Cleaning and disinfecting your carpet provide the best way to prevent illness in your home, school, or office.
Vacuuming carpet can remove a lot of dust and loose dirt, but if you want to eliminate the germs and bacteria lurking deep within your carpet, you need a thorough cleaning.
This blog covers the procedures on how to disinfect carpet to ensure a clean, comfortable, and safe indoor environment.
What Can I Use as Carpet Disinfectant Cleaner?
A question many people ask when thinking of how to disinfect carpet is what chemicals, solutions, or substances they can safely use.
You can safely use several substances and solutions as a carpet disinfectant cleaner. Many rug disinfectant cleaners are commercially available, but some you can make at home.
Vinegar and Lemon Juice
The acidity of a vinegar and lemon juice mixture proves strong enough to kill microbes and germs while also removing stubborn stains like coffee or soda. You can mix them with water and apply the mixture directly to the carpet, letting it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing it with a brush.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Another option to use in the how to disinfect carpet process is hydrogen peroxide, an oxidizing agent that breaks down organic matter on contact. It’s safe for most carpets, and you can use it diluted to remove stains from your rug without damaging the fibers underneath.
Borax
You could also try using borax as a carpet disinfectant. This natural cleanser and disinfectant remains safe for carpets. You can use it to disinfect rug areas quickly by sprinkling it on your carpet and then vacuuming it or mixing it with water and applying it with a spray bottle.
Baking Soda
This cheap, simple household item is an excellent choice for cleaning your carpets and reducing the risk of allergens and bacteria. Baking soda has anti-bacterial properties, which can help kill germs on your carpet. It also works as a natural deodorizer that absorbs odors from pet urine and other sources, leaving your home smelling fresh.
Simply sprinkle some baking soda on the affected area of your carpet, and then vacuum it up!
Vodka (Alcohol)
Vodka makes a great carpet disinfectant cleaner. The alcohol in vodka will kill germs and bacteria, but it won’t leave any residue that could attract bugs or encourage mold growth. It’s also non-toxic, so you can use it without worrying about harming your kids or pets.
You’ll need to dilute the vodka with water first—just mix equal parts of each in a spray bottle, and you’re good to go!
Steam Cleaning
Steam cleaning provides a great option when considering how to disinfect carpet. It uses heat to kill germs and bacteria. To use a steam cleaner, you must fill the reservoir with water and set the temperature to high. Then hold the nozzle close to the carpet’s surface and press down on the trigger repeatedly until you release all the liquid onto the surface. Then just wait for it to dry before vacuuming up any leftover residue!
Commercially Available Disinfectant Carpet Spray
A commercially available disinfectant carpet spray also makes a possible option for quickly cleaning up the mess in your home. It doesn’t work as thoroughly as other options, but it will eliminate germs and smells in no time. You can buy these online or at your local grocery store.
How To Sanitize Carpet: An Easy Step-by-Step Guide on How To Disinfect a Carpet
Step 1: Vacuum
To sanitize carpet, you will first need to vacuum it, preferably with a HEPA-filtration vacuum. This essential step cleans the carpet thoroughly before you add any cleaning products or rinse it with water. If you notice any stains on the carpet, try using a stain remover or spot cleaner to loosen the stain and dirt first.
Then make sure to use the proper attachment. You want a brush attachment that will penetrate deep into the carpet fibers and pull up any hidden dirt. This will ensure that you get a thorough clean with minimal effort.
At Pristine Cleaners, we recommend vacuuming daily in high-traffic areas, twice weekly in medium-traffic areas, and weekly in low-traffic areas.
Step 2: Apply an Alkaline Carpet Cleaner or Carpet Disinfectant Spray
After thoroughly vacuuming your carpet, it is time to apply the alkaline carpet cleaner. This how to disinfect carpet step brings out a big difference in the color and texture of your carpet. Make sure that you always use an alkaline cleaning solution for this process to get rid of any dirt or stains present on your carpet without damaging it in any way.
You will want to use enough cleaning solution to cover all areas but not so much that it drips off into other areas of your home or leaves a stain on the floor. Once you have poured enough solution onto each area, wait about five minutes before proceeding with Step 3 below.
Step 3: Rinse Your Carpet
Once you’ve put your carpet through its paces, it’s time to rinse it. This crucial step will ensure you eliminate all the soap and detergent residue left behind from your cleaning process.
After rinsing, use a clean towel or cloth to blot up any excess water from the carpet. If you use a high-powered vacuum cleaner on the spot where you clean up any excess water or soap residue, that should take care of most of it for you!
Step 4: Dry Your Carpet
You now have a clean carpet, but it’s still wet! The last thing you want to do is walk around on a damp carpet. Not only will this cause mold and mildew growth, but it will also make your home smell like mildew.
The best way to dry carpet includes using fans or dehumidifiers. These machines can help pull moisture out of the air so that your carpet dries quickly and efficiently. If you don’t have any fans or dehumidifiers at home, you may want to consider renting one from a local store or hiring a professional cleaning company to do the job for you.
Once your carpet dries, remove any excess water with a towel (don’t rub too hard) and let it sit for a few hours before putting furniture back on top of the carpet; this will make sure that it stays nice and fluffy instead of becoming flat due to all that extra water weight!
Step 5: Sanitize Your Carpet Using Disinfectant Carpet Cleaner
The final step of the how to disinfect carpet process is to sanitize your carpet using a sanitizing carpet cleaner. This will help kill any lingering bacteria or germs in your carpet fibers.
Homeowners will find a lot of different carpet cleaning and sanitizing products on the market that claim to be effective at killing germs and bacteria on their carpet. For best results, you should look for a carpet cleaner sanitizer explicitly designed for this purpose, like Safeguard Carpet Cleaner by K2R.
Let the Experts Clean and Sanitize Your Carpet in Sacramento, CA
We hope this how to disinfect carpet guide has given you helpful information. If you need carpet cleaning or disinfection in Sacramento, CA, contact Pristine Cleaners.
We continually rank as the best carpet cleaners in town. We understand that your carpets are an investment, and we want to keep them looking new and fresh for years to come. To do this, we need to disinfect them regularly.
If you have questions about this process, please call us at (916) 598-3862 or request a free estimate online.