I hate when it rains. What am I, a maid service?

 

I used to use this awesome carpet cleaner I’d buy in a vat from Costco. It smelled like mustard gas, like a chemical weapon, which I guess it basically was. It worked weapons-grade magic against my stains and I was a happy, albeit fume-y, camper.

 

But that was ages ago, and in the years since then I’ve been on a steady march toward totally natural, totally homemade cleaning products. I mean really, ? So far, I haven’t found it.

 

What I have found, however, is that when it comes to “green” cleaning, sometimes the technique is just as important as the ingredients. Case in point: vinegar as a carpet cleaner. It works, and it works really well, but you can’t just dump it on and wipe it up like it’s one of those industrial strength, neon blue, store-bought monsters. It takes a little more attention. A little finesse. And with much practice (thank you, dear doggie), I finally perfected the method. All you need is a spray bottle with a solution of half vinegar/half water, and a few old cleaning towels.

 

1. First, it’s important to get to the stain as soon as you possibly can. Whether it’s pet pee or muddy footprints or spilled wine, the longer it sits just means the harder it’ll be to get out. So make sure you get it while it’s still wet.

 

2. Lay the towel over the spill and firmly, using your fingertips or the heel of your palm, blot the liquid up. Do not rub the liquid in. Blot only, yes? That’s the “method” part of this whole tutorial. Blot.