cleaning carpet

[milkymumma]

Now that I've taken all the furniture out of the lounge room, I'm a little disgusted by the state of the carpet. Any tips for removing food, dirt, and *ahem* poo stains?

[Nyree]

Sounds like a job for the professionals!

Alternatively, you could try hiring a steam cleaner from a supermarket. Does P have a car to collect it?

[Hailstorm]

I recommend hiring a steam cleaner from Safeway as well, we did that when we moved out of our last rental. They're not to expensive depedning on how long you hire them for, but they do recommend you use their products only that can get a bit pricey, but they work really well, we do our couches and dining chairs as well as rugs and what not so we get our money's worth.

Otherwise you could try vinegar and water and scrubbing

[elflyn]

Be careful if you scrub it can set stains.
Steam clean probably would be best.

[milkymumma]

Be careful if you scrub it can set stains.
Righto! Steam cleaning it is! :)

[Rinelle]

I've hired one of those cleaners from a supermarket before and used vinegar in it instead of their cleaners and it worked OK.

[milkymumma]

Excellent! Thanks T, we will do that. Just the cheapy white vinegar?

[Rinelle]

That's all I ever use. :) I think I may also have used a pinch of my natural dishwashing liquid on one or two stains as well. It's been so long since I had carpets though that I can't remember for sure.

[milkymumma]

Coolios! Thank you!

[Hailstorm]

Should have mentioned earlier we too have used vinegar in the machines from the supermarket, if they ask just tell them you have used it before and still have product left over, they can be a bit precious :2lol ALso you'll need photo I.D. :rolleyes to hire one

[milkymumma]

ALso you'll need photo I.D. :rolleyes to hire one
Seriously?? Um, are they dangerous?

[Hailstorm]

Yeah the last time they wouldn't let me hire one as my learner's permit has my old address not the current one so I had to get my mate to use his licence (which was suspended at the time..go figure :rolleyes)

[milkymumma]

Trippers! How very odd... :confused1

[Hailstorm]

Yeah strange people :2lol

But they do a pretty good job of cleaning...the machines that is not the strange trippy people :2lol

[elflyn]

Probably has more to do with the cleaning solution than the actual machine!

[milkymumma]

But it works with vinegar...?

[milkymumma]

Oh, you mean the photo ID thing?

[elflyn]

Absolutely!!

[milkymumma]

Righto! :2lol

[Nyree]

I figured the photo ID was so they know which door to knock on if the machine wasn't returned ;)

[milkymumma]

You're so sensible! (...on occasion ;))

[Kali]

We save on carpet cleaning by having a cheap carpet mat on the floor. the kids can only eat on the mat and the mat gets taken out and hosed every now and then.

[milkymumma]

That's a good idea! We did try something similar here, but the boys got a bit feral when I was working.