How to Clean a Carpet on the Stairs without a Machine

Four Easy steps to follow with each item

Step1: Use the Broom

Using a broom is still an effective way to get rid of dust, dirt, and debris from any area in your home. It is best to have a broom with natural stiff bristles that is not too hard that it will damage your carpets. But also not too soft, that it does not do you much good either.

Give each step a quick sweep to get rid of the larger debris. But do remember, the correct way to brush the stairs is in one direction in short strokes and not back and forth.

Step2: Grab the brush and dustpan

The second step to how to clean a carpet on the stairs without a machine is to grab the carpet brush and dustpan. This is for collecting the finer debris that the broom did not catch.

Then start with the top step and work your way down to the last step. Brush the smaller debris like sand and dust particles into the dustpan. 

This step does need a little more effort than the first step with the broom. You need to make sure to get into the corners of each step to get rid of all the dust and dirt hiding away there.

Step3: Package Tape or Lint Rollers

This step is the step that answers your question, how to remove hair from the carpet without a vacuum? Take either the lint roller or packing tape to remove the hair from each step. This is usually done by rolling the lint roller over the step or wiping each step with the sticky side of the tape. 

This will pick up the hair easily and although it is not such a nice job to do. Especially if you have a lot of human hair or pet hair, it does get the job done.

Step 4: Warm water and some detergent or cleaning solution

The fourth and final step is how to wash a carpet without a machine. This is an important step because washing your carpet will not only help you to get your carpet back to its original color but will also help you to kill bacteria and deodorize your carpet. Leaving it looking and smelling fresh and clean.

For this step, you will need to prepare a bucket of warm water and the carpet cleaning detergent that you will use to wash the carpet with and a brush.

Check to make sure that the detergent you will be using is not too strong which will cause damage to your carpets. You can even make a homemade solution of your own with vinegar.  

Just add a quarter cup of distilled white vinegar to your full bucket of warm water and stir the solution well. Yes, this may leave your home smelling like vinegar while it is busy drying. But it is a great and cheap product that kills unwanted bacteria that are embedded in your carpet.

If you do not like the smell of vinegar, another homemade solution you could try would consist of the following ingredients:

• Liquid laundry detergent – you only need two tablespoons (30ml)
• All-purpose cleaner – 60ml or a quarter cup
• A tub of Oxiclean – a scoop
• Fabric softener – 5ml or a teaspoon
• A gallon of Hot Water

Mix all the measured ingredients together in a bucket well and it will be ready to wash your carpets with.

Once you have chosen the solution, then it is time to wash and scrub the carpet on each step with a brush. Dip the brush into the cleaning solution and shake off the excess water before applying it to the carpet. You do not want to wet the carpet too much as this will take a lot longer to dry.

A word of advice: It is best to perform this step at night when everyone in your home has gone to bed. This gives the carpets on your stairs a chance to dry during the night. 

Another thing to consider is that it is wise to test it on a small area of the carpet first before you wash the entire staircase with the solution. This is true especially if you have never used the carpet detergent or the homemade vinegar solution before on your carpeted stairs. 

A tip for getting rid of stubborn stains

A tip for getting rid of stubborn stains that works great and is not that expensive is baking soda. Lightly pour some baking soda onto the stain and spray it with a little bit of water and leave it for a couple of hours.

Do not attempt to scrub or rub it in any way, as this will only make it worse. Wait until it has completely dried then brush it up with the brush and dustpan.