When my vacuum broke, I remembered how my former housekeeper would clean the upholstery with a damp cloth. So, I used my sponge mop on all carpets and rugs. It picked up piles of hair, leaves, dust, and gave the rugs a freshly-steamed appearance. I was thrilled. The sponge mop is cheap, readily available, lightweight, quiet, energy efficient, user-friendly and easily stored (no hauling out, emptying bags/canisters, or plugging in a vacuum), and the results are pleasing.
While it may not totally replace a vacuum sweeper, please try this. I also used it on very filthy carpeted basement stairs, preceded by a brooming. This works fantastically on stairs. And did I mention quiet?
By mary knight from Kensington, MD
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How do I clean my carpet if I don't have a vacuum cleaner?
Claudia from Englewood, OH
I've swept my carpet before, seriously! When I didn't have one for a small time. Sweep (gets up the hair at least) then maybe some sticky tape to grab that up. Or get one of those cheap carpet sweepers, the ones that aren't electric that you roll on the carpet.
You'll be surprised that you could buy one from goodwill for like $5 in good condition, try them.
We too swept our carpet. When we were first married, we were in a tiny apartment and couldn't justify buying a vacuum for our tiny one-bedroom/living room ONLY. Now that we have six kids and live in a house about 2100 sq ft, we still use the broom to sweep the corners and edges of the walls!
Hie thee to a thrift shoppe, they have many for cheepie.
Get one of the stiff bristled push brooms. They do a decent job. I lived out in the country for 8 years with no utilities and learned to do lots
This is what we did when I was a kid. We had a bucket with water in it, a broom and some salt. You sprinkle salt on the carpet.
Take your rug out side and bring the broom with you, hang the carpet over something, so that it is hanging down, this could be a tree branch or clothes line. Beat away at the carpet and the dust will start coming out. This will do wonders for you if you are angry. It only works if it is a dust problem.
Many thanks to all of you who sent your ideas in for me. How nice you all are and all the ideas were/are helpful. Happy New Year! I love this website!! Claudia in Englewood
It might seem funny and my fiance is the one who actually taught me this. . . take a latex glove and sweep your carpet with your hand. It really gets up a lot of the dirt and small things that get stuck in the fibers of the carpet.
No Vacuum? Check out some thrift stores to get one. It's much easier than getting on your hands and knees with rubber gloves and then sweeping it all up.
Wow-this is incredibly helpful right now, I'm glad I stumbled upon this! Thank you!
For those of you who are going to pose the animal hair question here's my trick:
1. Rag and a bucket of water with a tiny bit of soap (1/2 gallon and >1/8th an ounce of dawn).
2. Wipe the carpet in one direction, the animal hair will clump together and is really easy to pick up/sweep up when you're done.
If the first pass doesn't get everything up, turn 90 degrees and start again.
What is the best way to clean stair carpet without using a vacuum cleaner which will Hoover up the pile, or dustpan and brush which is too labour intensive as I have too many stairs?
By barbara davis from Battersea, England
Vacuum or sweep the carpet before you start the real cleaning. This removes lint, hair and any other such material.
Mix the detergent with warm water. Generally ¼ cup to a gallon of warm water ensures that it is not concentrated. To prevent damage to the carpet, test the solution on a small area. If discoloration occurs do not go any further. If all goes well, you can proceed with the cleaning process.
Whether you are using a sponge or a brush work in small areas at a time for the best results. If using a sponge squeeze out most of the water. With a brush, gently spray some cleaning solution and slowly scrub the area being cleaned. Use the toothbrush to scrub hard to remove spots.
Dip a clean sponge into clean water and remove the cleaning solution before moving on to the next section to be cleaned. You may need to repeat this to ensure that all the cleaning solution is removed.
Fluff the carpet against the nap to ensure proper drying and to restore carpet to its original level of fluffiness. Using a stiff bristle brush is a good way to raise the nap. You can also vacuum for the same result.good luck.
Use a small vacuum with a hose attachment. They have lightweight vacuum's that have a shoulder strap (like the little "Dirt Devils" sold here in the USA). The hose attachment will suck up the dirt without hurting the pile.
Use a small vacuum with a hose attachment. They have lightweight vacuum's that have a shoulder strap (like the little "Dirt Devils" sold here in the USA for about $50). The hose attachment will suck up the dirt without hurting the pile.
If you want to actually clean them, the quickest & easiest way is to first vacuum them, then use a foaming carpet cleaner, just follow the directions, let dry & vacuum off with the little vacuum with the hose attachment.
A re-chargeable car vaccum works fine for light maintenance cleaning of stairs and extending the times between shampooing or deep cleaning. They weigh a lot less than a bag-pipe or backpack vacuum, and there is no cord hassle.
Have FUN!
DearWebby
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