Rug cleaning with baking soda and vinegar

What can be said safely and what cannot

In university and conservator material on stains and rugs, only the basics agree: blot the stain, do not rub, use cold water, do not heat, and test any product on a hidden spot first. On baking soda, vinegar and ammonia the advice differs, and none of it answers the main question: how exactly your rug’s fibre and colour will react.

So there are no recipes with amounts here. Instead there is what you can check: which rugs are at risk from wet home cleaning, how to do the test and when it is better to stop.

Testing on a hidden spot

1. Read the label If the rug has a care label, a cross over a symbol means “do not”. If there is no label, photograph the underside: from it a specialist can judge the fibre and the backing.
2. Choose a spot Choose a spot that is not visible: under a sofa, in a corner by the wall, or on the underside of the rug by the edge.
3. A small amount Put a little of the product on a white cloth, not directly on the rug, and press lightly.
4. Check the cloth If the cloth picks up colour, the rug’s dye bleeds. Then do not use the product.
5. Let it dry When the spot is completely dry, look for any change in colour, sheen or pile.

Which rugs not to try it on

The Canadian Conservation Institute also advises not using shop-bought carpet shampoos on valuable rugs (the fibres attract dirt after them) and consulting a professional.

Cleaning a rug with vinegar: what to know about smell

Vinegar is mentioned as a home remedy for urine smell. Veterinary sources mention enzyme cleaners for pet urine, not vinegar or baking soda. The Feline Veterinary Medical Association (Feline VMA) warns that products containing ammonia smell of urine to a cat, and writes that the area of the smell can be up to three times larger than the visible stain. International Cat Care writes that a heavily soiled material stays attractive for repeat marking.

If urine has reached the backing, the underlay or the floor, cleaning the top of the rug may not end the smell, and the smell can come back. What to do at once: urine smell in a rug. Service: rug cleaning for urine.

What to do instead of baking soda and vinegar

• Blot the stain at once with a clean cloth, without rubbing.
• Dab lightly with a cloth dampened in cold water, without soaking.
• Put on clean, absorbent material and weight it down until it dries.
• Do not heat the spot with a hair dryer or an iron.
• If the stain stays, do not put products on one after another, and send a photo.

For specific stains: how to remove a stain from a rug, coffee and wine stain on a rug.

When to have the rug cleaned and what it costs

In the request, write what got onto the rug, what you have already used (baking soda or vinegar too) and when, and attach photos of the top side and the underside. From the photos, a specialist gives the price. Service: stain removal from a rug.

• Synthetic short-pile rug, cleaning at home: from €6/m².
• Wool or cotton rug (with pick-up): from €10/m².
• Silk, viscose, hide, hand-made and Persian rugs (with pick-up): from €15/m², the price is given from a photo.
• Urine or odour treatment, extra: from €3/m².

Example: a 2 × 3 m synthetic rug at home with urine treatment is 6 × €6 = €36 and 6 × €3 = €18, so from €54 in total. The minimum order is €45: if the total is lower, you pay €45. Travel is included in Riga and up to about 15 km outside the Riga boundary; further out it is from €10. Pick-up and return in Riga costs €10 (both ways together); in the Riga region up to about 15 km from the Riga boundary it is also €10, and further out another €10 is added. All prices: carpet and rug cleaning prices.