My cousin in Denver swore by that 'magic' carpet cleaning powder from the Instagram ads, but after using it for a month, my beige rug now has permanent white streaks.

Has anyone else had a product completely ruin something instead of fixing it?

3 comments

3 Comments

That stuff is basically powdered bleach with fancy marketing, lol. Seen so many people wreck rugs with it. Honestly, most of those viral cleaning products are total garbage. You're better off with a basic carpet cleaner rental from the grocery store.

the_nancy5d ago

Actually used that exact product on a vintage wool rug last month and it came out perfect. The key is following the directions and doing a spot test first, which most people skip. Those rental machines can leave behind soap that attracts more dirt over time. Sometimes the newer stuff works better if you take a minute to learn how to use it right.

ivan_harris4d ago

My buddy tried one of those rental machines on his wife's family rug last year. He didn't rinse it well enough and @williamw75 is right about the soap attracting dirt. The thing looked worse a month later, all sticky and grimy. They ended up having to call a pro who said the leftover cleaner residue was the whole problem. Following the directions on the new products seems annoying but it's there for a reason. Watching that mess happen made me a believer in doing the spot test first every single time.