Spot cleaning is much easier than you have probably expected and it saves a lot of time. These are only a few of the advantages of this quick and easy domestic cleaning method, but let’s take a look at the basics of how to do it without overspending.
First, always start with a thorough inspection of the stains on the items in your house. Spend a good long hour or maybe a couple of hours strolling through every room and corner. The heaviest stains and the carpets with larger stained areas will definitely need a professional cleaning, so at this step you need to note only the objects with small or lighter spots. They can easily be spot cleaned with homemade detergents and tools. This will reduce the drying time and thus you can enjoy the carpets about an hour after the treatment. Not to mention that some kitchen appliances can look like new after a quick clean up of only the soiled areas. The objects that are more likely to have small stains and spots are:
– Carpets or rugs with shorter fibres.
– The floors and the objects, which are adjacent to the dining area.
– Upholstered furnishings that you use every day.
– The tabletops of the side table, the main table, the dining table and the kitchen countertop.
– The oven, the fridge, the gas stove and other kitchen appliances.
Second, make the required homemade detergent for the specific type of the surface that you are about to clean. There is no need to mix numerous ingredients into the water in order to get a much stronger cleaning effect. The key when spot cleaning is in a lot of rubbing, dabbing and wiping. Another great tip to keep in mind is that the very hot water can greatly enhance the degreasing power of your homemade detergent. So, let’s get started with a detergent for cleaning carpets, rugs, area rugs, fabrics and upholsteries.
– Hot water, baking soda, powder laundry detergent, shampoo. Stir the mixture well until the baking soda and the shampoo start creating a foaming effect. This carpet cleaning solution can be applied directly onto the spots with a sponge or a towel, but always try to rub the stain from the outside to its centre. This is the best way to prevent making a bigger mess. Another tip is to use just a small amount of the detergent and to rub the stain for a longer time. The foaming effect of the solution will help penetrate into the base of the fibres and dislodge even dried-up greasy spots.
– Cool water, rubbing alcohol, lemon juice and white vinegar. This solution is perfect for house cleaning every week, because it consists of ingredients that you probably already have on your kitchen shelves and, furthermore, it is quite an easy solution to prepare. It contains no chemical compounds that can damage the surfaces of the objects you clean. It is great for wiping off small spots on glass tabletops, kitchen appliances, wooden furnishings and more.
Third, the application of the homemade detergents is the next highlight on the list. Get at least a couple of towels, two bowls of different sizes, a sponge, a spatula or a stick, a grooming brush or an old toothbrush, paper towels, wet wipes and that’s pretty much it.
Fourth, run the vacuum cleaner after spot cleaning carpets and rugs to restore their fluffiness. This is the best way to make them truly visually pleasing. If you want to deodorize the objects then add a couple of drops of your favourite essential oil to the house cleaning detergents or use natural aromas, such as lemon juice.