DIY Carpet Cleaning - dry or wet?

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gzt

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#323104 26-Oct-2025 15:16

Wool carpet approx five years old. Mostly good but has some darker patches in a small high traffic area and an approx one meter square patch in the lounge that is flattened. It has underlay. Floor is concrete.

I'm reluctant to use a wet type cleaner because of drying time and horrible smell. I might feel better about doing that later in summer if it's the only way.

I'd consider calling Chem-Dry or a similar service but I suspect it will be arm+leg for the travel time for my area. Are there any reliable DIY dry methods to clean and revive the pile perhaps just in the problem areas, and a lighter touch elsewhere?

Goosey

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#3428118 27-Oct-2025 08:52

How far (travel), are we talking?

any neighbours need a carpet clean…you could possibly get the travel time down if say 2 jobs booked in same spray, same location?

farcus

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#3428258 27-Oct-2025 17:45

five years without a clean. It will be dirtier than you think.

I'd get the pros in to give it a good clean.
Jae's do a great clean - but it is a wet clean.

gzt

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#3428259 27-Oct-2025 17:51

five years without a clean. It will be dirtier than you think.

I've been noticing that after moving the furniture around. In the light of summer, seeing it for a while over the long weekend it's become blindingly obvious. The worst part is still rather small. If there are home cleaning methods that are effective I'll probably give those a go. We are a no shoes house. The rest will be relatively light work.

RunningMan

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#3428316 27-Oct-2025 20:37

Rug Doctor is a pretty easy to do DIY wet clean if there's a stockist near you.

Eva888

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#3428317 27-Oct-2025 20:38

Would love a no shoes house again but no one here listens to reason so have given up. When we lived in Canada and Sweden no one would dare walk into any house with outdoor shoes.

I’ve found that the spray carpet cleaner you buy at The Warehouse, I think it’s called Maxcare does a not bad job. Prepare a couple buckets with clean warm water and some old towels. Wipe over the area with a wrung out cloth using the warm water. Then spray on the cleaner. I then use the damp cloth to rub it in, if it’s a pile carpet can use a brush to massage. Leave it for half an hour. Then I rinse the cloth and wipe at the patch, rinse and repeat a few times pushing on to the carpet.

Then put a clean dry towel over the patch and stomp on it. Change to another dry towel and stomp again, do this to get as much moisture out. Lastly, fan heater on air, no heat. Obviously choose a dry windy day to do this so windows and doors can be open to assist drying. Do not use coloured cloths.

Hope it works for you.

Maybe consider putting a small light coloured washable mat over the cleaned area in future if it’s high traffic area that you turn onto.

eracode

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#3428323 27-Oct-2025 21:22

Another vote for Rug Doctor if it’s practicable. Works well, easy to do and economical. Often found at Woolworths supermarkets.

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#3428327 27-Oct-2025 22:03

I wet DIY clean tour carpet every year or so (one messy messy child), I just close up the house crank the wood burner up till the house is hot then flick the doors and windows open to dump the humid air outside. Works surprising well to accelerate the drying of the carpet.

k1w1k1d

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#3428329 27-Oct-2025 22:23

M10 have carpet cleaning machines that you can hire. We had good results cleaning a couple of lounge suites.

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#3428347 28-Oct-2025 03:04

A Rugdoctor or Bissel Big Green, which are available for hire at Woothwools, New World, Mitre10, The Warehouse, Bunnings etc - can give you pretty decent clean.

Compared to a professional clean from Chem Dry, JAE etc - the DIY option will leave more dirt, water and cleaning residue in the carpet

So it really comes down to how much you want to spend vs your time.

Jase2985

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#3428480 28-Oct-2025 15:18

the big green is better than a rug doctor as it not only cleans better (have used both close together), but you can go both ways with it.