Using Vinegar to Clean Carpet? We Don’t Recommend It!

Yes, plain white vinegar is a very useful tool around the house. It’s great for cleaning sinks, toilets, counter-tops, and even your microwave. Vinegar is very acidic and has a pH of about 2.4 (compared to a neutral pH of 7). This acidity means that vinegar has natural antibacterial properties as well as being antimicrobial, antiseptic and will kill mold. Vinegar will also loosen and lift dirt from surfaces.

Here’s the problem. Although vinegar is an eco-friendly and useful substance, it’s not appropriate for cleaning your carpet!

Using Vinegar to Clean Carpet is Not Effective

Don’t believe everything you read online. While some websites sing the praises of vinegar as an all-purpose cleanser, it simply shouldn’t be used on carpet. Here’s why …

Vinegar is great for countertops, but it’s one of the least effective solutions out there for removing dirt from carpet fibers. Mixing it with baking soda? Not going to help. In fact, this mixture just creates a foamy sort of paste that will only discolor your carpet further. Mixing vinegar with hydrogen peroxide isn’t recommended either, because it creates fumes that can cause respiratory problems or skin irritation. So, keep the vinegar for use in your kitchen and bathroom, but don’t let it get near your fabrics or rugs.

“But what about those videos that shows vinegar removing stains?” you may ask. Trust us on this; the vinegar will not remove stains that are embedded in your carpet and may, in fact, harm your carpet fibers. You’ll end up with the same dirt you had before, but with the added problem of color fading and changes in carpet texture.

Contact One of Our Professionals for Treating Deep-Set Stains

If you have stains in your carpet that just won’t go away, contact one of our professionals. We’ll be happy to give you advice or schedule a cleaning for you.

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