are sweeping your floor, just give a good swipe on the carpet as well to get rid of the dust.
Before you sweep your carpet, cover all the furniture or else all the dust will collect there. But if you regularly clean your carpet, this won’t be such an issue.
4. Carpet Sweeper
A carpet sweeper is an affordable and effective tool to clean carpets. These cost half what a vacuum cleaner does, or less. Moreover, it doesn’t use electricity. You can also hand this equipment to your kids to clean the carpets; it is that easy!
You don’t need knowledge or experience to run a sweeper. Moreover, they are quite compact, allowing for easy storage. They are also effective at pulling out hair, dirt, and dust from the carpets.
5. Carpet Beater
A carpet beater is not commonly used anymore, but it is also an effective tool to clean dirt from carpets. It is not a piece of equipment per se, but a tool like a paddle with a handle. They do require energy because you need to literally beat the carpets until you are satisfied with their cleanliness.
No electricity is required. Just hang the carpets anywhere and start beating. Remember to wear a face mask to protect yourself, as dust is going to be flying.
6. Shake it off!
There are no tools or technology needed, just shake all the dirt out of the carpet. Of course, this works best for lightweight and easy-to-carry rugs or carpets. Just take them to an open space and shake them until no more dust comes out.
7. Dense Bristle Cleaning Brushes
These kinds of brushes are highly effective in deep cleaning carpets. You can use short or long strokes. Make sure there is a sturdy base before using these brushes, as you have to put pressure on them.
You can either hang the carpet to do it or keep it lying on the floor.
8. Lint Roller
If you are a pet parent, then you know how much hair they can shed every day. Pet hair notoriously sticks to carpets, and to deal with this, there is no better tool than a lint roller.
It is basically a textured roller that takes each strand of hair out of the carpet that the broom itself cannot do. You can keep rolling the lint roller till you are satisfied that the carpet is cleaned.
A lint roller is a must if you own a pet if you don’t pet hair everywhere.
Things to Remember while Cleaning Carpets
If you follow any of the cleaning methods I have suggested, make sure you keep a few things in mind. You can assume these suggestions as warnings for your carpets.
- Do not use lemon
Although lemon is a natural bleach, it is too harsh for your carpets. Lemon does not just remove stains; it will also fade the color and design of your carpet and deteriorate its texture.
- Do not bleach
Bleach is probably the last thing you want to use on your carpet. It will immediately have a bad effect on your favorite rug. No matter how stubborn the stain is, you should never bleach your carpet.
- Avoid Using Harsh Cleaners
The cleaners that we use for doing dishes or detergents for washing clothes are a bit too harsh for the material of your carpet. Using them occasionally is all right, but not every time. Especially if your rugs or carpets have a soft, furry texture, harsh detergents and cleaners will roughen them.
Always opt for gentle fabric cleaners just as the ones you use for cleaning your warm winter clothes to make your carpets shine for years.
- Always read the instructions.
Your carpets have a washing instruction tag attached. Make sure you follow the instructions to retain the carpet’s newness.
- Always use lukewarm water
If you are wet washing your carpets and rugs, always use lukewarm water. It works the best at making your carpet squeaky clean. Hot water can fade the carpet’s color and texture. At the same time, cold water will not soften the dirt.
As a final rinse, you can use cold water.
- Don’t use chemicals
Some carpet fabrics are prone to bugs, mites, and other insects. And if you have pets in your house, your chances of bug infestations increase. To treat these insects, you can sun-dry your carpets on alternative days. However, never use chemicals to treat bugs.
Not only will it harm your carpet, but also the people living in your house. If you have kids in the house, they might unknowingly come in contact with the chemical.
- Avoid over-cleaning
Overcleaning does more harm than benefit to your carpet. Focus on specific spots instead of cleaning the entire carpet.
Avoiding overcleaning is applicable for wet cleaning only. You can always use dry-cleaning methods to keep your carpets clean.
Final Verdict
You don’t need a typical vacuum cleaner to clean those carpets out of dirt and grime. You can simply use a broom to clean the carpets. But for that extra bit of cleaning, you need to go extra without requiring a vacuum cleaner. Now that you know more effective cleaning techniques, don’t wait any longer to have your carpets deep cleaned. There are many effective ways to keep them looking fresh and beautiful.
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