cleaning carpet stains

cleaning carpet stainsGetting carpet installed in your room wasn’t easy or cheap – on average, carpeting a 320 square foot room can cost $960 to $1,920 and as high as $8000 ($25 per square foot) for the more expensive types of carpets made of wool and such.  That’s why it can be so unsightly and uncomfortable to have stains on your precious carpet. If you are looking for tips on cleaning carpet stains so they can stop bothering you and making you feel embarrassed in front of your friends and guests, then keep on reading!

1. Speed Counts

In a lot of cases, you were probably present when the stain first happened, and maybe you ignored it or didn’t have time to fix it right away. Don’t ever do that again. No matter what’s going on around you, unless it’s an absolute emergency, you can ask others to wait a while, while you perform emergency measures on your carpet stain.

The easiest and fastest way to remove a stain is when it first happens. At that point, the stain hasn’t soaked through the fibers of the carpet completely and you can get it out without struggling with it too much.

So get down on those knees and start dabbing. Every second counts even more than you can imagine.

2. Remove the Solid Mess Using a Fork or Spoon

Is there a solid portion to the mess or stain? For example, are there fruits or other solid bits with the strawberry ice cream that fell on your white carpet (gasp!)? Well, use a fork or a spoon or some other device to remove those solid bits first.

You might be thinking that you don’t have time to worry about the solid bits while that red strawberry is soaking through your pristine white carpet, but it’ll be much easier for you to soak through, dab, and clean the liquid stain, once you have the solid mess out of the way.

Don’t skip this step and you will thank us later.

3. Always Start With Natural Stain Removers First

If you know anything about carpet stain removers, it’s that they can be extremely powerful (for a reason) and it’s always better to use them as a last resort. Always have natural cleaning items in your pantries like baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and white vinegar.

These three work remarkably well as stain removers and are safe for the entire family that probably rolls around on your carpet like it were their bed. You don’t want to worry about them inhaling or ingesting some hazardous chemical because you went overboard with your cleaning efforts.

No matter if your carpet is made of synthetic fibers or natural ones, you can always also use dish liquid and cool water safely on it, without worrying about ruining your carpet.

4. Tough Stains Require More Firepower

Only when you notice that the natural stain removers mentioned above aren’t working well enough or the stain is too set or strong for them, should you go on to chemical carpet stain removers that you can find in any retail or grocery store.

Always dab the stain gently with a paper towel or a dry cloth to soak up the liquid. Don’t press too hard here, because you don’t want the stain to soak into the deeper fibers of your carpet. It’s best if the stain stays surface level.

Then you can dampen the stain with a cloth soaked with warm water and grab your stain remover. Work the stain remover solution gently into the carpet. Never scrub, but always dab softly.

Always blot away any residues with a clean, damp cloth and dab the area dry with a dry cloth.

Of course, you might have a stain that’s still left behind even with all the things you’ve done. That’s when you need to hire a deep cleaning service like No More Chores to get the job done right. You don’t want to be stuck with an unsightly stain on your carpet forever.

5. Different Kinds of Stains Require Different Measures

You are not going to be using the same cleaning technique with red wine and coffee stains. Or with greasy or oily stains and urine stains (bad dog!).

That’s why the first point matters so much. As long as you can jump into action right away, you will be able to save your carpet from doom.

What exactly is your carpet stained with? Is it red wine or urine? As soon as you know, then you can google the aforementioned item and get the exact directions for removing that stain asap.

Let’s look at red wine stains as an example.

Step 1: Blot as much of the red wine stain as possible using a clean dry cloth.

Step 2: Hydrate the stain by pouring small amounts of cool water into the stain and keep blotting.

Step 3: Clean the stain using a mixture of baking soda and water (3:1), by working the paste into the stain using your fingers. Once the paste is dry, you can vacuum up the dried pieces. If the stain is still visible, repeat steps 2 and 3.

Step 4: Dry the area by using a dry clean cloth and remove any remaining moisture. Voila, you are done!

If Cleaning Carpet Stains Isn’t Your Thing, Call Us

It’s understandable. You are a busy person with lots on your plate. If you would rather be spending your precious free time with your family having delicious meals or going on trips to the cottage (Muskoka, anyone?), then leave cleaning carpet stains to us!

Here at No More Chores, we are passionate about cleaning, and we would be happy to take it all off your plate so you can enjoy your life even more. Contact us today to book a regular cleaning of your home or office every 2 weeks and hit the reset button on your life.