Carpet Stains? Easy Removal Tips

We’ve all been there; meticulously navigating your cup of coffee or glass of wine to the safety of the coaster or coffee table, only to lose focus for one second and the majority of the contents ending up on your beloved, once-spotless carpet. We often run to the sink for a damp cloth to remove the stain as quickly as possible, but what exactly should you be cleaning the stain with?

It’s going to happen at some point during your carpet’s lifespan, so knowing just how to eradicate stains caused by certain products will be extremely useful if you want to maintain a new-looking carpet. There’s one thing that’s important to removing all times of stains, and that’s time! Cleaning up the stain quickly as possible with maximise your chances of removing the stain completely.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common types of carpet stains and hopefully you’ll find a solution to getting back your stain free carpet.

Important

Before you get to work with the elbow grease, there’s a couple of important things you should remember if you don’t want to make even more of a mess on your carpet. Different carpets will react differently to types of cleaner and detergent, so carrying out a spot test on a small, hidden area of the carpet will ensure the product is safe to use on your carpet. It’s very easy to grab the strongest carpet cleaner available before realising it’s washed away the colour of your carpet too. Start with just water; if the stain comes out – BINGO! If not, move onto weak detergents and increase the strength if the stain refuses to budge.

Dirt

If you have carpet laid near a doorway, chances are there will be some dirt stains from visitors not removing their shoes. This type of stain should be treat a little differently to liquid stains, and it would only make matters worse if you were to use water on them straight away. Instead, wait for the area to completely dry and then use your hoover to pick all the main clumps up first. Next mix one tablespoon of non-bio washing powder with one cup of warm water and blot the stain with a cloth – don’t wipe! Rinse and repeat with clean water and finish with just cold water. Allow to dry and the hoover over the spot to re-align the carpet fibers.

Coffee

One of the most common carpet stains is actually relatively easy to remove. Use a clean towel to blot the area dry as much as you can – grab a dry towel once the first one if damp to avoid spreading the stain. Mix a small amount of washing up liquid with warm water and use a sponge to blot the affected area. Blot it again with a clean, dry towel. Now repeat the process but replace the washing up liquid with white vinegar. Again, use a clean towel to blot the area and repeat for a final time with just clean water and allow the area to dry after blotting.

Vomit

Although it’s not nice to think about, if you have young children or pets in your home then the chances are you’re going to end up with sick on your carpet when they’re unwell at some point. If it’s not cleaned properly, even if it appears clean, it will likely leave a smell once the area is dried. Start by picking up any excess from the surface and then soak the area with some soda water – letting it soak into the stain for a minute or two. Blot – there’s that word again – the area with a dry towel and then mix a solution of biological washing powder and cold water. The enzymes in the washing powder help break down the proteins in the vomit. Once you’ve let it work it’s magic whilst you grab a coffee (be careful not to spill!), rinse the area again with cold water and blot dry.

Blood

Perhaps the most difficult stain to get rid of if not treated correctly; getting rid of blood stains is all about acting quickly. The trick is to only use cold water, as blood congeals when warm, mixed with washing up liquid and sprayed onto the spot. Use a paper towel to blot the area before rinsing the area with cold water. If there’s still sign of a stain, you can use Oxi-action, or similar stain remover not containing bleach, diluted with cold water and sprayed or poured onto the area. Finally, rise the area with cold water and blot dry.

Hopefully we’ve taught you valuable lessons when it comes to carpet stain removal. If you have a stain that we haven’t listed, it’s a pretty safe bet that you can follow the ‘blot, rinse and repeat’ method before moving onto harsher chemicals.