My mum gave me this tip and it works so well cleaning our carpet that I thought I'd share:
1. Mix one tablespoon dish washing liquid and one tablespoon white vinegar with two cups of warm water.
2. Using a white cloth, sponge the stain with the detergent/vinegar solution and blot until all the liquid is absorbed.
3. Sponge off with cold water and blot dry.
These aren't my photos just ones someone else who has used this to clean theirs:
magical-carpet-cleaner
Here are some of my favourites:
To shine chrome sink fixtures that have a lime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar.
Make your own scouring cleanser
by combining 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 tablespoon liquid detergent.
Add just enough white distilled vinegar to give it a thick but creamy
texture.
Clean the microwave
by mixing 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a
microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave.
Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Wipe clean.
Clean the shelves and walls of the refrigerator with a half-and-half solution of water and white distilled vinegar.
Avoid the bad smell when you heat up a newly cleaned oven by using a sponge soaked in diluted white distilled vinegar for the final rinse.
For cloudy glassware, soak paper towels
or a cloth in full-strength white distilled vinegar and wrap around the
inside and outside of the glass. Let sit awhile before rinsing clean.
Get rid of lime deposits in a tea kettle
by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the water and letting it
sit overnight. If more drastic action is needed, boil full-strength
white distilled vinegar in the kettle a few minutes, let cool and rinse
with plain water.
For stained and smelly plastic food containers, wipe them with a cloth dampened with white distilled vinegar.
Remove odors from a lunch box by placing inside a slice of bread that has been soaked in white distilled vinegar. Leave overnight.
Remove ugly film in narrow-necked glass jars,
flower vases, and bottles by letting undiluted white distilled vinegar
sit in them for a few hours. Add a little rice or sand and shake
vigorously to loosen stubborn stains. Repeat if necessary.
Discourage ants
by spraying undiluted white distilled vinegar outside doorways and
windowsills, around appliances and wherever you find the pests coming
in.
Get rid of fruit flies by setting out a small dish of undiluted white distilled vinegar.
Clean the wheel of a can opener using white distilled vinegar and an old toothbrush.
Remove the smell of spoiled food from a refrigerator
by first rinsing the area with soap and water. Spray surfaces with
full-strength white distilled vinegar and wipe them down with a damp
cloth or sponge. Fill some containers with baking soda and place inside.
Close the door and leave for a few days.
To remove a label, decal, or price tag, cover with a cloth soaked in white distilled vinegar. Leave the cloth on overnight and the label should slide off.
Get rid of calcium deposits on faucets
by soaking a cloth or paper towel in white distilled vinegar and
wrapping the area tightly. Let this sit for a couple of hours or
overnight.
To remove grime, mildew, and scum from the tub, tile, shower curtain or door, wipe with undiluted white distilled vinegar. Rinse with water.
Mix up an inexpensive tile cleaner by adding 1/2 cup baking soda, 1 cup white distilled vinegar, and 1 cup ammonia to a gallon of warm water.
Get rid of stubborn bathtub film by wiping it with white distilled vinegar and then scouring with baking soda.
For an economical and environmentally friendly floor cleaner,
mix a solution of 3 drops dishwashing liquid to 1/3 part white
distilled vinegar, 1/3 part alcohol, and 1/3 part water. Spray sparingly
and mop for a fast clean-up.
Some carpet stains can be removed
with a paste of 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and 1/4 cup salt
or baking soda. Rub into the carpet stain and let dry. Vacuum up the
residue the next day. (Always test on an out-of-sight part of the carpet
first).
Create your own window cleaning solution by combining 1/2 cup non-sudsy ammonia, 1 cup white distilled vinegar, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a gallon of water.
To remove paint from windows
try using undiluted, hot white distilled vinegar. Give the solution
time to soften the paint before removing with a razor edge tool.
Clean woodwork and walls with
a mixture of 1 cup white distilled vinegar, 1 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup
ammonia and 1 gallon warm water. Wipe on with a sponge or damp—not
wet—towel.
Remove white water rings from wood with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and vegetable oil. Rub with the grain.
Remove fireplace soot and grime with undiluted white distilled vinegar. Use a brush to scrub and a towel to blot up the wetness and dirt.
Remove the smell of a dead mouse
or other rodent (after removing all animal remnants) by wiping down the
area with either white distilled vinegar or bleach. Then place a fabric
softener sheet in the area to remove any lingering odors.
Before painting old concrete, clean with full-strength white distilled vinegar. Let it air dry.
Clean hardened paint brushes
by simmering them in a pot with white distilled vinegar. Soak them
first for an hour before bringing the white distilled vinegar to a
simmer. Drain and rinse clean.
Clean your grill by spritzing white distilled vinegar over wadded up aluminum foil and scrubbing the grill vigorously with it.
To remove film in glass baby bottles, fill with equal parts hot water and white distilled vinegar. Let sit for at least an hour. Scrub with a bottle brush.
Clean scissors that have become sticky (after cutting tape, for instance) with a cloth dipped in undiluted white distilled vinegar.
