Sad but true: dirt is part of our everyday life. Therefore, it is common to find stains on a carpet daily. Usually, you will use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dirt.
However, there are instances where it will get deep into the carpet and require more than vacuum cleaning. Here are some methods you may use to get rid of ground-in dirt.
Ways of removing ground-in dirt out of carpet
There are different methods of removing ground-in dirt, ranging from DIY solutions to hiring a professional, and we’ll cover each one in this section.
Method 1: Using a Carpet Cleaning Product
Commercial carpet cleaning products are readily available in stores. You can buy one product and use it to clean tough stains on the carpet. However, you should avoid using more than one product simultaneously because mixing different chemicals may not have a desirable result.
What you need
- Carpet cleaning product
- Scrub brush or cloth
- Spray bottle
- Clean towel or cloth
Steps to follow
- Spray the cleaning product on the carpet while paying attention to the dirtiest parts. Ensure that you cover every spot to look even.
- Allow sufficient time for the product to work on the dirt. That will make your cleaning process easy. You can find the allowed amount of time on the packaging material.
- Use a scrub brush or cloth to agitate dirt. Dirtier spots may require more time and effort to clean.
- Fill the spray bottle with clean water and mist the area to rinse off the chemical solution. Rinsing the chemicals is necessary because they can weaken the carpet fibers.
- Use a clean cloth or paper towel to dry the area.
Method 2: Using a Mixture of Liquid Soap and Warm Water
Sometimes, carpet cleaning products may seem too expensive. Opting for DIY is a less expensive solution. You can make a DIY carpet cleaning mixture at home using liquid soap and readily available water to clean the ground-in dirt. Let us show you how to do it.
What you need
- Liquid soap
- Spray bottle
- Warm water
- Scrub brush or cloth
- Clean towel or cloth
Steps to follow
- You first need to make your homemade soapy water solution. Start by mixing warm water and liquid soap in a spray bottle.
- Seal the bottle and shake the mixture. It would help if you continued with these steps until the solution begins to sud.
- They spray this solution on the carpet while paying particular attention to the dirtiest spots. Allow sometime before proceeding to the next step.
- Using a scrub brush or cloth, scrub the carpet to get rid of the dirt. Also, pay special attention to the dirtiest spots.
- Rinse it with warm water to remove the soapy water solution. A more efficient rinsing method would be using a spray bottle so you’ll have more control when rinsing.
- Another that I also like to use soaking a clean towel with warm water (make sure to wring off excess water. The cloth should only be damp, not soaking wet). Use it to remove the excess DIY solution.
- Use a cloth or paper towel to absorb excess water from the carpet.
Method 3: Using a Vinegar-Based Carpet Cleaner
Using a vinegar-based carpet cleaner is another inexpensive way you can clean the carpet. It works well also for people that do not like using the high-chemical products in stores. Here’s how you can produce your cleaning product at home.
What you need
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Warm water
- Spray bottle
- A paper or cloth towel
Steps to follow
- The first step is to mix warm water, vinegar, and baking soda in the spray bottle. Each of these components should be ¼ of a cup. Shake it well so that all the ingredients in the mixture will blend to form the cleaning solution.
- Spray the solution on the carpet. But, spray more of it on spots that look filthy and allow it to settle for some 5 minutes.
- Use a scrub brush or sponge to remove the dirt from the carpet vigorously.
- Follow it up with warm water rinsing to remove the dirt and cleaning solution altogether.
- Dry the area using a clean towel to remove excess water.
Method 4: Renting a Carpet Cleaning Machine
If the methods above don’t work, using a carpet cleaning machine may be your next best option.
However, the carpet must be safe for the use of a carpet cleaning machine. You can call the manufacturer to ask or check the manual (if available) for that information.
If the carpet can handle moisture, follow these steps to clean it.
A good carpet cleaner is a must-have for this method.
There are two options, renting or purchasing one. The first option is the more cost-effective solution, as this is not an everyday process.
What you need
- Carpet cleaning machine
- Pretreatment solution
- Carpet cleaning solution
- Hot tap water
Steps to follow
- Read the instructions on how to use the carpet cleaner effectively. With that said, most models will use the same process that I’ll outline below.
- Spray a pretreatment solution on the affected area and wait for a few minutes to let it soak and break down the ground in dirt. Please refer to the label for the recommended waiting time.
- Turn on the carpet cleaning machine and go slowly in back and forth overlapping patterns to allow the brushes to agitate and break down grime and dirt. There’s no need to rinse the carpet since the carpet cleaner does it for you.
- After running the carpet cleaner, open the windows and air dry the carpet to avoid mildew from moisture build-up. This process usually takes a few hours.
Method 5: Professional Cleaning
The most effective option in removing ground-in dirt would be hiring a professional carpet cleaning company. A lot of the companies that offer these services use hot water extraction (or steam cleaning).
But make sure to hire a company with the right tools and competent, well-trained personnel who can do the job.
Ask around from friends or family for referrals or read reviews online to find the right company to do the job. Make sure that the company you’re hiring uses the proper machinery for steam cleaning.
This process involves using a chemical reagent that liquefies soils and other oil-based substances that may stick on carpet fibers.
After the pretreatment process, a machine will heat water to its boiling point then inject it into the carpet using a lot of pressure.
After 10 to 15 minutes, water is extracted using a vacuum.
Using steam is highly effective at cleaning soiled stains deep under carpet strands.
But of course, before hiring one, please do your due diligence and check with the carpet manufacturer if the carpet in your home can handle hot water extraction.
Advantages of using hot water extraction
- When done correctly, it is effect removing dirt deep under the carpet.
- Permits the use of solvents and chemical concentrates that facilitate the breakdown of ground-in dirt.
- Most carpet manufacturers and industry experts recommend this method of cleaning carpet.
Some disadvantages of hot water extraction
- This method needs a substantial amount of water compared to other methods.
- Takes too long to dry.
- It can contaminate the carpet.
- It may damage the carpet long term (if the water stays too long or not appropriately dried).
Additional Tips
Cleaning a carpet can be both an easy or difficult task. However, the methods in this article can help you remove the ground-in dirt you do not want.
However, the methods above can be time-consuming. So the tips I’ll share below will help minimize the build of ground-in dirt.
- Vacuum the carpet regularly. Doing this step removes most of the soil, dust, and sand that can accumulate and eventually destroy the carpet.
- Clean up spills ASAP. The sooner you clean these spills, the easier it is to remove and prevent it from drying and setting on the carpet strands.
- Have the cleaning tools ready just if the inevitable happens because lessens the waiting time and allows you to take immediate action.
- Always test in an inconspicuous area first. Some of the DIY solutions may stain or damage the carpet. Before cleaning the entire area, test it on a small spot first.
- Also, do not mix different commercial cleaners. These cleaning products contain chemicals that may negatively affect the carpet when mixed. Stick to one cleaner for every cleaning cycle.
