Whether you’ve just spilled coffee on your beautiful new carpet or you’ve moved into a new house that has old, set in carpet stains, don’t lose hope yet. Some stains are pretty easy to clean up if caught in time, but others take a little more creativity. However, Trusted Cleaner even admits that there are those rare occasions when the only way to deal with a stain is to rearrange your furniture :) Once in a while, carpet stains just aren’t going to come up. But let’s hope these tips will help you out.
First of all, if you have a spill that can’t be tended to immediately, grab your salt and completely cover it. Salt will naturally absorb some of the moisture and color pigments that contribute to the formation of stains.
How to Get Coffee Stains Out
If it hasn’t had time to sit, dry and set in, start by blotting it with a clean absorbent towel, cloth or paper towel to absorb as much of the liquid as you can. Add a little liquid detergent (a mild one – not anything too strong) to a sponge and carefully rub in a circular motion.
If it’s an older stain that’s dried and set in, mix up a paste of water and baking soda. Rub it into the carpet, trying to completely cover each strand and let it dry. It shouldn’t take very long. Once it’s dry, use a brush to scrub it up and then vacuum up what’s left.
How to Get Red Wine out
This one’s easier than you probably think. And you probably don’t need to buy any expensive cleaning solutions. Simply mix hydrogen peroxide and Dawn dish soap. I see people recommending hydrogen peroxide all the time, but it rarely will work well on its own. You need to use both the peroxide and the dish soap. Apply to the carpet and let it soak for a little while (don’t drown your carpet, just enough to wet the carpet fibers). Then gently clean with a towel, rag or paper towel.
Note: You should test a small area to see how it will affect your carpet, especially if it’s a darker color since hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent.
Note: Another method I often see is to use white wine to remove red wine stains. Some people swear by it. I haven’t tried it. To me it only makes sense that you'd want to then remove the white wine from the carpet. It isn’t going to be as visible, but who knows what it could do to the carpet over time.
Wintry Mess – Tip for Getting Mud Out
When kids come stomping into the house with snowy, muddy, sludge-filled shoes it can stir panic in any parent. But if they do manage to drag it into the carpet, Parent Guide says to use every once of restraint to not go straight to work cleaning it. If you try to clean it while the mud is still wet and goopy, you can easily end up with a bigger mess. Instead, try to let it dry if possible.
Once it’s dry, use a toothbrush or soft-bristled cleaning brush to break up the dirt into pieces. Vacuum that up. Then using a mix of mild soap and water, gently clean what’s left with a sponge. Do so again with a sponge and water only (so you don’t end up with soap residue left behind) and blot with clean dry towel.
Wonder Worker for General Dried Stains (Not Pet Stains)
If you have old stains and aren’t exactly sure what they’re from, try this first. Sprinkle baking soda over the entire area that’s affected and then spray with vinegar until it starts getting nice and bubbly. Let it sit for half an hour or so then scrub it with a soft-bristled brush. If it’s gone, blot with clean dry towel. If not repeat. This one simple method works great most of the time – but not so much for pet stains.
Most stains can be removed from your carpet, If there’s a stain you’re struggling to remove, feel free to comment and I'll see if it’s something I can recreate (yes, gulp) and successfully remove and then update this post.
