Did you know it is possible to iron your carpet? Not the same way you would iron the clothes, of course, but ironing the carpet does have its place and no, not to get the wrinkles out. According to Brilliance Carpet Cleaning Perth ironing is part of a carpet cleaning company process and one possible way to remove stains that you cannot identify the source of. You may think this sounds crazy, but in fact it does work.
This is how you do it.
- Open the windows first, because ammonia has a terrible smell and you will need fresh air.
- Spray the stain with 2 tablespoons of ammonia in a cup of hot water. Don’t saturate the carpet, just spray it lightly. Rub it in with a stiff bristled brush and leave for 2 hours.
- Fill the iron’s tank with water and set to Steam. If the carpet is a wool one, put it on High; for nylon or similar use the Low setting.
- Place a clean, white cloth over the stain and iron it with a constant motion for 20 seconds before you rotate the cloth to a clean spot. Keep on repeating until the stain starts to fade.
- Don’t use a coloured cloth because the colours in it can transfer to the carpet.
- You may have to do this again the next day if the stain returns.
- If you have a carpet steam cleaner at home, use it after the ironing process to help remove the ammonia – and the smell of it. But in fact the smell of ammonia does wear off quite quickly, so you don’t have to panic about it.
A carpet steam cleaner will often get stains out on its own if you use white vinegar with the water. However, some stains are very stubborn, as you’ve no doubt noticed.
Ironing has three benefits.
- It creates heat and steam that works with the ammonia to lift the stain out.
- It helps to remove the ammonia so you don’t smell it as much
- It helps to get the moisture out of the carpet by turning it into steam.
There are many other ways to get stains out of carpets and plenty of products on the supermarket shelves. However, ammonia is a tried and trusted product that has been used as a cleaner for many decades and it is quite inexpensive compared to some other cleaning products.
If you are not sure what your carpet is made from, try doing this on an area that is not usually seen, even if there is no stain there. You will know then whether it will affect the colour, or the texture of the fibres. Start off with the iron on low, just in case the carpet is nylon.