The carpets in your home are a significant investment that can be difficult to keep clean. Along with the dirt and stains from spilled drinks and pet accidents, there are high traffic areas that quickly become dirty and look dingy. With a few simple ingredients, you can maintain your carpets with the best carpet cleaning solution for high traffic areas.
Many people will hire professional carpet cleaners to clean their carpets, but this can be costly. There are several different commercial and homemade carpet cleaners that will not only destroy any stains that you may have on your carpet, but they will also remove the odors that have accumulated over the year.
There are regular paths that you and your family take when walking, which tends to leave a dirt trail on the carpet over time. The carpet in this area experiences a lot of wear and tear and will require a lot of elbow grease to get the area clean. There are several ways that you can clean large high traffic areas.
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Table Of Contents
- Carpet Cleaning Solutions for High Traffic Areas
- DIY Homemade Dry Carpet Cleaner
- Homemade Foaming Carpet Cleaner
- Best DIY Carpet Cleaner for Machine
- Homemade Carpet Spot Remover
- Best Carpet Cleaner Solution – Commercial
- Bissell Cleaning Solution
- Hoover Carpet Cleaning Products
- Rug Doctor Best Carpet Cleaning Solution
Carpet Cleaning Solutions for High Traffic Areas
No matter how often you clean your carpet, those areas that see a lot of traffic never really look clean. There are several different options you can use to clean these areas, from a simple DIY carpet cleaning solution to a variety of commercial products you can purchase at the store.
To keep these high traffic areas from becoming dingy, you should clean them twice a year, while cleaning your entire carpet annually.
DIY Homemade Dry Carpet Cleaner
There’s nothing worse than a carpet that smells dirty. Since you can’t just pick your carpet up and shake it off, you have to find ways to clean it properly. Short of spending a fortune on a steam cleaner, you can create a homemade dry-carpet cleaning solution that works great.
This solution is safe to use around your pets and kids, can be used as car carpet cleaner and is made from everyday ingredients that you probably already have in your home.
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Recipe Dry Carpet Cleaning Solution
- 2 cups baking soda
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon Borax
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Place the baking soda and the other ingredients in a blender. Pulse on low speed until the ingredients have an even consistency. Pour the cleaner into a sprinkle-top container.
Vacuum your carpet to pick up as much dirt as possible. Generously sprinkle the carpet and let sit overnight. With your vacuum cleaner, vacuum up the residue.
Homemade Foaming Carpet Cleaner
This homemade foaming carpet cleaner uses ingredients that you can quickly pick up at the store. This DIY carpet shampoo recipe is intended to be used for machine and can tackle not only your carpet’s high traffic areas but the stairs and area rugs in your home.
Using vinegar in the recipe won’t leave behind any residue and brightens and deodorizes your carpet, as well as being a natural homemade fabric softener.
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Homemade Carpet Shampoo
- 12 cups water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon rubbing alcohol
- 3 tablespoons liquid dish detergent
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Mix the ingredients in a bowl, adding the liquid dish soap last to avoid creating too many bubbles. Spot test the mixture on an inconspicuous area of your carpet to test for colorfastness.
Mix until well combined then pour into the carpet cleaner’s soap tank. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, thoroughly clean your carpet.
Best DIY Carpet Cleaner for Machine
If you have a carpet cleaning machine or plan on renting one, you don’t have to settle for buying the commercial products. With just a few simple ingredients that are probably a staple in your home, you can make a great carpet cleaner for your machine that will work just as well as the store-bought solutions.
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Best Carpet Cleaning Solution For Machines
- 1 ½ quarts hot water
- ¼ cup hydrogen peroxide
- 1 ½ tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons liquid dish soap
- 5 drops essential oil of your choice
- 1 tablespoon fabric softener
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In a large bowl, mix the ingredients. Make sure to add the dish soap last to prevent too many bubbles from forming. Mix thoroughly to ensure the ingredients are combined.
Pour the solution into the soap tank of your carpet cleaning machine. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
Homemade Carpet Spot Remover
Not only do high traffic areas look dirtier than the rest of your carpet, but they tend to have more ground in soil and stains from heavy use. If you have stubborn stains that you can’t remove with a simple cleaning, then you might have to treat the area with this easy-to-make carpet stain remover.
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Carpet Spot Remover for High Traffic Areas
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons clear dishwashing soap
- 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 cup of warm water
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Sprinkle the baking soda over the stain and allow to stand for ten minutes. While the baking soda sits, mix the white vinegar, dish soap, and warm water in a small bowl. Vacuum up the baking soda.
With a white cloth or paper towels, dab the solution into the stain, being sure to rub it into the carpet fibers. With a second dry cloth or dry paper towels, blot the carpet dry.
>> Related Tip: How to get blood out of carpet
Best Carpet Cleaner Solution – Commercial
Not everyone has the time or courage to make a cleaning solution from scratch. If this is you, you can still clean your high traffic areas with a little help from some great commercial products.
When buying a commercial carpet cleaning solution, be sure you are getting one that is compatible with the kind of carpet you have. Here are three of the most popular commercial carpet cleaners that do a great job of eliminating stains and odors from high traffic areas.
Bissell Cleaning Solution
For more than 140 years, Bissell has been bringing carpet cleaning products to consumers. Their Bissell Professional Deep Cleaning carpet cleaning solution has twice the cleaning agents as many of the other formulas on the market.
It helps to eliminate even the toughest, ground-in dirt, keeping your carpets looking good and staying cleaner for longer. This formula deep cleans and protects your carpet while removing odors.
Hoover Carpet Cleaning Products
Since 1908, Hoover vacuums have been trusted to provide reliable and innovative cleaning solutions. Their Hoover Platinum Collection Professional Strength Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Solution is effective at removing tough stains like red wine, grease, coffee, cosmetics, and more. It is great for getting high traffic areas clean and eliminating odors.
Rug Doctor Best Carpet Cleaning Solution
For over 40 years, Rug Doctor has been empowering consumers to achieve professional-quality carpet cleaning results themselves. Their Platinum Pure with Oxy carpet shampoo is an all-purpose cleaning solution that deep cleans and tackles tough stains from everyday spills and accidents. It neutralizes odors while providing a deep clean and extracting dirt, oil, and stains from your carpet.
Whether you decide to make a homemade carpet cleaner, or buy a commercial product, getting your carpet’s high traffic areas clean shouldn’t cost you a fortune.
You can create the best carpet cleaning solution for high traffic areas with simple, inexpensive ingredients that you can buy at any store. These solutions are easy to make and are safe to use around your pets and family.
We hope you discovered a new carpet cleaning solution to take care of dirty carpet and we hope you feel free to share the information on cleaning carpets with all your family and friends on Facebook and Pinterest.
FAQs
How do you clean carpet in high traffic areas? ›
You can remove virtually any type of high traffic stain from your carpet by using a combination of water, vinegar, and baking soda. This method is less harmful than most commercial carpet cleaning processes and is much more affordable.
What chemicals do professionals use to clean carpets? ›Most carpet cleaners use cleaning solution that contains two particularly toxic chemicals: perchloroethylene, and napthalene. Perchloroethylene (commonly called Perc in the industry) is a chemical commonly used in dry cleaning that can cause dizziness, fatigue and nausea if inhaled.
How do you bring high traffic carpet back to life? ›Baking soda is the go-to solution for bringing your carpet back to life. Not only does it clean, it also kills bacteria, refreshes the pile and removes odours. Apply plenty of baking soda to completely cover your carpet then use a stiff brush to work it in, rubbing it in different directions.
What do professional carpet cleaners use to remove stains? ›Hot Water Extraction
Otherwise known as steam cleaning, this is easily the most common professional carpet cleaning technique. Steam cleaning uses hot water at high pressure to penetrate into carpet fibers, breaking down the dirt and bacteria stored deep within. The hot water is then extracted via vacuum.
- Encapsulation. Encapsulation cleaning is one of the newer commonly-used methods, and needs no water to work. ...
- Steam cleaning. Steam cleaning (or hot water extraction) is a very common method of cleaning carpets. ...
- Carpet dry cleaning. ...
- Bonnet cleaning.
The method we use for carpet cleaning is hot water extraction, commonly referred to as steam cleaning. Stanley Steemer's exclusive hot water extraction method removes the toughest, deepest dirt safely and gently. Hot, soft water and a specially formulated cleaning solution are injected deep within the carpet fibers.
Is chemical carpet cleaning better than steam? ›Getting your carpets professionally cleaned is the only way to tackle certain kinds of stains; and while many people believe that steam cleaning is the only solution for deep cleaning, Chem-Dry provides a much more effective, efficient, and safer carpet cleaning solution.
What is the most effective carpet cleaning method? ›The best method of cleaning carpets is usually steam cleaning, which removes over 90% of dirt and bacteria from carpeting. Dry cleaning carpeting is also effective for ensuring carpets are ready for foot traffic as quickly as possible.
Is it better to shampoo or steam clean carpets? ›When choosing between steam cleaning and shampooing your carpet, you really can't go wrong with both, but steam cleaning would be the better option. It removes more unseen pests and dirt, and can handle heavy-duty cleaning without making you wait long for drying.
How often should high traffic carpet be cleaned? ›In addition to vacuuming, it is advised that you clean high-traffic areas every 3 to 6 months and professionally clean it twice per year. Let's get into the specifics of how often you should clean your carpet.
Does professional carpet cleaning lift the pile? ›
Cleaning can loft the pile; but when traffic resumes the pile will lay down again almost immediately. Oil, grease and stains on carpet can be removed with the right stain removal technique but if not done right they can cause more damage to the carpet.
How can I make my carpet soft and fluffy again? ›You have to rinse the carpet removing all the excess soap. Now, take mix half cup of fabric softener with one gallon of warm water. Spray that solution over the entire carpet and allow it to set for about 2 minutes. You have to extract and rinse with clean water now to get soft and fluffy carpet.
Does Magic Eraser work on carpet stains? ›Use a Magic Eraser to Remove Carpet Stains
Everyone seems to have at least a couple of carpet stains that are too stubborn to remove with regular carpet cleaner. Surprisingly, the Magic Eraser works on carpet! With a damp Magic Eraser, wipe the stain, going over it multiple times. Goodbye stain!
Often, even the most powerful of vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, or home remedies aren't able to get rid of the most stubborn stains. This is when WD-40 comes in handy. Its activated formula equips you to remove carpet stains within a few minutes!
Why does my carpet still look dirty after cleaning? ›Carpets that still look dirty or have stains reappear after cleaning is a result of something called wicking. This is due to over wetting the carpet, the backing, and pad which causes them to return back to the surface once dry.
What is the cheapest way to deep clean carpet? ›Natural & Cheapest Way to Clean Carpet At Home!
You can take a stiff brush, spray bottle, detergent, table salt, or some baking soda and dry towels. Add some soap and water solution to a spray bottle. Sprinkle baking soda or salt on the stained areas and spry the water soap mixture on the same area.
To keep your carpet looking and performing at its best, The Carpet and Rug Institute recommends having your carpet professionally deep-cleaned every 12 to 18 months. Bear in mind that this recommended frequency is a general guideline only and can vary based on your particular circumstances.
What is the easiest and fastest way to clean carpet? ›In a bowl or small bucket, mix one part white vinegar with three parts water. Dip the bristles of the scrub brush into the solution and rub them into the carpet. Massage them into the fibers well (without fully saturating the carpet) and follow up with a cloth to help blot excess moisture.
Is Stanley Steemer the best carpet cleaner? ›Our Verdict. Stanley Steemer is our top pick for the best carpet cleaning company based on its service area, additional services, proprietary cleaning equipment, user-friendly website, and reputation.
Which is better Stanley Steemer vs Zerorez? ›STANLEY STEEMER- The solution is an EPA Safer Choice. Considered safe for pets and children. ZEROREZ- Zerorez is not currently approved by any association when it comes to healthy and safe cleaning.
Is hot water extraction better than steam cleaning? ›
Hot water extraction is the better choice for cleaning, and this is the method used by most professional carpet cleaners, even those that refer to their cleaning as “steam cleaning.” As steam cleaning doesn't rinse the fibers, it's important to ask the cleaners to explain their cleaning method in detail.
Do professional carpet cleaners use steam? ›A carpet cleaner is designed to force a mixture of hot water and cleaning solution into the carpet to clean deep down. The solution and dirt are then extracted from the carpet, leaving the fibers and carpet base clean. So unlike actual steam cleaners, a carpet cleaner does not use steam.
What is the safest method of carpet cleaning? ›Steam cleaning is also known as deep cleaning. That's because it is the only carpet cleaning method known to remove at least 97 percent of dirt and bacteria from carpeting. It is also the only method that reaches all the way down to the lowest layer, or “pile”, of your carpeting to clean it thoroughly.
Does Stanley steemer use steam to clean carpets? ›We are often asked about our steam carpet cleaning. The truth is we do not actually steam clean carpet. At Stanley Steemer, we use a process called hot water extraction to clean your home. This is often referred to as steam cleaning because of the steam you see as we clean, but we don't actually use steam to clean.
How often should high-traffic carpet be cleaned? ›In addition to vacuuming, it is advised that you clean high-traffic areas every 3 to 6 months and professionally clean it twice per year. Let's get into the specifics of how often you should clean your carpet.
How can I deep clean my carpet without washing it? ›- Sprinkle baking soda over the surface of your carpet.
- Mix carpet shampoo (that you've color tested) with warm water; then add the mixture to a spray bottle.
- Spray the cleaning liquid over the carpet.
- Brush with a carpet brush.
- Blot the area.
- Spray again with warm water only.
- Blot the carpet again.
Most manufacturers say carpet should last for 10 years with proper care. After 10 years, signs of wear show on the major walkways and the carpet fibers start losing their texture and tuft.
How often should you vacuum high-traffic carpet? ›According to Shaw Floors, manufacturer of carpet, vinyl, hardwood and laminate flooring, you should vacuum the traffic lanes in high-traffic areas daily and the entire area twice a week. For rooms with light traffic flow, vacuum the traffic lanes twice a week and the entire area once.
What time of year is best to clean carpets? ›Spring. Spring is typically one of the most popular seasons for a professional carpet cleaning. You're finally starting to let fresh air into your home, and want to remove the salt, dirt, and debris that gets tracked in all winter to kick off your spring cleaning.
How long do you have to stay off carpet after cleaning? ›Most carpets typically need 6-10 hours to dry completely. However, it could take up to 24 hours to dry depending on the time of year your carpets are cleaned, and the air circulation, humidity and temperature in your home.
Can carpet be too old to clean? ›
With the right care and maintenance, most manufacturers say carpets can last up to 10 years, but the average lifespan is generally 3-5 years in the average household with 4 residents. After this time, thorough cleaning may no longer be effective because the carpet is too old, and it should be replaced.