Carpet Stain Removal
Help for Those Difficult Stains
We have seen stains of just about every type on floors we’ve cleaned and treated. Since the kinds of stains can vary as much as the carpet, we thought we would give you some general advice for stain removal.
Depending on how new your carpet is, and what pre-stain treatment it already has had applied either by the manufacturer or by a professional carpet cleaning firm, it may be easier to remove stains.
In general, the following guidelines apply:
Remove as much solid matter as you can before doing anything else. This can be done with paper towels, a spoon or dull knife, whatever you have really. The main point is to remove as much material as you can. If it’s something like gum, try to freeze it with an ice cube first, then pull it out or break it apart to remove it.
When absorbing a spill, work from the edges of the stain towards the center. This will help to keep the stain from spreading. Always blot up spills with a clean white towel or white paper towels first, after removing any solid matter. Don’t use brushes or scrub the stain, as this may spread it and cause damage to the carpet fibers.
Use the correct and approved cleaning solution on the stain as recommended by the carpet manufacturer. Various cleaning solutions work on organic and non-organic materials so you may want to keep some of them at home for use should they be needed.
Be sure to follow instructions carefully. It may take some time to remove a stain and perhaps multiple treatments will be required. Stains can re-appear after cleaning because the fibers may lift the remaining stain up from the carpet backing and padding underneath. This is why it may take several cleanings to completely remove a deep stain.
The following list of items will also come in handy for spot removal. Again, check the manufacturer for specific instructions by stain type as to how to apply some of the materials below.
- White soft towels or white paper towels (to blot up spills and to lift solutions and stains)
- Spoon & Knife (used to lift solid materials off of a spill)
- Dish washing detergent (hand) that doesn’t contain lanolin or bleach and no additives
- Isopropyl rubbing alcohol
- Hydrogen peroxide
- White vinegar
- Clean spray bottle for applying detergent or other mix