Carpet Cleaner Use FAQ

Believe it or not, a carpet cleaner can be used for much more than just cleaning carpets. It’s a super handy little formula that removes stains, scents, and just brings out the best in fabric. Today, we’re going to talk about what to use carpet cleaner on other than carpet, as well as what not to use it on. So can you use carpet cleaner on clothes?

Today’s Topics Include:

• Can You Use Carpet Cleaner on Clothes?
• Can You Use Carpet Cleaner on a Mattress?
• Will Carpet Cleaners Harm Cloth?
• Can Resolve Carpet Cleaner Be Used on Upholstery?

There are a few caveats to keep in mind, so don’t run off quite yet. Let’s get those questions answered, and then we can call it a day, yeah?

Carpet Cleaner Uses

As I briefly mentioned above, a carpet cleaner can be used on a number of various surfaces. You’ll find guides all over the internet instructing you to use it to clean so many different things. The thing is, most of them miss one important factor – not all carpet cleaners are created equally! So let’s discuss that for a second and then we can go our separate ways.

Can You Use Carpet Cleaner on Clothes?

Yes! In fact, most carpet cleaners are so effective that I’ve started to use them to treat stains in most cases. Keep in mind that some cleaners will have chemicals that can bleach various types of dyed clothing, so be sure to test it on a discreet spot, just in case.

I’ve found that a spray bottle and roughly five minutes tends to do the trick, especially for super tough stains that just won’t come out. Things like rust, oil, and pet bio stains all come out super quickly with carpet cleaner and generally remove any leftover scents, which is a big bonus.

Can You Use Carpet Cleaner on a Mattress?

Once again, yes! In fact, I generally use carpet cleaner as one of the first steps when washing my mattress – and yes, that is something you should be doing regularly. The general consensus is that you should clean your mattress twice a year. As such, using a carpet cleaner to steam and sanitize (as well as remove scents and stains) is a great first step.

When followed with a hefty helping of baking soda, a steam clean and vacuuming, and some time, you’ll find that carpet cleaner actually removes stains in mattresses better than just about anything else!

The funny thing is that carpet cleaner actually works for a number of stains, such as:

• Upholstery: Carpet cleaner is fantastic for detailing the interior of your car. Assuming, of course, that the cord can reach your driveway or garage. You’ll actually find that a number of professional cleaning services use a carpet cleaner for most cloth interiors – that’s how they get it so clean!
• Pet Beds: Just as you can use carpet cleaner on your bed, it’s great for pet beds, too. It removes stains, cuts out bad odours, and just generally works better than an average washing machine. Obviously, a carpet cleaner shouldn’t replace a wash cycle, but it’s a great first step.
• Furniture: Shampooing a couch is time-intensive and often kinda expensive. Do you know what isn’t? Carpet cleaner! (Assuming, that is, you have one.) If you’ve got stained cloth furniture, don’t hesitate to treat it with a carpet cleaner. Just (as always) give it a spot treatment first – some furniture is treated in a way that needs special cleaning.

Can Resolve Carpet Cleaner Be Used on Upholstery?

And this is where we get into specifics. While the answer is ultimately yes, this specific question gets asked so often that I felt it was time to devote a section to discussing just Resolve.

See, there’s a caveat here. Yes, you can use Resolve carpet cleaner to clean other things like upholstery, clothing, or mattresses – but guess what? Resolve makes an upholstery cleaner that is,

“Specially formulated to safely lift away dirt & odour from household fabrics like sofas, mattresses, drapes & more, without fading or discolouring when used as directed.”

And as I’ve mentioned numerous times in this article already, standard practise when cleaning non-carpet material with a carpet cleaner is what? That’s right – spot testing! Resolve upholstery cleaner is specifically designed to cut the risk of staining or discolouring, unlike its carpet cleaner.

So, if you need to clean upholstery (especially if it’s a common occurrence, maybe you have pets or kids, I don’t judge), I recommend that you opt for the specialised product. Carpet cleaner (Resolve or otherwise) will absolutely clean upholstery, but depending on the specific formula, it may stain or damage very particular types of cloth.

Will Carpet Cleaners Harm Cloth?

While there are a few exceptions to this question, for the most part, no – cloth won’t be harmed by carpet cleaners. I’ve mentioned this above, but it’s important to reiterat – always spot test first before beginning with a new cleaning product.

Some carpet cleaners contain things like hydrogen peroxide which, even in small amounts, can bleach dyed cloth. The same goes for upholstery, some synthetic forms of cloth used in office chairs and car upholstery, and leather (both faux and real). One would think this is clear, but I felt it was worth mentioning again just to be sure.

In short, if you use carpet cleaner after spot testing to ensure it won’t affect the surface you’re cleaning, you’ll be fine – just don’t forget.

Conclusion

Now that you know my secret formula, you’ll forever be cleaning like a pro – you’re welcome! Be sure to come back in the future for all of your household cleaning tips and tricks; we’re here all day, every day. And while you’re here, check out our other carpet cleaner article, discussing whether or not you can use various carpet cleaners in different cleaning machines.

Now get cleaning! You’ll be shocked at how easy it is – I promise.