How To Clean Rug At Home Without Machine?

Cleaning carpets is one of those jobs – it’s big, it’s hard, and no one wants to do it! How to clean rug at home without machine is tricky – but not impossible.

If you want some great tips on how to clean your rugs without hiring an industrial washing machine, then this is the article for you.

How To Clean Rug At Home Without Machine

You don’t actually need any machinery or equipment to clean your rugs – you can do it with items you would find in your kitchen cupboards!

Vinegar

1. Take some distilled vinegar and dilute it with water in a 1-3 ratio. Place the mixture into a spray bottle and shake vigorously to mix.
2. Spray the solution onto your carpet liberally, until it is wet but not soaked through. Leave it to settle for a few minutes.
3. Using a microfibre cloth, gently blot up the wet mixture – don’t use a scrubbing motion, as this may damage the carpet.

Baking Soda

1. Remove all furniture and clutter from the room, to expose the whole of the carpet or rug.
2. Sprinkle baking soda all over the entire carpet, especially in areas that appear particularly dirty. Leave the powder on overnight.
3. In the morning, vacuum up the baking soda to reveal a much cleaner, fresher and sweeter smelling carpet.

How Can I Clean My Rug By Hand?

Cleaning a smaller rug at home by hand is easier than you may imagine – larger rugs will take a bit more elbow grease, but it’s definitely doable.

Start by vacuuming your rug to remove large pieces of debris, and smaller pieces of dust, pet hair and crumbs.

Take your rug outside and hang it over the washing line. Take a large flat stick and beat it so that the dust comes out (this is a great exercise in getting out all your frustration too!)

Mix up a carpet shampoo to the instructions on the bottle, then remove your rug from the line and place it on a flat surface.

Spray the shampoo onto the rug, then brush it with a carpet brush (you may have to be a little more vigorous on areas with heavy staining).

Blot the rug with clean paper towels or a tea towel, to lift off the majority of the cleaning fluid.

Spray the rug again, this time with warm water only, to rinse out the cleaning solution.

Blot the rug again with more clean towels to suck up most of the moisture, then if possible hang it to dry on the line.

You should avoid too much heavy traffic on the rug if it is still damp when you replace it – of course you’ll want to do this anyway, to preserve that beautiful cleanliness as long as you can!

Can You Clean A Rug Without Shampooing It?

You absolutely can clean your rug without resorting to expensive carpet cleaners – and it’s easier and cheaper too.

The good old-fashioned method of hanging the rug and beating the life out of it works wonders at getting rid of dust and grime.

If you need to clean smaller areas of staining, lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda all work very well.

Steaming is a great option for cleaning rugs – you can hire a steam cleaner or buy one – steaming will clean areas and also helps to remove bacteria.

Using a brush to gently scrub at your rug, when you apply cleaners such as baking soda or vinegar, can really help the finished result.

This video explains how to clean stains off your rug using baking soda and vinegar:

What Household Items Can You Use To Clean A Rug?

You don’t have to buy carpet cleaners, or take your rug to a dry cleaners – you can actually use items that you may have lying around in your kitchen cupboards!

Salt is something that we all have, and something that is surprisingly good at cleaning up stains, as well as freshening up larger areas.

Sprinkle fine table salt over the entire area of your rug. Gently scrub it into the fibres with a  carpet brush, then leave to settle for an hour or so. Vacuum away.

Baking soda is a fantastic cleaner; it is good for removing dirt as well as improving unpleasant smells.

Simply spread a layer of baking soda over the whole rug, then leave overnight. Vacuum up in the morning and enjoy the results!

White vinegar is another well known store cupboard cleaner, which can be used in a huge variety of different applications.

Dilute the vinegar with water in a 1:3 ratio, place the mixture in a spray bottle and spray liberally over your carpet. Blot the area well with clean dry towels.

How Do You Clean An Area Rug Naturally?

If you have an area rug you want to clean naturally but it is too big to take outside, there is a simple method:

1. Sprinkle the entire area rug with a good layer of baking soda and leave it to sit for a couple of hours.
2. Mix equal parts of water and vinegar (the white kind, not the type you put on your fish and chips!) in a spray bottle.
3. Spray the mixture onto the baking soda on the rug – it will hiss and fizz; this is a completely normal reaction.
4. Once the fizzing has died away, blot the rug with a clean, dry cloth or towel to absorb any moisture.
5. After the area is completely dry, vacuum it to remove any leftover bits of baking soda that didn’t react with the vinegar solution.

Final Thoughts

Cleaning rugs can be a big job – but it needn’t be too difficult or ineffective, and you don’t even need any type of machinery to do so.

Once you’ve figured out how to clean your own rugs at home, without any additional equipment, you can enjoy a sparkly clean floor whenever you want.