Spills and stains are inevitable. Especially when you live in Paso Robles, a city famous for its wine, you will get to have a stained carpet every now and then.
However, being a homeowner, you should always be equipped with ways to tackle common carpet stains so that you can save your precious carpet from permanent staining and keep it in a spotless state.
8 Common Carpet Stains and How to Tackle Them
1. Wine Stains
To remove wine stains from your carpet, make a solution with two parts water and 1 part white vinegar. Spray the mix on the stain and let it sit for some time.
Then, dab the stain with a clean white cloth to absorb it. Keep spraying and dabbing until the whole stain vanishes.
2. Coffee Stains
To remove the coffee stains from the carpet, use a clean cloth and blot the spill from the carpet until it absorbs all the moisture. Then, take 2 tsp of dishwashing detergent, and mix it with 2 cups of warm water. Dip a cloth or a sponge in the solution and work it in the stain.
As the stain starts removing, clean the spot with a dry cloth. Wipe away any remaining soap with a damp cloth dipped in fresh water and let it air dry.
3. Chocolate stains
First, scrape the solid chocolate from the carpet with a dull knife or spoon. Freeze it by keeping an ice pack over it to harden it, making it easy to remove.
Then dip a soft brush in a mix of 1 cup of water and 1 tsp of dishwashing soap. Scrub the stain to work the solution in, and let it sit for a few minutes.
Then, blot the area twice with a damp cloth to remove the soapy remnants and let it dry.
4. Oily stains
Remove any remaining greasy solids from the carpet, if any. Then sprinkle a generous amount of cornstarch over the oil stain. Work the powder into it with a small toothbrush and let it absorb the oil for an hour.
When it dries up, vacuum the area and the oil stain will be gone.
5. Candle wax
To get melted wax out of the carpet, harden it with an ice bag and scrape the solid with a spoon. The remaining stain can be removed with a mix of dishwashing liquid and water after scrubbing with a brush and letting it sit for some time before blotting the stain away.
6. Nail polish stains
Test your carpet with a bit of acetone to check for any fading. If it’s fine, start scraping the stain first with a dull edge to remove excess nail polish from the carpet.
Then, add a few drops of acetone over the stain and quickly start blotting the area to remove as much as possible until it fully transfers to the cloth. Vacuum at last to lift the fibers.
7. Pet stains
Start by blotting as much of the stain as you can with a pile of paper towels. Then spray a mix of warm water and white vinegar in a 1:1 ratio. Work the solution into the carpet with a soft brush.
Blot the area later with a clean cloth and let it dry.
8. Blood stains
Blot the stain with a cloth and make a mix of 1 tsp of dishwashing liquid and 2 cups of cool water. Scrub the stain with a brush dipped in the solution and blot the loosening stain with a cloth.
Keep scrubbing and blotting until fully removed. Then, clean it with a cloth dipped in fresh water to remove soapy remains and blot dry the area.