Despite your best efforts at cleanliness, your carpet will eventually become the victim of drops, spills, accidents, and whatever's on the bottom of your shoes.
Without regular cleaning, your carpet’s can house dust, dirt, allergens, bacteria, grime, and everything else that catches a ride into your home on the bottom of your shoes. Here’s how we recommend you deal with stains and keep your carpets looking like new with professional carpet cleaning.
Blot Stains, Don't Rub Them
Always dab stains with a cleaning solution and a clean cloth, paper towel, or sponge; rubbing stains damages carpet fibers. Blotting uses light pressure to soak up stains and be sure to blot from the outside of the stain inward to avoid spreading it.
The Club Soda Process
You may have heard that club soda is effective against beer and wine stains. It's true—if you use it correctly.
Apply club soda to a clean cloth and blot the spot until gone. If that doesn’t work, mix 1-part white vinegar and 1-part water in a spray bottle, spray it on the stain, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Then press a clean sponge onto the area to soak up the solution and stain; repeat as needed. When the stain’s gone, rinse with warm water, and use your hand to brush the carpet strands into their natural direction. Finally, lay white paper towels over the area, and weigh them down with something heavy, like a phone book to absorb the dampness for about a day until the carpet dries.
Try Shaving Cream
The best carpet cleaner for general stains is ordinary shaving cream. It will remove just about every type of stain. Apply shaving cream to the stain, let it sit for 30 minutes, blot with a dry white cloth. Finish by spraying the area with 1-part vinegar mixed with 1-part water and then wiping away the solution with a cloth.
Freeze-Dried Gum
You step in chewing gum out on the street but don't realize it until you tracked that gross, sticky mess onto your carpet. Grab ice cubes to freeze the gum for about 30 seconds. When frozen solid, use a spoon to lift it, and then cut the carpet strands as close to the gum as possible; cutting a small amount shouldn’t be noticeable.
Dishwasher Detergent vs. Grease
The best method against difficult-to-clean grease stains is to use a drop or two of grease-cutting dishwashing detergent in a cup of water. It'll cut through the grease in the carpet just the way it does on your dishes. Add a drop or 2 of grease-fighting dish detergent to a cup of water in a spray bottle spray the stain, and blot; repeat as needed.
Heat Wax
Candle wax is usually easily removed by safely applying heat. Simply place a clean cloth over the wax that is embedded into the carpet and place a warm iron on top of the cloth to heat the wax. Then use a blunt knife or similar instrument to scrape off the wax. Only iron for 30-second increments to avoid burning the carpet, and only use white cloths or paper towels to avoid colour transfer.
Hydrogen Peroxide to the Rescue
Few carpet stains are as obvious as blood. But suffering a paper cut on your finger and getting a few drops on the carpet doesn't mean your shag is ruined.
First, loosen dried blood with water mixed with a mild detergent, and scrape off as much as you can. Apply hydrogen peroxide directly to the stain, which will immediately foam, dab the hydrogen peroxide with towels to remove the stain and dry the carpet.
Clean Pet Accidents Organically
Even well-trained pets can have an accident on the carpet. For deep cleaning a large pet urine stain blot the carpet with a damp towel to remove as much liquid as possible then blot with a dry towel. Use a mild detergent with the damp towel to help remove the odor and stain. If the stain is large and has soaked through the carpet and padding, professional carpet cleaning may be required and the padding may need to be replaced.
Candy Crushed
If you have kids in the house, it's only a matter of time before candy ends up in the carpet. Scrape with a butter knife, then use a sponge to apply water mixed with mild soap to remove all the sugar, then blot dry with a cloth or towel. It is important to get all of the sugar out of the area on the carpet. Failure to do so will result in that area attracting dirt and debris easily.
Deep-Clean Regularly
Professionally cleaning your carpet keeps it looking fresh and new. Steam cleaning uses a solution under pressure injected deep into the carpet to the backing, that’s then extracted, along with all dirt and debris. The water and steam penetrate carpet fibers, loosening embedded soil, and removing oil and grease deposits.
We hope these carpet stain removal tips work for you; we have successfully used them for years. If you need a professional carpet cleaning service contact us today.