Can you use dish soap in a carpet cleaner?

Carpets are becoming an inevitable part of our life day by day, so are carpet stains. If you have kids or pets, you will know better how a dirty carpet feels. In a situation like this, everyone tends to search for a common question, Can you use dish soap in a carpet cleaner? And the internet offers an adequate amount of information in support of both the answers- YES and NO. So which one should you believe? Modern carpets are made of expensive and complex synthetics, fabrics with their own chemical properties. That’s why you want to be sure if it is being cared for the best.

Can you use dish soap in a carpet cleaner?

The simple answer to this question is No. You shouldn’t use dish soap in your carpet cleaner. You’ll get several suggestions about making dish soap solutions or using liquid soap. But there are some reasons behind not doing so.

Liquid soaps are generally used to remove dirt from surfaces. Similarly, dish soaps are effective at removing grease, food, and dirt from plates, cups, bowls, or pans. But in both cases, these are needed to be rinsed off entirely from the surface.

Washing machines or dishwashers have rinse functions which a carpet lacks. So when dish soap will be applied and not be extracted properly, it will leave residue on the carpet. The residues are generally sticky and act as a dirt magnet. The residue will attract further dirt in the future and create a more prominent stain. People often find worse stains in the place they applied dish wash before. That’s because the dish soap was not rinsed thoroughly.

The manufacturers recommend certain carpet cleaners. Even the professional carpet cleaners are cautious not to use soap residues on the carpet. Instead, they use some citric acid products to keep the carpet in a neutral position.

However, the most common stains found on carpets in every house are water-soluble. And fortunately, most of the water-soluble stains like- ice cream, food dye, washable ink can be cleaned with very little ‘solution’ made of dish soap. So in such case, if you run out of options, you can use the solution to clean the stains from your carpet.

Fill the machine’s tank with hot water, add ¼ cup white vinegar and add ½ tsp dish soap. Then spray it on desired places and wait for five to ten minutes. Use a clean cloth to clean it. Don’t try scrubbing as it may let it sit. The benefit of this cleaning solution is that it does not have any harsh chemicals. But before using the solution, test it in an unseen area to ensure it does not damage the fabric or color.

Conclusion

Natural carpets are very sensitive, and wool is easy to damage. The carpets made of nylon are the worst for acidic stains. Similarly, fibers of carpets are really hard to clean. As you can see, there are several types of carpets nowadays it’s hard to know which chemicals affect which way on your carpet. So, be careful before making a decision according to the internet suggestions.

Still, if you think Can you use dish soap in a carpet cleaner? We can say you can, but you should not. If you use dish soap in a carpet cleaner, it will leave sticky residues on the carpet. So, try not to use dish soap in a carpet cleaner.