It is a known fact that over time and with usage, carpets tend to experience a loss of color or discoloration. There are ways in which you can restore a carpet to pristine condition, but this may cost you some money. However, some people have been able to use bleach to restore the brightness and whiteness of their carpet. But, can you bleach a carpet to make it white? Here’s what you need to know.
Yes, you can bleach a carpet to make it white, provided that the carpet was already white to begin with. If you were to try to bleach carpets that are of a different color, it would create a discolored and stained appearance. Bleach will not completely remove pre-existing color, which is why it should only be used on a carpet that was white but is slightly discolored or faded.
Even then, I would caution you against jumping straight into using bleach to make a carpet white because there are other solutions that are available at your disposal.
For example, you could steam clean and shampoo a carpet to remove stains, dirt, and some discoloration.
In doing so, you can restore a carpet to its bright white appearance. If that doesn’t work, you could invest in a professional carpet cleaning service that may utilize special equipment and cleaning solutions to restore a white carpet.
If finances are tight and you really have no choice, then you can bleach a carpet to make it white, provided that it doesn’t have any elaborate designs or other colors.
How To Use Bleach On A Carpet
Before we get into the procedure or steps on how to bleach a carpet, I really want to caution you because there’s a lot of risk associated with bleaching material.
There’s a possibility of discoloration and damage occurring to the carpet, so you have to be extremely careful before proceeding.
As a rule of thumb, it is recommended to do a spot test on the carpet in a corner or concealed portion before applying bleach to the entire carpet. If you don’t notice any issues or if it doesn’t cause any damage, you may proceed to bleach the entire carpet.
With that being said, here are the instructions on how to bleach a carpet.
Step 1: Gather your resources
For this procedure, you will need the following items:
- Bleach.
- Water.
- Rubber gloves.
- Spray bottle.
- A sponge or white cloth.
- Ammonia.
- Absorbent paper or towel.
Be sure to opt for a good quality bleach that was designed for household use and contains sodium hypochlorite.
Given that bleach is quite potent, you will need rubber gloves to protect your hands, as well as ammonia if you need to neutralize the bleach.
To spread the mixture properly, you could use a spray bottle plus a sponge or white cloth to cover the carpet evenly.
Step 2: Prepare the carpet
Before you bleach, it is recommended to vacuum the carpet and remove as much dirt and dust as possible.
This will help the bleach work without causing patches or issues.
Also, remove any furniture from the carpet and lay plastic on the floor to avoid damage from the bleach if it happens to spill over.
Step 3: Prepare the bleach and apply it
You should never apply bleach directly to materials without diluting it.
This is why you should have clean water on hand. Usually, household bleach is sold with instructions on how to prepare the mixture for cleaning.
In a lot of cases, you would mix one part bleach with about five parts clean, cold water.
Apply a small amount to an area and allow it to sit for a few minutes before cleaning it off.
If you notice that the carpet appears white in that area without any damage to the carpet fibers, you may proceed to apply the mixture of bleach and water to the rest of the carpet.
Try not to scrub or apply too much pressure when spreading the bleach across the carpet to avoid any damage.
Once applied, allow the bleach to sit for a few minutes. Some people recommend waiting 10 minutes before rinsing the carpet, but you could wait for up to 15 minutes.
Step 4: Wash and neutralize the carpet
This is the point where you make use of the ammonia. Add approximately two tablespoons of ammonia to a gallon or more of water and mix together.
Use this mixture to rinse and wash the carpet until the bleach has been removed. Be careful with ammonia because it is a strong chemical. As such, it is advisable to use gloves while cleaning the carpet.
Once washed, blot the carpet to soak up as much of the water and ammonia as possible. If you want to wash it again with water, you can. But, afterwards, be sure to air dry the carpet before putting it to use.
Dangers Of Using Bleach On A Carpet
Damage and fraying
Due to the fact that bleach is a strong chemical, it has the ability to completely break down and damage carpet fibers.
What does this mean?
Well, once bleached, the carpet may look cleaner, but the actual texture and appearance may be compromised beyond repair. The fibers may appear frayed, weak, torn up, brittle, or weakened.
Upon touch, you may find that the carpet fiber has lost its luster and cushioning.
Discoloration
One of the main issues with bleach is that it can completely butcher the color of a carpet.
In fact, it can do this with any type of material. If there’s any other color on the carpet, there’s a strong chance that it will strip away some of that color and cause it to bleed into the rest of the carpet.
Then there’s the issue of causing deep color loss.
So, even if the carpet appears white again, it may look washed out and cheap.
Health risks
While applying bleach, there’s a possibility that it could cause some harm to your health, especially to your skin.
This is one of the reasons why it is strongly encouraged and recommended that people use protective clothing and gloves when working with harsh chemicals like bleach. Also, inhaling bleach isn’t the best thing for your health either.
So, it’s important to make sure that the carpet is washed properly afterwards and that you work with bleach in a well ventilated area.
Final Thoughts
Well, that brings us to the end of this article on whether or not you can bleach a carpet to make it white.
Evidently, in some cases, you can bleach a carpet to make it white, provided that the material used is compatible and strong enough for bleaching and that there isn’t any other color used on the carpet.
The carpet should have originally been white or a shade of white without any coloring used for the pattern or style.
You’d have to use a mixture of bleach and water that isn’t too potent or strong to avoid causing permanent color loss or damage to the carpet.
Once you’ve asserted that the bleach worked on a small spot and has made that area white, you can proceed to apply the mixture of bleach throughout the carpet.
Wait for the correct amount of time, and then wash the bleach off the carpet. Allow it to air dry for some time, and make sure not to walk on it while it’s still damp.
But, if you can, I would rather you visit a professional carpet cleaning service and inquire about what offers they have for color restoration or dying before you use bleach on a carpet.
With that being said, I hope you found this article to be helpful and insightful. If you’d like to learn more about cleaning the carpets in your home, check out some of the articles that I have carefully curated for you below.
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