Magical Carpet Cleaner? Or Not??

When we moved into the new house I was relieved the carpet was not in need of being replaced. Sure, there are a few areas that you can tell were more traveled than others, but nothing that warrants ripping it out and spending lots of money for a replacement.

We did have a few spots throughout the living area, and I thought I would take a carpet cleaner purchased at the store and treat them, hopefully getting them out. I was very pleasantly surprised to find a magic carpet cleaner recipe on Pinterest and figured I should give it a go before spending money on something with a bunch of chemicals.

"Magical" Carpet Cleaner

Wipe up any leftover spill if it is a new spill/stain.

Sprinkle it with cornstarch or baking soda and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Vacuum.

Cleaner: 1 Tbsp clear dishwashing liquid, 1 Tbsp white vinegar, with 2 cups warm water.

Use a white or very light colored rag and sponge the area with the solution. Then blot it until the liquid is absorbed.

Use cold water to sponge it and blot dry again.



The small (less than a dime in size) light greyish spots looked like this after being treated. I honestly feel like the clean spot stands out and captures my eye more than most of the spots I treated.

So, the moral of this story is... Be sure to test in an inconspicuous area first! I had to learn this the hard way. If you use it, do sparingly on spots you think are really worth treating. Perhaps buy a rug (like I did) to cover the new spots so that you won't be constantly reminded and frustrated with yourself about making the old stains into new spots that stand out almost more. 

I am sure this has worked for several people as evidenced by all the comments on the post, but it just didn't cut it for me.