Carpet Cleaning and Stain Removal Guide

Home Carpet Cleaning Carpet Stain Removal Guide

The short lesson on how to get out carpet stains: act fast. Most carpets today come with stain-resistant treatments, so spills can be removed if you get them right away. The longer you delay, the more difficult removing carpet stains becomes. And there are no stain-proof carpets (yet).

Spot Cleaning Carpets

Carpet cleaners will tell you that "spots" are removable, while stains are permanent. We will not stick to the technical definitions, and in any case, the appearance of carpet stains can be improved even when the stain cannot be fully removed.

Follow these guidelines:

1. Blot liquids, don't rub them in! Use a clean white cotton cloth or plain white paper towels. Once you have removed the liquid, rinse the spot with water and blot again until dry. Repeat if necessary to remove more of the stain, but don't scrub the area, or you may damage the carpet and set the stain in more permanently.

2. For semi-solids, such as peanut butter, pudding and such, scrape and lift gently with a spoon. Rinse the remaining spill out and blot dry.

3. Dried solids should be broken up and vacuumed. Repeat until it is all gone, then rinse with water and blot dry.

4. Whenever you are not sure how to get out carpet stains, try water first. If you need something more, go to the page on Carpet Stain Removers.

5. When using a cleaning solvent, apply it to a cloth first, then work it in from the outside of the stain to the center, so you don't spread the spot. The procedure is to apply the cleaner, extract (blot), rinse, extract, and repeat until you can't get out more of the stain. Always extract solvents completely, and dry the carpet quickly when you are done. If there is any stain remaining deeper down in the carpet, quick drying prevents it from wicking up to the surface.

A Carpet Stain Removal Secret

One of the most useful tools for removing carpet stains is a shop-vac. With a wet/dry vacuum cleaner you can quickly suck up spills, but more importantly, you can repeatedly flush the area with water and suck it out. This is much more efficient than blotting with a cloth, and less likely to cause damage to the carpet.

Acids

The short lesson on how to clean carpet stains that are acidic: act fast! Battery acids, in particular, can cause serious damage to carpet. So can the acids found in some tile-cleaning compounds and drain cleaners. As soon as you see the spill (before it is a stain), get water and flush the area. Extract the water (blot it up or use a shop-vac), then flush the area again. Repeat the process several times. How quickly you move to clean these types of carpet stains is crucial to success. You need to wash away and dilute the acid before it damages the carpet.

Neutralize Acidic Carpet Stains

After cleaning the carpet with water, prepare a solution of one tablespoon baking soda mixed with a quart of warm water. Apply this to the area with a sponge or cloth. This will neutralize any remaining acid. Then you can rinse the area again, extract the water, and dry the carpet quickly. Leave a fan blowing on it if you can.

Blood Stain Removal

The short lesson on blood stain removal: act fast. Most carpets today come with stain-resistant treatments, so even blood can be removed if you get it right away. The longer you delay, the more difficult removing any carpet stains becomes, and there are no stain-proof carpets (yet). With blood, the process of coagulation makes it especially hard to get the stain out if it is old.

Blood Stain Removal Step-By-Step

1. Rinse and extract the blood with cold water. Use just a little at a time, so you don't spread the stain. Hot water will set the stain, possibly making it permanent, so use only cold water. Just add water, then blot it up with a clean white cloth or white paper towels. Alternately, you can suck the solution out with a shop-vac, which means less of a chance of spreading the stain.

2. Try to remove the remaining stain with a solution of a few drops of Dawn dish washing detergent in a cup of cold water. Work it into the blood stain, but be careful not to spread the stain or rub so hard that you damage the carpet fibers. Damaged fibers hold stains.

3. Repeat as many times as is necessary, or until there is no more transfer of the stain from the carpet to the cloth or paper towels. Blot up excess water when you are done.

4. If you have a fan, leave the fan blowing on the area to dry it quickly. Otherwise set a stack of paper towels (white) on the stained area, or a couple clean white cotton cloths, and put something heavy on

them. Leave this to blot up the remaining liquid, replacing the cloth or paper towels if necessary. Fast drying assures you that any remaining stain deeper in the carpet doesn't "wick up" to the surface and become visible again.

Some people have reported that club soda can help remove blood stains, so if the above instructions don't work, you can try that. It is not easy to predict which stains will come out and which are permanent until you try. This is due to the various types of carpet fibers and other factors. Natural fibers are usually more difficult to remove stains from, for example. As with all stains, start with water first before trying other solvents for blood stain removal.

Light Burns

Repaired may not be the right word here, because with light carpet burns, you just need to make the damage disappear. To do this, you simply use a small pair of sharp scissors. Carefully clip off the blackened ends of the carpet fibers until no burn is visible. Then, if necessary, you can trim the tufts around the spot, shortening them slightly, so the remaining depression blends into the surrounding carpet.

If done right (and assuming the burn was minor), the damage will be invisible. If this doesn't work, you can try the method for repairing cigarette holes.

Repairing Cigarette Or Burn Holes In Carpet

Often a dropped cigarette will burn a neat little hole right to the bottom of the carpet fibers. You can improve the appearance of these holes by trimming away the burnt fibers, as described above. But you will still have a noticeable hole.

Now what you need, is to fill the hole with new fibers. If you have any left-over pieces from when the carpet was installed, you can use these. Otherwise, clip some fibers from some hidden spot which has the same carpet, like the corner of a closet, or behind a door. If you take just a small piece from several different locations, it will likely be entirely unnoticeable. Put a small gob of waterproof glue into the burn hole and, using tweezers, push the new carpet fibers into place until the hole is full. Cover the spot with a clean white cloth or paper towel and place something heavy on it. Let it dry for a few hours.

Afterwards you can trim the fibers if any are sticking up above the level of the surrounding carpet. If done well, the cigarette hole will now be invisible.

How To Remove Chewing Gum From Carpet

To remove chewing gum from carpet, get out your electric hair dryer. Heat the gum, being careful not to melt the carpet fibers. Use a piece of plastic wrap or a plastic bag to lift the softened gum away. Just allow it to stick to the plastic, then pull it up. This may get most of it.

Next, apply Extra Strength Ben Gay, or another muscle rub containing methyl salicylate. Use plastic again, or a rag to pull more gum out. Repeat if necessary. Once you completely remove the chewing gum from the carpet, clean the area with a mild detergent solution (a few drops of dish soap in a cup of warm water will work). Rinse with warm water and dry the area.

Using Commercial Carpet Stain Removers

Some common carpet stain removers will work to remove chewing gum from carpet. Goo Gone, in

particular, works fairly well. Pull out as much gum as you can, then heat what remains. Apply Goo Gone, using a brush or the edge of the cap to work it in and break up the gum. Pick it out a piece at a time. Patience is required. Repeat the process until you remove all the gum.

Be sure to thoroughly rinse the spot afterwards. Use a shop-vac if you can, or just rinse and blot with a white cotton cloth repeatedly. It is important not to leave any cleaning solvent in your carpet for too long, and to extract it completely.

If you cannot remove the chewing gum from the carpet using either of the two methods here, don't worry. A carpet cleaner with a truck-mount hot water extraction unit (a steam cleaner) can get it out easily

How To Remove Ink Stains From Carpet

You can remove ink stains from carpet using rubbing alcohol. It will work better if it is 90% isopropyl alcohol, but you can try the ones that are 70% if that's what's available. In either case, carpet ink stains will come out more easily if you catch them quickly.

First of all, don't pour rubbing alcohol on your carpet. Apply it to a white cotton cloth and dab the stain carefully, so you don't spread the ink. Suck it out after a few minutes using a shop-vac, or, if you use a cloth, blot carefully. Don't rub! Repeat the process until you remove the stains from the carpet, or until you get no more transfer to the cloth. In the latter case it may not be possible to remove the stain completely, although you can try a commercial cleaning solvent.

Always Rinse And Extract Carpet Stains

When you remove ink stains from carpet, or any other stains, using a solvent other than water, be sure to rinse the area and extract the water. Again, vacuuming out the water is quicker, and less likely to damage your carpet, but you can use a clean white cloth to blot the moisture out also. Rinse, extract, repeat.

Finally, dry the area quickly. There may still be some ink hiding deep in the fibers. Quick drying prevents this remaining ink from wicking up to he surface of the carpet where it can become visible again. Paper towels work well to get the moisture out, and a fan left blowing on the area will complete the process

Kool Aid And Other Red Stains In Carpet

It isn't always possible to remove Kool Aid stains from carpet. All "red stains" are difficult to get out, at best. The red coloring used in pop, candy, and other foods won't generally flush out with water. A shop-vac can suck some of it out if it is used quickly, before the spill enters the carpet fibers. To get out some or all of the remaining stain takes time.

First, you need Dawn dish washing detergent - the original blue type. Put five drops in two cups of warm water. Moisten a white cotton cloth with this solution and lay it over the stain. Place a clothes iron on it, set on "low". Leave this for fifteen minutes. Don't press down. The stain should begin to wick up into the cloth. You'll see red on the cloth. Fold it to a clean part or use a new cloth, and repeat the process.

How To Get A Urine Stain Out Of Carpet

To get a urine stain out of carpet, act quickly. Blot with paper towels or a clean white cotton cloth. If you can, suck it out with a shop-vac. Then, whether the stain is new or old, cat urine, dog urine, or pet urine of any kind, do the following:

1. Make a solution of 1/4 teaspoon liquid dish washing detergent in one cup of warm water. Don't use laundry detergent, automatic dish washing detergent, or dish soap with lanolin or bleach in it. Spray or carefully spread the solution over the area affected.

2. Extract the solution using a shop-vac, plain white paper towels, or a white cotton cloth. Rinse the area with warm water, extract, the apply the detergent solution again. Repeat as long as there is improvement in the pet stains.

3. Then apply a solution of two tablespoons ammonia in a cup of water. Rinse, extract, and repeat. Blot or use a shop-vac until most of the moisture is out.

4. Lightly apply a solution of one cup white vinegar in two cups of water. Rinse and extract.

5. Dry the carpet completely by putting a layer of white paper towels over the spot and weighing them down with something that wont stain if it gets wet. Change paper towels until the carpet is dry.

Urine Smell In Carpet

You can't always get a urine stain out of carpet, and the smell will let you know if this is the case. Urine varies according to the diet, age and type of pet. Cat urine is one of the worst for leaving a smell in your carpet. A pet store or your vet may be able to sell you an enzyme treatment that chemically breaks down the urine. For more on enzyme cleaners, see the page: Enzyme Cleaners For Cat Urine Odor. A professional carpet cleaner, with a hot water extraction unit, may be able to clean deeper than you can. In some cases, you will need to replace the carpet, the pad, and even seal the floorboards to prevent the odor from coming back.

How To Get Candle Wax Out Of Carpet

Yes, you can get candle wax out of carpet. It isn't always easy, but the wax itself can be removed with patience. The dyes in the wax are another issue, and getting those out depends on what's in the particular dye.

1. To begin with, scrape as much wax out of the carpet as you can, with a spoon. Then put an ice cube on the wax to freeze it. Leave it there for a minute. The wax should harden enough to break it up and get more of it out.

2. Now, to get the rest of the candle wax out of the carpet, put a clean brown paper bag over the spot, and place a clothes iron on it, set on low. The wax will liquefy and transfer to the paper. Apply a new paper bag as often as necessary until you get out all of the wax. This may take a little time.

3. If this doesn't get all of the wax out of the carpet, you can try rubbing alcohol. This may help with some of the staining from dyes in the wax as well. Using a white cloth or a plain white paper towel wetted with the alcohol, dab at the area. Repeat this with a fresh towel until you get no more transfer of wax or dyes to the towel.

4. Whichever method you use to get the candle wax out of the carpet, when you are done, rinse the area with clean water, blot up the excess, and dry the area quickly.

DATA SOURCE: HOWTOREMOVECARPETSTAINS.COM

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