Carpet Cleaning 101: Tips for Removing Some of the Worst Carpet Stains

It has happened to the best of us: a rowdy dinner guest spills red wine, your daughter accidentally drops gum, your son gets a bloody nose - it's almost impossible to avoid getting stains on your carpet. It's not always convenient to just call a carpet cleaning service, but the quicker you take action and try to remove difficult stains, the easier it will be on the carpet cleaner when they do come. Read on to learn some top tips for removing some of the worst types of stains.

Red Wine

Grab a clean, thick towel and gently pat down the wine on the carpet. Make sure to turn the towel and blot with a new spot each time, and avoid rubbing the towel on the carpet or you'll smear the stain and make it even bigger. If there is still evidence of the red wine stain, pour some salt on the stain while it is still wet. The salt can help to absorb some of the wine as the stain dries, and can be vacuumed up before trying any other solutions. Once you have removed as much of the stain as possible, apply some unflavored club soda to the area with a clean sponge, then blot the stain while avoiding rubbing or scrubbing. Last but not least, if the stain is still there, create a detergent solution of 1 teaspoon shampoo or dish soap and 1 cup hydrogen peroxide. Blot the stain with this mixture, then blot dry with a clean towel.

Candle Wax or Gum

Don't try to remove candle wax or gum while it is at room temperature, you'll never get it off. First use an ice cube to harden the gum or candle wax, then chip or scrape it off with a non-serrated knife, being careful not to damage fibers.

Chocolate

First remove any excess chocolate with a non-serrated knife, being careful not to damage the carpet fibers. Next, try to absorb as much of the chocolate as possible with a clean towel while making sure to not increase the size of stain. To dissolve the fat in the chocolate, apply rubbing alcohol by laying a cloth over the stain and adding the rubbing alcohol through the cloth. Massage the stain through the cloth, and once the rubbing alcohol is thoroughly worked into the stain, remove the cloth. Next, blot the stain with a neutral detergent (as described for removing a red wine stain) then apply clean water with a damp cloth or white paper towels. Prepare a mixture of household ammonia with water in a 1:8 ratio (make sure and ventilate the room well while you are doing this). Dab the ammonia-water mixture on the spot and once again dab with clear water. Repeat these steps until the stain disappears.

Blood

Blood is definitely one of the most difficult stains to remove from carpets, rugs and clothes, but it's always easier to clean up fresh blood than a blood stain that has set for a while, so act fast. First you will need to saturate the blood stain with cold water (hot water can set the stain, making it permanent, so only use cold water). Apply just a little water at a time so you don't spread the stain and blot it up with a clean white cloth or white paper towels. Instead of using towels you can also suck the solution out with a shop-vac, which means less of a chance of spreading the stain. If this doesn't remove all of the blood, try adding some hydrogen peroxide, and letting it bubble for a few minutes before blotting it up. If all else fails, try a mixture of dish soap and water; work it into the blood stain, but be careful not to spread the stain, and then blot the area with a clean white cloth.

Ink

First saturate the ink stain with hair spray, and allow the area to fully dry. Next, mix together a solution of one part white vinegar and one part water, and pour it on the stain. Brush the stain lightly with a medium-bristle brush (like a toothbrush), being careful not to damage the carpet fibers. Blot out the stain with a clean white cloth, flood the area with water, and then blot again.

Quick Tips

Before you try to remove any type of stain, always test the cleaning solutions you will be using on an inconspicuous part of the carpet before using them on a large area. If you have just installed carpet in your home, there are usually a few squares and random pieces left over; it's a great idea to save a small square to use for testing. Obviously, if the cleaning solution bleaches or damages the test spot, you need to find a different method of cleaning out the stain.

When blotting a stain, use a white cloth rather than a colored one to prevent any dyes from coming off the towel onto the carpet. Be sure that the cloth is clean too, and always use a new part of the towel each time you blot. Always brush from the outer edges of the stain inward to prevent the stain from spreading into an unmanageable mess.

While these tips are great for quick stain removal, it's best to hire carpet cleaning services once a year or so to do an all over carpet cleaning. This will extend the life of your carpet, and ensure your carpet remains free of dust, dirt and allergens as well as stains.

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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC '-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN' 'http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd'><html><head><title>Articles Back Link | Carpet Cleaning 101: Tips for Removing Some of the Worst Carpet Stains</title></head><body><h3>Carpet Cleaning 101: Tips for Removing Some of the Worst Carpet Stains</h3><br><br> By: Sarah Simmons<br><br><p><p>It has happened to the best of us: a rowdy dinner guest spills red wine, your daughter accidentally drops gum, your son gets a bloody nose - it's almost impossible to avoid getting stains on your carpet. It's not always convenient to just call a carpet cleaning service, but the quicker you take action and try to remove difficult stains, the easier it will be on the carpet cleaner when they do come. Read on to learn some top tips for removing some of the worst types of stains.</P><p>Red Wine</P><p>Grab a clean, thick towel and gently pat down the wine on the carpet. Make sure to turn the towel and blot with a new spot each time, and avoid rubbing the towel on the carpet or you'll smear the stain and make it even bigger. If there is still evidence of the red wine stain, pour some salt on the stain while it is still wet. The salt can help to absorb some of the wine as the stain dries, and can be vacuumed up before trying any other solutions. Once you have removed as much of the stain as possible, apply some unflavored club soda to the area with a clean sponge, then blot the stain while avoiding rubbing or scrubbing. Last but not least, if the stain is still there, create a detergent solution of 1 teaspoon shampoo or dish soap and 1 cup hydrogen peroxide. Blot the stain with this mixture, then blot dry with a clean towel.</P><p>Candle Wax or Gum</P><p>Don't try to remove candle wax or gum while it is at room temperature, you'll never get it off. First use an ice cube to harden the gum or candle wax, then chip or scrape it off with a non-serrated knife, being careful not to damage fibers.</P><p>Chocolate</P><p>First remove any excess chocolate with a non-serrated knife, being careful not to damage the carpet fibers. Next, try to absorb as much of the chocolate as possible with a clean towel while making sure to not increase the size of stain. To dissolve the fat in the chocolate, apply rubbing alcohol by laying a cloth over the stain and adding the rubbing alcohol through the cloth. Massage the stain through the cloth, and once the rubbing alcohol is thoroughly worked into the stain, remove the cloth. Next, blot the stain with a neutral detergent (as described for removing a red wine stain) then apply clean water with a damp cloth or white paper towels. Prepare a mixture of household ammonia with water in a 1:8 ratio (make sure and ventilate the room well while you are doing this). Dab the ammonia-water mixture on the spot and once again dab with clear water. Repeat these steps until the stain disappears.</P><p>Blood</P><p>Blood is definitely one of the most difficult stains to remove from carpets, rugs and clothes, but it's always easier to clean up fresh blood than a blood stain that has set for a while, so act fast. First you will need to saturate the blood stain with cold water (hot water can set the stain, making it permanent, so only use cold water). Apply just a little water at a time so you don't spread the stain and blot it up with a clean white cloth or white paper towels. Instead of using towels you can also suck the solution out with a shop-vac, which means less of a chance of spreading the stain. If this doesn't remove all of the blood, try adding some hydrogen peroxide, and letting it bubble for a few minutes before blotting it up. If all else fails, try a mixture of dish soap and water; work it into the blood stain, but be careful not to spread the stain, and then blot the area with a clean white cloth.</P><p>Ink</P><p>First saturate the ink stain with hair spray, and allow the area to fully dry. Next, mix together a solution of one part white vinegar and one part water, and pour it on the stain. Brush the stain lightly with a medium-bristle brush (like a toothbrush), being careful not to damage the carpet fibers. Blot out the stain with a clean white cloth, flood the area with water, and then blot again.</P><p>Quick Tips</P><p>Before you try to remove any type of stain, always test the cleaning solutions you will be using on an inconspicuous part of the carpet before using them on a large area. If you have just installed carpet in your home, there are usually a few squares and random pieces left over; it's a great idea to save a small square to use for testing. Obviously, if the cleaning solution bleaches or damages the test spot, you need to find a different method of cleaning out the stain.</P><p>When blotting a stain, use a white cloth rather than a colored one to prevent any dyes from coming off the towel onto the carpet. Be sure that the cloth is clean too, and always use a new part of the towel each time you blot. Always brush from the outer edges of the stain inward to prevent the stain from spreading into an unmanageable mess.</P><p>While these tips are great for quick stain removal, it's best to hire carpet cleaning services once a year or so to do an all over carpet cleaning. This will extend the life of your carpet, and ensure your carpet remains free of dust, dirt and allergens as well as stains.<br></P></p> <br><br> <b>Author Resource:-></b>  <br><br><b>Article From</b> <a href='http://www.articlesbacklink.com/'>Articles Back Link</a><br></body></html>