How to Clean and Restore Carpet Even if It’s Old, Stained, and Disgusting

If you hate your carpet because it’s old, stained, and bordering on disgusting, I have great news. There are steps you can take that will have you falling in love with it all over again.

Years ago when we remodeled our home, we replaced some of the carpets with hardwood. What a revelation. Now I could see the dirt and dust and, honestly, I couldn’t believe what accumulated in such a short time on those wood floors. Of course, I never saw it on the carpet but I know it was there all along. What a wake-up call it was to see the old carpet removed, rolled up and hauled away.

Here’s what we need to know and never forget: Regardless of the color, brand, or style—carpet hides dirt. This is not a good thing.

On the one hand, I love carpet for the warm, cozy way it can make a room feel, especially a bedroom. But the thought of what’s in it gives me a slightly creepy feeling. I used to think that occasional vacuuming was sufficient. Now I know better.

Still, even with its ability to harbor and hide all kinds of dirt and grime, I’m not ready to completely give up the carpet in my home! Even if I did, you can be sure that soon I would be shopping for area rugs. So what’s the difference? Carpet is carpet and all of it gets skanky, gross, and ugly if not well cared for.  

And what about those stains? On my wood floors, I wipe up spills instantly. But stains or spills on the carpet? I used to turn a blind eye. It’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way. And while I may not vacuum daily, I can promise you there are no stains on my carpet and no dirty paths either.

Vacuum Regularly

As often as you sweep, mop, and or dust your hard surface floor—that’s how often you should be vacuuming the carpet. Just because you can’t see the dirt, dust, debris, footprints, crumbs, and hair doesn’t mean it’s not there! Allowing any of that to burrow down into the carpet pile is going to turn your carpet into a disgusting situation.

You need a vacuum with super strong suction to remove dirt, dust, and grime quickly and easily. Weekly vacuuming is not too often. Twice a week—much better. Daily vacuuming of heavy traffic areas? Even better. The best way to vacuum carpet is to memorize this routine.

 

Treat Spots Immediately

Sugary liquids, sticky food, grease, mud, pet urine, and excrement—these are the bane of beautiful carpet. If you don’t want to hate your carpet you’ll pick up and remove spills and then deep clean the area as soon as possible after it occurs.

Allowed to remain for any period of time, spots become stains and stains will be difficult, if not impossible, to remove. I use, rely on, and highly recommend CarpetAid+ available online and some stores like Home Depot and Lowes. It is fabulous! CarpetAid+ comes in an aerosol can and dispenses like shaving cream, which makes it super easy to use.

CarpetAid+ carpet and upholstery stain cleaner works like magic! on tough stains like traffic, dirt, oil, pet accidents, and wine spills.

 

Wash Frequently

At least once every three months, wash (shampoo, steam clean) your carpet. Investing in your own carpet cleaning machine would be a wise choice. The machine will pay for itself the first time you use it instead of calling in the pros.

You won’t find a better machine than Hoover SteamVac. I’ve had mine for more than a dozen years, and it’s working as hard now as it did when it was new. And I’ve recently added the newer version to my collection, and it’s a beauty!

 

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The Best Thing I Ever Bought

I cannot think of anything I’ve ever purchased that can top my Hoover SteamVac,  I bought it on Dec. 7, 2008, and I only know that because there it is in my Amazon order history—$147 with free shipping. All these years later—while still enjoying my spotlessly clean carpet, Hoover is still performing flawlessly. I wouldn’t want to live without my workhorse, Hoover. Over the year the Hoover folks have upgraded this machine and even given it a new name (on the right, and recently added to my collection)—still an amazing product.

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It’s Been a Long Time

If it’s been so long you can’t remember when you last cleaned your carpet, and it is really, horribly, embarrassingly dirty and smelly—cleaning it with hot water alone (see The Best Thing I Ever Bought) is not going to cut it. You need to add a high-quality, commercial-grade carpet shampoo product to your cleaning machine. Or make it yourself. Just be prepared to rinse, rinse, and rinse some more. You must extract every molecule of soap or detergent that you lay down and soaks into the carpet. Any that remains will become a magnet, attracting new dirt, dust, and grime.

 

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DIY Carpet Shampoo Solution

1 cup Oxiclean Stain Remover (NOT Oxiclean Detergent), 1 cup Febreze, and 1 cup white vinegar. Pour ingredients into carpet cleaning machine adding hot water to the fill line. This will not only clean your carpets it will also deodorize. It will smell slightly of vinegar until the carpet is dry. Be sure to test in an inconspicuous place first, just to be safe. This should be safe for all carpets.

Nok-Out

If after deep cleaning your carpet is still not smelling sweet and fresh—with lingering undertones of pet urine—it’s time to bring out the big gun Nok-Out. Nok-Out is available direct from the company at Nokout.com. Or call 866-551-1927 to speak directly with owner Ted Price if you need more help with a specific stinky situation.

Clean

Clean the carpet first—clean it as best you can even if that takes several repeats. Then adhere to the following protocol from our friends at Nok-Out.

Neutralize

Nok-Out has a pH of 8.5 and works best in an alkaline environment. If you have used acidic cleaning products such as vinegar used previously (like for treating spots or spills), you must neutralize that acid by spraying club soda or a mild baking soda solution (1 teaspoon baking soda to 2 cups water) to the carpet using a spray bottle before applying Nok-Out to the area.

Allow this solution to dry before continuing the odor removal procedures. This step will neutralize any acids left behind by other cleaners on your carpet and allow Nok-Out to work most efficiently and effectively.

Test

Always test in an inconspicuous place first like inside a closet. This is true for any cleaner, deodorizer, or other types of product you’ve not used before. You want to know exactly how your particular carpet (upholstery) reacts before you use this in an open, visible area.

Water temp

When using Nok-Out in a carpet-cleaning machine, add 1 to 2 cups to the reservoir, then add enough room-temperature water to total one gallon (128 ounces). Never use Nok-Out with hot or boiling water.

Let it penetrate

Push the carpet shampooer forward while spraying, but do not vacuum up the cleaning fluid yet. Spray the entire carpet first, and wait for  10 to 20 minutes to allow Nok-Out to penetrate deeply and oxidize into the fibers of the carpet, as well as the matting, the pad, and floor substrate underneath.

Extract

After the waiting time has passed, begin the extracting process by pulling the carpet cleaning machine backward. This pulls all liquid back into the cleaning tank. Dry quickly by using overhead ceiling fans, floor fans, turning the ac/heating fan to “On” and or opening windows.

If a second application should be necessary, simply repeat this procedure.

One last thing

If you are getting ready to replace your carpet, don’t select a color because you think it will “hide the dirt.” No! You want a color that will point out every bit of dirt, every spill, and every stain.

You want to see those things so you can immediately take steps to clean them up, in the same way, you care for your beautiful wood, laminate, and tile floors. 

You are not alone if you have come to hate the carpet in your home, but it doesn’t have to be that way. It might take a few go-rounds with vacuuming, stain-removing, and deep cleaning, but if you are diligent, you and your carpet just might fall in love all over again!

CAUTION: Once again, always test, clean, or treat carpet in an out-of-the-way, inconspicuous spot first like inside a closet. I offer no guarantees for how any recommended product or appliance will react in your specific situation. 

Revised, Expanded & Updated 7-28-23

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