Carpet cleaning and getting the right carpet cleaning machines is one of the biggest problems people have today. If you’re lucky enough to have one of those carpet cleaning machines that brush or steam your carpet, then you’re all set, but for those of us without one, the dilemma of getting the equipment home is far from over.
In order to have clean carpets, we not only have to bring the equipment home, but also decide which shampoo to use. It’s expensive enough to rent the machine, but having to pay for that expensive shampoo makes it that much more difficult.
Since I’m one of those people who like to squeeze a penny out of a penny, that means I like to find and do the impossible. I have made it a goal in my life to keep as much money as possible in my pocket and not just spend it at the retailers.
One thing I learned is that you don’t have to use that expensive shampoo. There are several formulas for making your own that work even better than store-bought ones.
Equal parts blue window cleaner and water make a great cleaner and vinegar and water are great too. Just make sure the ratio is one part vinegar to 10 parts water. And last but not least, you can use liquid Tide and water to make a great shampoo. When using vinegar, remember that the scent will stay on the carpet until it dries, which is four to five hours.
So now that you know how to get cheap shampoo, let me tell you how to save by not renting or buying that steam cleaning machine.
The first thing to do is put the cleaning solution in a spray bottle and clean the carpets. Next comes the actual cleaning. Cleaning the carpet with a mop works amazingly well. You can use a regular mop or a sponge mop. Either works fine, just remember to wring out the mop well before going over the carpet. You don’t want the carpet to be too wet.
Go over the carpet from one side to the other as if you were mopping the kitchen floor, except you may want to go over it several times to remove any dirt from the carpet. Once finished, allow four to five hours for the mat to dry completely.
Once the carpet is dry, run a vacuum over it to pick up any remaining dirt and fluff up the carpet. Now you have great looking rugs and you spend next to nothing.
