Use a spray on stains and areas that receive heavy traffic. If your carpet doesn’t have any tough stains, you can skip the pretreatment. Pretreatment sprays are available online and at general stores. They are sometimes sold with cleaning compound powders as well.
You can’t really use too much of the powder, so spread it around. As long as some of it gets on a spot, it will be effective, but remember that deep stains require more powder to clear. If you don’t have a kitchen sifter, you could use a cup or a measuring spoon instead. When you’re done, wash out your tools in case you use them for anything other than cleaning. Purchase carpet cleaning powders online or check your local general store for them. You could also buy a dry cleaning kit, which contains a pretreatment stray, sifter, and brush as well.
If you are able to, use a nylon carpet brush that can be fitted with a threaded handle. That way, you don’t have to bend down while scrubbing. Kitchen scrubbers and other types of brushes are also safe. Some vacuum cleaners come with an upholstery brush you can repurpose for dry cleaning.
During this time, you can walk on the carpet. Most of the powder will stick to the carpet. For safety, avoid getting any powder on your skin. Keep children and pets out of the room so they don’t inadvertently swallow any of it. Cleaning powders are considered to be nontoxic, but be cautious just in case. You could leave the powder on the carpet for a longer period of time. It won’t harm anything and may even pick up extra grime. Just remember to vacuum it up afterward!
Sometimes multiple treatments help, especially if your carpet has some heavy stains. If your carpet still needs work, try using more powder or another cleaner.
Any debris left over could soak further into the carpet. If you think you missed a spot, be sure to treat it before applying the encapsulant.
Encapsulants are available online, and you may also be able to find them at some general stores. You could also rent a handheld pump sprayer from your local hardware store. Even though you’re using a liquid, encapsulation is considered to be a dry cleaning method. Many professionals use it because it’s low-moisture and effective at treating tough stains.
There is no exact amount of encapsulant to use, but try to apply it sparingly. Moisten the carpet, but don’t waterlog it. Coat dirty areas with generous amounts of fluid. If you’re spot-treating stains, you can pour some of the encapsulant on them and blot up the excess afterward.
If you try removing the encapsulant too early, it may not work as intended. You could use fans or a dry cloth to speed up the drying process and remove excess moisture left on the carpet.
If you don’t have a broom, you could use a soft-bristled scrub brush instead. However, most brushes are smaller and better for treating specific spots rather than the entire carpet. Electrical brushes work very well with encapsulates. See if you can rent a brush machine or bonnet machine from your local hardware store.
If the carpet doesn’t look any different, you might need to apply more encapsulant or use a stronger vacuum.
You could wait to add the baking soda after applying vinegar, but using baking soda first is easier. Baking soda is also good for neutralizing odors, especially if you use vinegar for spot-treating stains. [14] X Expert Source Haim ShemeshCarpet & Rug Cleaning Specialist Expert Interview. 12 May 2020.
If you don’t mind getting the carpeting slightly wet, you could spray vinegar onto it without using baking soda. It can be good for pulling out stubborn stains.
Make sure the stain is well-covered with the cleaner, or else it may not be effective.
The mixture dries out at a relatively quick rate, so you could vacuum it up even earlier. However, make sure it has finished drying out.
Sometimes stains require multiple treatments. If that still isn’t enough, try using a commercial dry cleaning product or encapsulant.
