MAKING YOUR OWN CARPET CLEANER AND SPOTTER

MAKING YOUR OWN CARPET CLEANER AND SPOTTER (Aired Monday April 17, 2017, 8:40am, 3TV/Phoenix Good Morning Arizona)

This is a better carpet cleaning solution than anything you can buy to use in your steam extraction machine. It will not damage your machine or carpet and it is safe for the kids and pets to lay on the carpet, and pick toys up off of it and put them in their mouths. That can’t be said for carpet cleaners containing chemicals.

Things not to use to clean your carpet: dish soap, detergent and any kind of bleach or all-purpose cleaner. They can damage carpet and also the machine.

STEAM CLEANING CARPET SOLUTION

2 Quarts of HOT water (the hottest you can get at the tap)

1 drop *Sal Suds Liquid. (approximately ¼ teaspoon)

I know you will think you need more, but no matter how dirty your carpet is, DO NOT put in more. More will leave residue in the carpet. 1 DROP is all you need.

First fill the clean water container with 2 quarts of hot water, add the Sal Suds. Give it a little shake to mix and clean your carpet as usual. Sal Suds is heavier than water so always add it last to mix it in well.

Sal Suds is created by Dr Bronners, the people who make castile soap. This is entirely different than castile soap, but it is all natural. You can use it for all kinds of cleaning and it lasts a very long time. I got mine on Amazon.com.

CARPET SPOTTER

Put 2 cups of warm water in a spray bottle. Add to it 1/8 teaspoon of Sal Suds. Shake to combine. Lightly mist stained area. Let sit for 10 minutes and then gently work into the spot. Blot by standing on a pad of paper towels. Take a damp cloth and blot and then blot again with paper towels to remove all the liquid you can. Use very sparingly. A little goes a long way.

TOUGH JOB STAIN REMOVER

1/2 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide

1 teaspoon of ammonia

Combine in a spray bottle. Saturate stain, let sit for about 30 minutes and then start blotting. You may need to repeat.

You can use this again as long as the solution is not exposed to light which will cause the peroxide to break down and be useless.

ANOTHER CARPET SPOTTER

1-1/2 cup of water

½ cup of white vinegar

Spray spot and allow solution to penetrate for 20 minutes or so

Then blot well with a pad of paper towels. Reapply if needed.

CAT HAD A HAIRBALL DINNER DIDN’T AGREE WITH THE DOG

Don’t jump into trying to clean this up while it is moist. Instead cover the OOPS with a heavy coat of baking soda. Allow it to dry, usually overnight. Use a dull straight edge to scoop up the baking soda and the OOPS. Now vacuum, using ONLY the vacuum hose, to increase the suction. When you’re done, clean with one of the spotters above.

• A note about Sal Suds: Sal Suds contains Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). It is a safe ingredient that comes from Coconut Oil. It is often confused with Sodium Laureth Sulfate which has been linked to cancer.