How to Clean Sand Out of Carpet

Let’s get down to business. We all love the feeling of sand between our toes when we go to the beach to lay on the sand soaking up the rays of the sun. However the beach and the dunes is where it belongs. We all do our best to brush the sand down off our bodies before heading home, but the sand always makes it into our cars and into our homes. Trickling down between the fibers of our carpets. When this happens, it can seem like it can take forever to get rid of it. If you are unsure of how to rid your carpet of sand, here are some options of how to clean sand out of your carpet.

Vacuuming

This one seems obvious, doesn’t it? Well it’s not, sand has a tendency to stick to the fibers and sink down deep within the carpet. It is one of those things that no matter how much you lightly vacuum over the top, you walk back over it an hour or so later, it feels sandy again. The reason for this is because the sand gets embedded in the lowest level of the fibers and the movement makes it rise. When you start vacuuming, you want to make sure that you have all of the brushes down. This way you can be sure that the vacuum will get to the lowest levels of fibers. We’re used to running through the house with a vacuum, but with sand you need a different approach. Work the vacuum cleaner in circles, this moves the sand up and away from the bottom of the carpet and into the suction path. This method will take a lot longer than our usual sprint, but you won’t be feeling sand the next time you walk across it.

Brushing

Unfortunately, if you have a weak vacuum, vacuuming alone will not shift the sand, even with a brush based system. However, take a stiff bristled brush and brush the carpet vigorously. Make sure that the bristles aren’t too tough, otherwise you’ll find that you actually pull up the carpet with the brush. Avoid using a wire brush, look for a larger soft bristle one, such as one you would find with a dustpan. Move the brush in large circular motions and you’ll feel the sand begin to lift. Alternate between the brush and the vacuum, this way you will pull up more sand your carpet will feel fresh again in no time.

Carbonation Cleaning

Carbonation Cleaning is a high heat, low moisture method for cleaning carpets. This process injects microscopic bubbles and injects them deep within the fibers of your carpet which explode loosening the dirt particles from deep within the fibers and lifting them. This will make sure that it gets to the sand that has been ground in by excited feet in your home. The benefits of this method are that there is ultimately less moisture used and the carpet is not soaked. Disadvantages to this method are that it requires specific equipment. Usually meaning the need to hire an external firm to come and clean, costing you money. However, this method will be far quicker than the brush and vacuuming method. Be warned though, if you have a natural fiber or a wool carpet, this method can cause damage, so check with the hire company before you settle on renting this piece of equipment.

Vibration

This particular method sounds particularly odd, but it works. Take a household hand sander (excluding sand paper). Place sander on your carpet and turn on. The vibration from the sander will vibrate the sand particles to the surface of the carpet. You can then vacuum these loosened particles. This method seems effective, however can be very time consuming particularly if you are working with a fully carpeted room. Don’t let that deter you though, this is a very quick method to remove the sand and there is also limited chances of damaging the carpet, as there is no moisture. The only thing is that you may need to borrow or buy a sander if you don’t have one.

This method also works well with car mats as these can be removed and are a much smaller surface area.

Beating

Now some of us may have memories of either are parents or grandparents lifting the rug from the front room and hanging it over the line in the garden, or draping over a wall. As suggested this method involves beating the rug with either a broom or a beater. The purpose is to loosen dirt and grit imbedded deep within the fibers. This approach may not be practical on your carpet at home, as it can damage the flooring especially if you have wooden boards underneath. Reserve this for any rugs that you have in your home or entry mats.

Final Thoughts

One of the fastest ways to remove sand from carpet is by vibration or brushing it, to get that sand out of the bottom of the fibers. Thankfully there are a variety of ways to do this, however, do be prepared to take some time if you want to undertake these tasks. One of the best ways to reduce the amount of sand in your carpet, is to first reduce the amount you bring back from the beach with you!