As homeowners, we invest a lot of time and effort into keeping our carpets clean, so it can be frustrating when you get a stain on one of them. Many people don’t know how to clean carpet stains and end up using a generic chemical carpet cleaner, which might end up making things worse.
In this article, we are going to take a look at seven things that might end up on your carpet and show you how to remove common carpet stains quickly and easily:
Chocolate
If you have children at home (or, let’s face it, if you have a sweet tooth yourself), you’ve probably encountered a chocolate stain on the carpet at one time or another. Start by scraping away as much of the chocolate as possible with a dull knife and chilling the area with a plastic bag full of ice cubes to ensure the chocolate is hardened. Use a mixture of washing up liquid (¼ teaspoon) and warm water (250ml) and apply with a clean cloth, working from the outside in. Leave for ten minutes, and then blot clean with a dry cloth.
Ink
Ink is one of the worst liquids for staining any fabric, including carpets. So long as you notice the spill and can act right away, it needn’t pose too much of a problem. Start by dabbing the area with a clean cloth dipped in any liquid with a high alcohol content. Rubbing alcohol is ideal, but nail polish remover will do in a pinch. Let it stand for a couple of minutes, then either dab with a paper towel or use a wet floor vacuum cleaner to get rid of the moisture. If the stain persists, rinse with clean water and attempt the process again.
Blood
A big mistake most people make when cleaning up bloodstains is to use warm water. This only makes the stain stick more aggressively to the carpet fibres. Instead, apply cold water (or, even better, sparkling water) to the affected area and gently blot with a clean cloth.
Coffee
Blot the stain dry with a paper towel, then mix up a solution of 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide and 1 tablespoon of washing up liquid. Apply the solution to the stain, gently working it in. Rinse with clean water and blot with a clean cloth.
Mud
The key to removing mud from carpets is to let it dry completely first. Once it has, scrape off as much as you can and vacuum the affected area. A simple cleaning solution of washing up liquid, water, and white wine vinegar should be applied to the stain and allowed to settle in for a few minutes. After that, you can blot it clean with a cloth or paper towel.
Oil and fat
The most effective way to remove oil and fat-based stains is to sprinkle them with baking soda and let it sit for around six hours. As a natural alkaline, the baking soda will dissolve the grease and soak it up. Vacuum the powder from the affected area and clean up any remaining signs of staining with a cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol.
Red wine
There are loads of spurious household tips about what to do with a red wine stain. Some will tell you to splash some white wine on there; others will say salt, but the solution is even simpler than that. Simply pour on a little sparkling water and allow it to settle, loosening the stain as it does so. Then, blot the affected area with a clean cloth.
How to clean stains off carpets: final thoughts
While these handy hints will successfully eradicate most small spots and marks from your carpet, if the stain is particularly large or proving difficult to shift, you may need to call in the professionals. Here at Prince and Sons Services, we provide a full carpet cleaning solution for customers in our home county of Staffordshire and further afield. To see how we can help get your carpet looking as good as new, give the team a call on 01283 242626 or 07968 204999, or send an email to steveprince4@aol.com.
