Keeping up with household chores isn’t always easy. You might be on top of dusting your shelves and putting your laundry away, but there are plenty of other jobs around the house that don’t get done as often as they should. For example, when was the last time you cleaned the inside of your oven?
Another one of the jobs that doesn’t get done that often is deep cleaning your carpets and rugs. Running a vacuum over them once a week is pretty doable for most people, but for a proper clean, you need to get your hands on a carpet cleaner that often needs to be hired out from a professional company.
If you’ve ever hired a carpet shampooer, you’ll know they work by injecting a mixture of water and detergent deep into the carpet fibres to loosen trapped dirt, before a powerful vacuum motor sucks up the dirty water and solution from your carpets.
But you might also know that the machines can be very tricky to use. They often don’t get all the way down into the depths of our carpets, and they can sometimes be ineffective at sucking up the moisture – leaving you with damp and dirty carpets.
However, you can make these tools more effective by using one thing – a watermelon.
According to a cleaning fan on TikTok named Hailey, you can solve all your carpet shampooer problems with a watermelon. But before you cut up the fruit and rub it into your cream carpets, it’ll need to be whole for the trick to work.
You don’t actually need to use the watermelon as anything other than a weight. Simply resting the hefty fruit at the base of the shampooer can help the important parts of the appliance penetrate your carpets more effectively, giving you a deeper clean.
Showing off the bizarre trick in her video, she wrote: “It sucked up so much more water putting a watermelon on top!”
Since you’re not actually using the watermelon for anything other than its weight, any heavy object will do if you can’t get your hands on the fruit. Just make sure it isn’t too heavy, as you could risk breaking the machine.
Commenters on the post were thankful for Hailey’s trick. Many said carpet cleaning companies need to “fix” their appliances because everyone “has this struggle” when renting one out.
How to deep clean a carpet
1. Prepare the Area
- Remove furniture: Clear as much furniture as possible from the carpet.
- Vacuum thoroughly: Go over the carpet slowly to pick up dust, hair, and loose debris.
2. Treat Stains
- Spot-clean stains: Use a carpet stain remover or a mix of water and mild dish soap. Blot (don’t rub) stains with a clean cloth.
3. Choose Your Cleaning Method
Option A: Steam Cleaner/Carpet Shampooer:
- Rent or use a carpet cleaner: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Fill with hot water and cleaning solution: Use a carpet-safe detergent.
- Clean in sections: Move slowly, overlapping each pass.
- Extract as much water as possible: Go over the carpet again with just water to rinse, then extract.
Option B: Manual Deep Cleaning:
- Mix cleaning solution: Combine warm water with a small amount of dish soap or white vinegar.
- Scrub with a brush: Dip a soft-bristled brush or sponge in the solution and gently scrub the carpet.
- Blot excess moisture: Use clean towels to absorb as much water as possible.
4. Rinse (if needed)
- Rinse with clean water: Lightly spray or sponge with water, then blot to remove soap residue.
5. Dry the Carpet
- Ventilate the room: Open windows or use fans to speed up drying.
- Avoid walking on the carpet: Wait until it’s completely dry to prevent re-soiling.
