TikTok's Clever Trick Makes Cleaning Carpeted Stairs A Breeze

Living in a two-story home can feel luxurious with all that extra space, but if your home has carpet, you know how challenging it can be to clean the stairs. Lugging a vacuum up and down the stairs is a workout in itself. However, using a vacuum doesn't always get the job done right. The vacuum's base won't fit directly on the stairs, so one side hangs off, and the other has wheels taking up most of the space. Instead of using a stair cleaner, TikTok user @anna_louisa_at_home showed her hack of using a washcloth and a pot lid to clean her carpeted stairs.

Using a pot lid prevents carrying a heavy cleaning vacuum up and down the stairs. The cleaning cloth is soaked in water, dish soap, and baking soda, which help clean stains and brighten up the carpet. This method works best for light surface cleaning; it won't help deep cleaning the carpets. You'll definitely still need to use steam cleaner at least annually to dig deep into the fibers, but a light sweep with a pot and lid can help keep your carpeted stairs looking fresh and clean the rest of the year.

Stairs have the highest foot traffic, so they're the easiest and fastest to get dirty. Luckily, cleaning the carpeted stairs doesn't have to be daunting with TikToker @Anna_Louisa_At_Home's hack. You'll need a cleaning towel, a pot lid, a bowl, water, baking soda, and dish soap. Choose a pot lid that will fit the stair from top to bottom.

Start by filling your bowl with two cups of water, one tablespoon of baking soda, and one tablespoon of dish soap. Mix the solution and soak your towel in the bowl for five seconds. Then, take out your towel, squeeze out excess liquid, and lay it on a flat surface. Place your lid in the center of the towel and tie the opposite ends through the handle. If your top has a knob, you can tie the ends with a rubber band. Once the ends are secured, move over to the stairs and work from the top to the bottom. Drag the pot lid in a zigzag manner along one step, then move down to the next, and so on. After five to six steps, soak your towel in the bowl again, retie the ends, and clean another few steps. Repeat the process until all of your steps are complete. Finally, allow your stairs to dry completely before using them.