I used to have a carpet in my kids' room and I needed to throw it out because the kids got slime in it and I couldn't get it out. (Slime has since been banned from my house.) Too bad I didn't have these tips that a reader sent me or I might have been able to save the carpet!
Getting stains on your carpet is inevitable. You may accidentally spill your drink or drop your food. Then, you rush to rinse it off with water but still find a spot on your carpet. Just like that, your carpet is already stained.
Even without kids or pets, a carpet disaster can happen anytime. When this happens, a DIY solution to remove the stain is usually the first thing that comes to one’s mind.
The experts from No1 Carpet Cleaning Melbourne, a local carpet cleaning company based in Southern Victoria, share some easy-to-follow carpet stain removal tips that will make your carpet look spotless again.
Know your Carpet
Know your Carpet
Before you do anything on your carpet, know the kind of carpet fibers that make up your carpet.
Natural and synthetic fibers react differently to various mixtures and solutions. Or they may use the same solutions but differ in the way they are applied unto the carpet.
What works well on synthetic fibers may be harmful to the natural ones. Or it might go the other way around.
Make sure that you know what your carpet is made up of so that your DIY carpet care methods will not do more harm than good.
Homemade Cleaning Solutions
These homemade carpet cleaning solutions have the same ingredients for both synthetic and natural fibers. They would differ in the ingredients' ratio and their way of application unto the carpets.
For synthetic carpets, pour the the homemade cleaning solution into a white cloth. Then, dab the the cloth unto the stained area of the carpet to apply the solution. Meanwhile, for natural fiber carpets, place the the cleaning solution into spray bottles. Apply the solution by misting it lightly onto the stain.
Here are some mixtures for cleaning solutions for both synthetic and natural carpets:
Detergent Solution and Vinegar Solution
Use the detergent solution and vinegar solution to remove stains for carpets with synthetic or natural fibers.
Detergent Solution
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Solution for Synthetic Fiber Carpets: Quarter teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and a cup of warm water.
- Solution for Natural Fiber Carpets: A teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and a cup of lukewarm water.
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Solution for Synthetic Fiber Carpets: A cup of white vinegar and two cups of water.
- Solution for Natural Fiber Carpets: Quarter cup of white vinegar and a quarter cup of water.
These solutions can be used for carpets with either synthetic or natural fibers. They remove stains from different kinds of food and drinks like wine, chocolate, coffee, tea, beer, milk, juice, and soda. It can also remove stains from ketchup, tomato sauce, berries, and hard candies. Also, these solutions can also remove stains from dirt and mud that have stuck to the carpet’s fibers.
Solvent Solution
The solvent solution can be used to remove various stains on both synthetic and natural fiber carpets.
- Solvent solution for Both Synthetic and Natural Fiber Carpets: Oil solvent or a non-acetone nail polish remover
Stains from greasy and oily food like butter, cheese, salad dressing, and cooking oil can be removed by this solution.
Also, stains from non-food items like crayon, marker, ink, lotion, mascara, lipstick, and nail polish stains can be cleared using the solvent solution.
Test Your Solutions First
Before trying any of these homemade cleaning solutions and carpet stain removers, it is important to test your solution first to check how it will react on your carpet.
Some solutions can damage the carpet’s fibers or affect its color. So, just to be sure that you’ll not add another stain to what has just accidentally been on your carpet recently, do a little patch test. Put a small amount of the solution on the corner part of your carpet and see if there will be some noticeable color fading or other damage.
Act Quickly
If you spill a few drops of your wine unto your carpet, you don’t finish the entire glass before you clean it up. It is crucial to always treat stains right away. Waiting for a few minutes will make whatever it is that came in contact with your carpet be absorbed into the carpet’s fibers. Thus, making them difficult to remove.
Before applying any cleaning or stain removal solution, make sure to blot off as much of the stain as you can with a clean, dry towel or cloth. Don’t wipe or rub it off vigorously as it will only push the stain to get deeper into the carpet.
Know When to Stop
Knowing some of these tips and making it work will help you save hundreds of dollars. However, when you see that the stain’s not coming out or if something else is happening aside from removing the stain on your carpet, like discoloration, stop and call a professional cleaner.
Professional carpet cleaning companies are much more equipped to handle carpet issues like these. Aside from having the knowledge and proper tools for cleaning and stain removal, they also carry public liability insurance so you don’t need to worry if things suddenly go wrong.
Have you had issues with carpets? How did you end up cleaning them? Or did you end up paying a professional or tossing the carpet as I did?