Can you use Laundry Detergent in a Carpet Cleaner?

According to an estimate, our carpets are usually 4000 times dirtier than toilet bowls. Over 200,000 bacteria are present in every square inch of carpet, including some sickening germs, mites, insects, and allergens. Besides this, many dirt particles from your feet, pets, and children accumulate over carpets daily. Human and pet hair, stains, and other debris make the carpet dirty, and you need a thorough cleaning apart from regular vacuuming with an effective carpet cleaner.

Carpet cleaning professionals recommend thorough cleaning lightly soiled carpets twice a year and heavily soiled carpets once or twice a month. Most people ask whether they can use laundry detergent in a carpet cleaner or not. The answer is a big yes! You can put your laundry detergent into a carpet cleaner. Carpet cleaners can be homemade or commercial and are extensively used for rug cleaning in homes and offices. Read this guide till the end to find out the possible ways of carpet cleaning with laundry detergent.

Methods to Use Laundry Detergent for Carper Cleaning

Not every detergent is made to use in a carpet cleaner. Some laundry detergents can effectively clean carpets, while others can’t help it. You can use any good liquid laundry detergent in your carpet cleaner as it boosts up the efficiency of the cleaner. Using powder laundry detergent for this purpose is not recommended. It may fix the issue on the spot but will damage your carpet’s fabric and may lead to irritation afterward.

There are two ways to use laundry detergent for carpet cleaning. First, with this cleaning solution, you can make a homemade carpet cleaner with laundry detergent and clean your carpet by hand. Second, you can use your laundry detergent in a steam cleaner for carpet cleaning. Read the detail of both these methods.

Cleaning Carpet with Laundry Detergent by Hand

For carpet cleaning, laundry detergent is an effective ingredient to use. You can directly use laundry detergent over your carpet or can make a homemade carpet cleaner by using it. To make a homemade carpet cleaner with laundry detergent, you will require the following ingredients.

• Two tablespoons of liquid Tide laundry detergent
• 1/4 cup of LA’s Totally Awesome cleaner
• Three tablespoons of Oxiclean
• One teaspoon of Downy Fabric Softener (optional)
• 1 gallon of hot water

You can use your favorite liquid laundry detergent and fabric softener if you don’t want to use the above-mentioned detergents and softener. Mix all these ingredients in a bucket thoroughly and follow the given steps.

• Pour this cleaning liquid on your carpet carefully as it should be warm.
• Take a soft scrubbing brush and scrub your carpet gently.
• Rinse the carpet with plain water to remove this cleaning liquid.
• Repeat the procedure if needed.

Besides the method mentioned above, you can also clean your carpet in another simple way. Take one part of any liquid laundry detergent and three parts of your regular carpet cleaner. Mix them well and use them for the carpet cleaner, just like you do before. After mixing with a carpet cleaning solution, laundry detergent will make an excellent cleaning solution for rugs.

Cleaning Carpet with Laundry Detergent by Steam Cleaner

Steam cleaners are useful devices used for carpet cleaning. Even if you don’t have a carpet cleaning solution, you can put your liquid detergent into the steam cleaner, and it will clean your carpet perfectly. Please follow the given steps for steam cleaning with laundry detergent.

• Fill your steam cleaner with water till the pour line.
• Add one teaspoon of laundry detergent for every quart of water into the steam cleaner.
• Heat the steam cleaner by turning it on.
• Clean your carpet just like you always do with a steam cleaner.
• Keep an eye on the reservoir while cleaning. If the mixture reduces, refill it urgently.
• You are done by thoroughly cleaning your entire carpet with a steam cleaner in this way.

You can also put your laundry detergent in a regular carpet cleaner with water for carpet cleaning.

Benefits of Using Laundry Detergents for Carpet Cleaning

Using laundry detergents for carpet cleaning is a common practice in many houses and even at commercial cleaning stations. They are used extensively for the following reasons:

Reduce Cleaning Cost

The most important benefit of using laundry detergent for carpet cleaning is its affordability. Commercial carpet cleaning solutions are expensive and may be out of budget for many people. Laundry detergent is way more affordable than any carpet cleaner. So, to lower your carpet cleaning cost, you must use laundry detergent instead of any other commercial carpet cleaner.

Readily Available

Laundry detergent is available in every house. You don’t need to shop for it, especially as you do for carpet cleaners. It is readily available to everyone and thus saves your time browsing different stores and searching for carpet cleaning solutions.

Effective Cleaning

Laundry detergent not only saves your money and time in buying carpet cleaning solutions but also provides effective and thorough cleaning. “HS” high-efficiency laundry detergents effectively clean your carpet from stubborn stains and heavy dirt accumulations. It’s better to use “HS” laundry detergent for carpet cleaning as it produces less foam and perfectly cleans the carpet. Moreover, less foam production makes it easier to rinse it from the carpet with less water.

Carpet Smells Fresh and Clean

Lastly, laundry detergents have a fresh and soothing smell. When you use your laundry detergent for carpet cleaning, your entire room will smell fresh and clean due to the fragrance coming out from your carpet.

Final Verdict

Laundry detergents can be used for carpet cleaning. You can mix them in any carpet cleaning solution or also use them directly to clean your carpets. They are affordable, effective, and easily available. Liquid detergents are preferred instead of powdered detergents for this purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can you use powder laundry detergent in a carpet cleaner?

Some people use powder laundry detergent in a carpet cleaner, but I do not recommend using it. Powder laundry detergent may quick fix your carpet at the moment, but it will lead to weeks of irritation. The residues of powder laundry detergent could harm pets and children and may also ruin your carpet’s texture.

2. Can you use liquid laundry detergent in a carpet cleaner?

Using liquid laundry detergent in a carpet cleaner will boost the efficiency of the carpet cleaner itself. Liquid laundry detergent is not only cost-effective but also a powerful cleaning agent. You should definitely try your liquid detergent for carpet cleaning by mixing it with a carpet cleaner.

3. Can I use laundry detergent in my Bissell carpet cleaner?

Yes, it’s totally safe to use laundry detergent in any carpet cleaner. Bissell is designed to work with any laundry detergent besides commercial carpet cleaning solutions. You better add liquid laundry detergent to Bissell carpet cleaner for better results.

4. Can you use laundry detergent in a hoover carpet cleaner?

Yes, you can use laundry detergent in a hoover carpet cleaner. It will be cost-effective and readily available to everyone. Despite using commercial cleaning solutions, you can put liquid laundry detergent into your hoover carpet cleaner.

5. Can I use tide in my Bissell carpet cleaner?

You can use tide or any other laundry detergent in the Bissell carpet cleaner. Please avoid using powder tide as its residues may clog your cleaner, which is also harmful to carpets. Using liquid tide detergent is perfectly fine in Bissell cleaner.