Carpet Stain Removal Guide

Carpet stain removal doesn't have to be a cause for panic or alarm. By preparing and educating yourself, you can reduce carpet stain removal to just another household chore.

Carpet Stain Removal Basics

Remember, try not to get flustered! Although it as import to start tackling the stain as quickly as possible, you'll do more harm than good by panicking. Keep these basic rules in mind:

• Never rub, scrub or use a circular motion when cleaning up a spill. These types of movements only drive the stain further into the carpet and may damage the carpet fibers. Gently blot using clean, white paper towel.
• Try any cleaning solutions on an inconspicuous area of the carpet to test for staining.
• Don't use hot water to remove stains. Use only warm or cold water to avoid setting the stain permanently into the carpet.
• When blotting, work from the edges toward the middle of the spill to avoid spreading the stain.

Your Carpet Stain Removal Toolkit

Consider creating a stain removal toolkit by gathering the following supplies and keeping them in a bucket or other container. Liquids can be kept in a clean jar or spray bottle.

• A roll of white paper towels
• Spoon and/or a rubber spatula
• Dishwashing solution - Mix ¼ teaspoon of dish detergent (lanolin and bleach free) with 1 quart of water.
• Ammonia solution - Mix 1 tablespoon of household ammonia with ½ cup of water.
• Isopropyl rubbing alcohol
• 3% hydrogen peroxide
• White vinegar solution - Mix 1/3 cup of white vinegar with 2/3 cups of water
• A heavy, non-staining object to use as a weight

General Stain Removal

For any stain, remove as much of the spilled material as possible. Solids should be scraped up with a spoon or spatula. Liquids should be blotted up with clean, white paper towel.

To remove greasy or oil-based stains, apply isopropyl rubbing alcohol to a paper towel and use it to blot up the stain. Continue until the paper towel comes up clean, changing to a new towel as needed. Be careful not to saturate the area, as the alcohol may damage the carpet backing. If the stain is still visible, treat the residue as a water-based stain.

To remove water-based stains, blot using a slightly damp paper towel. If the stain is being removed, continue this method until the area is clean.

If the stain is still visible, apply a small amount of the detergent solution to a paper towel and blot the stained area. If the stain is coming out, continue this procedure until the area is clean.

If the stain is still visible, apply a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to the stained area and allow it to sit for one hour. Blot the stained area with some clean paper towel. Repeat until the carpet is stain free.

When you've successfully removed the stain, rinse the area with plain water, being careful not to saturate the carpet. Apply several layers of paper towel over the cleaned area and weigh them down with a non-staining weight. Replace the paper towels if they become wet and repeat until the area is dry. Vacuum the dried area and brush the fibers until they stand upright.