I am just wondering in the 30's 40'5 and 50's how they cleaned carpets in there house. I know at some point the vacuum cleaner was invented but for actual carpet cleaning (with a carpet cleaner) how did they clean the carpet. I am not talking about spot cleaning either but all over carpet cleanings. Thankss
My great Aunt and great grandmother would sweep the floors well and then lay damp newspaper on the rug. I always thought it was weird but newspaper stuffed in sneakers take the odor out so maybe this was the purpose of the newspaper. If the rug could be put over the clothes line this was done and then beaten with a rug beater. You may have seen a rug beater in an antique shop and it is an heavy piece of wire mounted on a handle that would look like a tennis racket without the strings. A tennis racket could sub for a rug beater.
With a floor buffer and what we call carpet bonnets today.
Foam shampoo machines were invented in the 40's. I still use them, I have a few Electrolux dry foam machines. I like better than the hot water extractor machines. Most carpets prior were actually rugs and they took them outside and beat them. I don't know what they used to spot clean a rug. We were too poor to have any. I expect they used soap and water and a brush and towel.
They used brush as a carpet cleaner. I saw it once in the movie I forgot the tittle it was an epic movie. It is like a dog brush but the strands are different than the normal brush.
