Getting Stains Out of Carpet – What to Know

No two stains are alike so no one-stain removal technique will work for all stains. One thing that you should do, regardless of the cause for the stain, is that you should blot up as much as you can that is causing the stain as soon as it occurs. What cleaner you should use depends on the type of carpet material and type of stain. Carpet can be made of synthetic fibers like olefin or natural fibers like wool. When you know what type of carpet you have you could check the manufacture’s website to find information on getting stains out of carpet.

Stains that are soaked in

When a lot of liquid has pooled at the base of you carpet you may have wicking occur. This is when you thought that you have clearly cleaned the stain and only find that it reappears a day or so later. Even though you though you cleaned the stain only the surface of the carpet was cleaned. The liquid that remained in the carpet has worked its way back to the carpet fibers. This can cause discoloration to reappear. You can help to prevent this from happening by covering the area with many plain paper towels or using a thick clean cloth that is weighted down with a heavy object. This should be left overnight to give it time for the rest of the liquid to be absorbed. You can clean the carpet the next day.

Pet Stains

You can treat these stains with club soda or water first. Next, you would use a mix of water and mild detergent to clean the stain. If it has not been eliminated with this treatment, you can spray it with a water and ammonia solution of a half-cup water and a tablespoon of clean ammonia. Blot the stain with this mixture and then spray with a mixture of a fourth cup of vinegar and a cup of water. If it is a tough stain, you may need to use a cup of water mixed with a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide. Leave this mixture sit for thirty minutes before blotting it up.

Grease and Oil Stains

For these stains start with a solution of water and mild detergent and let sit for a few minutes. Blot to stain to remove as much of it as you can and then rinse out the detergent with a small amount of hot water. If the stain is still there use a clean cloth that has been dipped in rubbing alcohol or dry cleaning solvent to blot the stain. It is important that after each treatment you rinse the carpet.

If you are unsuccessful in cleaning stains from carpet, call a professional to clean the carpet and take care of the stain.

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