Natural Cleaners for Steam-Cleaning Rugs

Basics

• Water, the original natural cleaner, is the steam cleaner’s primary solvent. Steam cleaners heat water to above the boiling point. A pump forces the steam down a wand through the front half of a wide head into the carpet. The combination of steam and pressure loosens dirt all the way down into the carpet binding. A strong vacuum positioned in the back portion immediately follows the forceful steam and extracts both the condensing steam and dirt from the carpet into a holding tank. Another system, hot water extraction, heats water almost to boiling. A third type of steam cleaning uses vapor alone but does not vacuum; it is primarily used by professional cleaners on hard surfaces.

Vacuuming

• Before pre-treating or beginning to steam, thorough vacuuming removes loose dirt and raises the nap of the carpet, loosening ground-in dirt. Borax, cornmeal or baking soda neutralize odors and bond with dry, light dirt particles. Sprinkle the carpet with one of these natural pre-treaters, at least, before vacuuming. Leave the dry vacuum aid in the carpet for 10 to 20 minutes. Vacuum the carpet, moving slowly across the room in one direction and again across at a 90-degree angle to the first tracks.

Pre-Treating

• Both steam and hot-water extraction methods spray water through nozzles mounted on the end of supply lines. Both suggest pre-treating rather than adding soaps that may clog the nozzles. The vacuum opening in the head of the wand is, however, large enough to accommodate suds, provided the receiving tank is emptied frequently. Whip 1/2 cup of vegetable-based, or Castile, liquid soap with 1/3 cup water until it forms a foam; use this to scrub traffic or other stains. Club soda treats small stains. Allow pre-treated areas to stand for at least 10 minutes before wiping with a damp cloth to pick up some of the dirt. Pre-treating loosens dirt before steam cleaning, leaving only stubborn, deep dirt to be extracted.

Steaming

• Use water in your steamer if you have used pre-treating solutions on your carpet. This removes any remaining suds or other cleaners. Never put suds in your steam cleaner, although some cleaners containing vegetable soaps and citric acids are available for hot water extraction units. In a steam unit, try vinegar in a ratio of 1 cup to 1 gallon of water for carpets with pet stains or lemon juice in the same mixture to freshen old carpets. Always test any mixture of natural cleaners on an inconspicuous place on your carpet -- under a couch or in a corner -- before using it on the whole room. Not all fabrics or dyes stand up to homemade cleaners.