Carpet Wars

So a few weeks ago I posted about my Project Iron the Carpet where I literally ironed my carpet. I spent a total of 7 hours over 3 nights ironing my carpet and after awhile while those spots were cleaner, the rest of the carpet was just bad and continued to get worse, seeing as I let the carpet go for a week or two longer than I would have while I tried to figure out something else... While doing research on it I discovered that my problem was probably stemming from my over zealousness to get my carpet clean and I was therefore using too much soap and as I wasn't doing a water rinse. So there was quite the build up of what's called detergent residue. So I decided to go back to basics and keep things simple. So tonight I spent 2.5 hours cleaning my carpets, again. I first did a water rinse to try to get up some of the detergent residue and the recent dirty stuff up. I followed up with a vinegar wash. I used a half water half vinegar mix. Then followed with a second water rinse. I am confident that the carpet is the cleanest I am going to get it. I need to figure out a good carpet spot stain remover. Once I figure that out I think I'll have the carpet situation until complete control but for now I've got it under control...

Some things to note about this process. You can tell how clean I was getting the carpets by simply watching the water I was dumping. During the first water rinse it was a thick almost chalky soapy but not sudsy water, then during the vinegar wash it was just dirty, but then the second water rinse wasn't clear but it was certainly cleaner and more "dirty waterish" than the first water rinse. Also the carpet fibers had the same dirty to clean to them. The chunks of fibers that clump up kinda of like lint, went from black to a greyish to white like new fresh fiber was being pulled up. There was also a definite reduction in the amount of fiber pulled up too. Like I said I am confident that the carpet is as clean as I am going to get it. I just need to find a good set stain carpet remover and I'll have my carpet cleaning system down pat!

The Before

The After

The Before

The After

Project Iron the Carpet

So as you know I have 2 small children, 2 Little Boys, 2 Toddlers... My kids are rough on carpet or I'm OCD about carpet or a little of both, probably a little of both right? Granted we've either been in a rental or living with my parents but either way I didn't want my kids ruining their carpet... And I thought my Dad's carpet was light, but the stuff in the condo where we live now is BAD... It wasn't in perfect condition when we moved in, but it was pretty close in my opinion. My grandmother had wonderful decorating sense, depending on who you ask of course ;) and she was a grandmother whose grand kids were all grown, so I guess she didn't have to worry about WHITE carpet... Yes, my carpet is WHITE or at the very least a very very very light beige... I steam clean my carpet about once a month to every 6 weeks, with a spot clean with the steamer scrubbing brush at the halfway mark... I've used everything from fancy cleaners, to vinegar, to other home remedies... And while I get my carpet presentable, at least to me it never actually comes clean and the same stains come back after awhile... I work hard to keep a clean home and this carpet has been driving me nuts...

 

The area right in front of the couch, ground zero for my oldest son...

My Living Room

These photos were taken last night, this is my living room with all the toys picked up, and after a good vacuum. I steam cleaned my carpets last Thursday night, my sister was coming home for spring break, my Dad was going to be home last weekend. I always try to have clean carpets when my Dad is town because if he stops by (never does but still what if) I don't want to be deathly embarrassed by the carpets and have him think I let my kids run around with open gallons of chocolate milk and juice. Swear I don't... Despite the photographic evidence...

Recently I started following one of my Aunts and her daughter on Pinterest... My Aunt pinned THIS.  It's blog who claims she cleaned up YEARS old stains, mystery stains from previous owners, using this method. Simple really, mix equal parts of water and ammonia and spray on your carpet, cover with a towel and iron out the stain. Her commentators agreed that it works well so I further researched it and lots of people claim its super awesome powers... So I figured I'd give it a try...

My thoughts, I mixed up 4 cups water to 4 cups ammonia and poured it into an old windex bottle to spray on the carpet... Once I learned I wasn't going to burn the carpet or my towels and not bleach my carpet I got into a groove and think I did pretty well... It's time consuming and I think it took me almost the whole time figuring out my method. I spent 2.5 hours and all 8 cups of the cleaning spray getting up enough that I'm impressed but I want to finish up the carpet and see if it lasts. I have to redo a couple of the spots now that I got my method down but see for yourself... All in all I think that it at least got my carpet clean, I want to see how long it takes for the spots to come back if they do. If these spots come back or come back quickly its not time effective to clean my carpet this way.

My Living Room this morning

 

The huge pink puke stain from my first experience with Mr. Sick Bucket is gone...