What’s the best carpet cleaning method to remove stains when they happen? Well, it depends on the type of stain.
This article will explain simple ways to remove the 10 most common types of stains using items you have around the house.
Best Carpet Cleaning Tips
Before getting into the details, you need to know some of the best practices for removing stains from your carpet.
Some stains need to be treated immediately before they dry, and some stains are easiest to remove after they dry.
In general, it is best to clean up food and drink stains before they dry or soak into the carpet.
For the most part, mud and wax stains are easiest to remove after they dry.
For most stains, you will simply need to blot the stain gently with a towel or sponge to remove the excess liquid.
Most stains should not be scrubbed. Scrubbing the stain can push the stain deeper into the carpet.
Make sure you rinse and dry your carpet well after cleaning up a stain. If you don’t rinse and dry it well, the residues will attract dirt and other debris to your freshly cleaned carpet.
You can use a hair dryer to dry the carpet.
You could also place a few paper towels and a heavy book on top of the wet spot until it dries to help prevent spots from wicking back up.
Now let’s learn the specifics on how to remove different types of stains from your carpet.
1. Coffee, Wine and Other Foods
For coffee, wine, beer, tomato sauce or ketchup stains, the best carpet cleaning tip I can give you is to clean up the stain immediately, before it dries. It’s usually easier to remove a fresh stain that just happened than a dried stain.
Here are a few of the most effective solutions. You can use one of these by itself or you can use them together. Try them one at a time.
I’m listing them all so you can use whichever agents you have on hand when the spill happens.
- Club soda. Club soda can remove stains effectively. If it doesn’t work for your stain, try one of the other methods.
- Shaving cream. Many people swear by shaving cream to remove all kinds of stains from their carpet. Just apply some to the stain, let it sit for about 30 minutes, and then blot it dry with a clean towel.
- White vinegar and water. This is an old standby. Just mix equal parts vinegar and lukewarm water in a spray bottle and spritz it on the stain liberally. Adding baking soda to this mixture can help if plain vinegar and water don’t do the trick.
- Dishwashing liquid and warm water. (The other option is plain old soap and water.)
2. Blood
The best carpet cleaning tip for removing blood is to use cold water, not warm water.
If the blood is dried, first moisten the spot with mild detergent and cold water. Then scrape as much of it off as you can with a butter knife.
If the blood is fresh, dab it very gently with a dry towel to soak up the excess blood.
Then apply hydrogen peroxide to the spot and dab it dry with a dry towel.
If the blood stain is still there, follow with mild detergent and cold water.
3. Vomit
The best carpet cleaning trick to get rid of the smell of vomit is to use baking soda.
Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the wet vomit, place a towel over it and let it dry for 24 hours.
As the baking soda dries, it will clump together. You can then vacuum the clumps up.
Next spray ordinary carpet cleaner on the spot and dab with a towel.
The baking soda not only soaks up the vomit, it also deodorizes your carpet.
4. Grease Stains
To remove grease stains, scrape off any solid grease on the carpet with a butter knife.
Then lay a paper towel on the stain. Press a hot iron over the paper towel for up to 30 seconds.
Next mix a squirt of dishwashing detergent with equal parts white vinegar and lukewarm water together in a spray bottle.
Spritz the stain with the mixture until it is wet, and then dab the liquid up with a sponge or towel.
5. Gum
To remove gum, apply ice to it until the gum freezes.
Once the gum is hard, scrape it with a knife or cut it off with scissors. If you cut it close enough, it will not be noticeable.
6. Candy or Mud
To remove mud or candy from your carpet, scrape it with a butter knife to remove the solid part.
Then use mild soap and warm water on a sponge to moisten the remaining particles. Dab it lightly.
For sugar, make sure the spot is not sticky before you finish, or the spot will attract dirt and debris later on.
7. Nail Polish or Makeup
Using clear acetone (nail polish remover) can dissolve nail polish stains on your carpet. Apply it to the stain, and then pat it gently or stroke it off. Do not scrub the stain.
8. Ink
To remove an ink stain, apply ethanol or alcohol to the stain and blot with tissue paper.
9. Paint
For water-based paint, apply hot water to the stain and let it soak for a while.
For other types of paint, such as oil-based paint, you can use turpentine. Then after you have removed the stain, use lemon juice or a grease-removing detergent with warm water to remove the oil residue.
10. Candle Wax
You can use a similar method to remove candle wax as the method used to remove grease stains.
Scrape off as much of the wax as you can with a butter knife.
Then put a white (not colored) towel on top of the stain and press a hot iron over the towel. Don’t apply the iron for more than 30 seconds, or it could burn the carpet.
Remove the towel and place a paper towel over the spot and again press the iron over it gently for less than 30 seconds.
Professional Cleanings
I hope these tips will help you clean up messes before they turn into stains on your carpet.
If you have pets, this post will teach you how to remove urine stains with ease.
If you have young kids at home, you may want to consider getting regular, professional cleanings.
A professional cleaning can remove older stains, and it can protect your kids from the dirt, microbes, and allergens that reside deep in your carpet.
Contact us to learn more about how All Star Steam Cleaning can keep your home safe, clean and beautiful.
