Help with Cleaning Carpet Stains in Your Home

Help with Cleaning Carpet Stains in Your Home

Oops! Whether it be grape juice, a little present from Fido, or finger-paint artwork from your 3-year-old, it seems whatever is not supposed to get on the carpet always does.

Here are some tips on how to clean your carpets using products you can probably find around your house.

What You Should Know Before You Start

To remove a stain yourself, simply blot the spot and dry working from the outside in, rinse thoroughly with clean water, and then blot again.

Never scrub the carpet, or you risk ruining the carpet fibers or letting the spill soak through to the carpet pad.

For more specific advice, find your type of stain below.

Water-Soluble Stains on Your Carpets

Alcoholic beverages, berries, colas, excrement, food dyes, gravy, ice cream, jelly, milk, mud, washable ink, wet or latex paint are water soluble. 

Use a simple cleaning solution made up of 1/4 teaspoon of non-bleach detergent or white vinegar mixed with 32 ounces of water.

Test a section of the stain to ensure it is working before doing the full stain.

Some Water-Soluble Stains Need Special Attention

These are water soluble but have special challenges: blood, chocolate, coffee, mustard, tea, vomit or wine.

Try 1 tablespoon of ammonia mixed with 1 cup of water (but not on wool or wool-blend carpet; instead use mild detergent and water).

If that doesn’t work, you can try one part chlorine bleach to five parts water, but only on solution-dyed carpets, such as polypropylene. Bleach will harm other types of carpets; check with us if you are unsure what type of carpet you have.

In addition to these methods, there are several spot removers on the market. Test it out in an inconspicuous spot to make sure it doesn’t discolor your carpet.

If all that fails give us a call. 250-756-4109.