Okay, so I decided to tackle that stubborn patch on the old rug downstairs. You know the one, been there ages, nothing seemed to shift it. I figured I'd try combining a couple of things I had lying around.

First, I dug out the steam cleaner from the back of the cupboard. Had to dust it off, honestly. Filled it up with water, plugged it in, and waited for the little light to say it was ready. While it was heating up, I grabbed the vacuum cleaner, the trusty old one, not the fancy robot thing. Cleared the area around the spot, pushed the armchair back.

Then, the steaming part began. I went over the spot pretty thoroughly with the steam nozzle, getting it nice and damp. Held the steamer close to the fibers, really trying to let the heat penetrate. You could see the steam lifting some of the surface muck. I did this for a good few minutes, making sure the whole patch got a blast.

Didn't let it sit for too long, just maybe five or ten minutes while it was still warm and damp. Then I brought in the vacuum. This was the crucial bit, I reckoned. I switched the vacuum to its highest setting and went over the steamed area really slowly. Back and forth, side to side. The idea was to suck out both the dirty water the steam had loosened and the grime itself. I spent a fair bit of time on this, making multiple passes.

After vacuuming, I had a look. Honestly, it looked better. Not perfect, mind you, the shadow of the stain was still faintly there if you looked hard, but it was a massive improvement. The rug felt damp, obviously, so I opened a window and just let it air dry for the rest of the afternoon.

So, that was my process. A bit of heat, a bit of suction. It definitely did something. Better than just elbow grease this time. Worth remembering for the next tough spot, I guess.