Whitening a carpet can be done in a variety of ways. If you already have a white carpet, then a good deep clean will make your carpet appear much whiter by removing any dust and debris that may be found there.
If you want to change the colour of your carpet fibers instead then the carpet must first be bleached, followed by a dyeing agent to get the desired colour; which in this case is white.
Let’s take a look at how you can clean a lightly coloured carpet to make it appear whiter and how to bleach and dye a carpet to attain a white colour.
How to Quickly Make Your Carpet Whiter
If you have a lighter coloured carpet such as cream or beige then a quick clean can freshen your carpet almost instantly and make it appear much more white. The best way to clean a light carpet quickly at home is laid out below.
Begin By Vacuuming
A quick vacuum will remove any initial dirt and debris that may build up in your carpet. This should be done at least once per week or more depending on if you have animals or a larger family.
Remove Stains
Once you’ve vacuumed thoroughly you will have removed any loose dirt, but any stains will remain unaffected.
If you’re in a hurry and don’t want to go to the shop to pick up some cleaning supplies, then shaving cream can be used as a great alternative. Begin by identifying any stain and applying a generous amount of shaving cream to it.
Once you’ve applied the cream leave it to do its job for half an hour to an hour, and then remove the residue by blotting using a clean cloth or tea towel. This method should remove the most common stains you’re likely to find around the house, but if it doesn’t work you might have to consider going to a store and buying a professional stain removing product.
Apply Baking Soda
Everybody should know, or probably does know, about using baking soda on your carpet to freshen it up.
Baking soda acts like a sponge by not only removing odours but also by clinging to any remaining particles in your carpet after the initial vacuuming. Simply apply a generous amount of baking soda evenly to your carpet, leave for 15 minutes and vacuum it all away.
A second vacuum session will ensure you remove the vast majority of the dirt from your carpet which is crucial to make it look more white.
Neutralise Any Remaining Odours
Okay, this step doesn’t actually make your carpet whiter, but it seems rude not to include this after you’ve gone to all the effort of cleaning your beloved carpet.
Simply spraying your carpet with a decent carpet deodoriser spray will finish off the job and make your carpet not only look the part but smell great too.
How To Dye A Carpet To Make It Whiter
If your carpet isn’t a lighter colour to begin with then, you may need to consider dyeing it to make it white. This can drastically affect the appearance of your carpet, so only consider doing this if you are sure you want to change your carpet’s appearance completely.
This method will only work with nylon and wool carpets and can cause the fibers of the carpet to become damaged – Only use this method as a last resort.
Start By Bleaching Your Carpet
As before, make sure to vacuum your carpet thoroughly to remove any debris before you decide to bleach your carpet – this is crucial.
The typical method to bleach your carpet is to wash your carpet with chlorine bleach, but this can lead to significant damage. Let’s explore a different method using hydrogen peroxide, a much milder bleaching agent.
Using Hydrogen Peroxide
A 3% hydrogen peroxide mixture is commonly used to remove stains with little effect on removing colour from your carpet. For our case, we’ll need to pick up something slightly stronger, such as a 6% mixture.
Start by applying a small amount of the mixture to an area of your carpet and leave it to work for around 15 minutes. Afterwards, remove the residue using a towel, cloth or even steam vacuum and check if the colour has been removed.
Repeat this with a stronger or weaker solution depending on the result and work up to applying it to the entire carpet.
Don’t forget to take care when handling the solution, wear rubber gloves and ensure the room is well ventilated.
Apply The Dye
Once you’ve bleached your carpet to a point you’re happy with, it’s time to apply a dye to the carpet.
As there are hundreds of dyes available this part requires you to follow the instructions given for your particular dye. Make sure to select the right colour and double-check the fabric of your carpet to make sure that it is compatible with the dye.
Final Thoughts
The main thing to remember when whitening your carpet is whether you need to bleach your carpet or just freshen it up.
We always advise a deep clean before you attempt any bleaching, you might just shock yourself with the results.
