How to tackle carpet stain removal…
There’s all manner of stains that pose a threat to your pristine carpets. Here’s how you can tackle some of the most dreaded stains.
Red Wine Stain Removal
Let’s start with red wine – a tricky one for sure, but all is not lost – it can be removed, especially if you act quickly.
The first thing to do is arm yourself with a stash of absorbent paper towel and blot as much of the liquid away as possible. Don’t rub or scrub, or you will just make it worse.
Be patient and just keep blotting away until all the liquid is gone. You’ll be surprised how much of the stain fades with this task alone!
Next use cold water and a clean cloth to dab the area – go easy with the water if the carpet is wool .
There are three options from here as follows:
1. Apply stain remover to the dampened area, following the instructions.
2. Apply dry white wine or vodka to dilute the red wine.
3. Squirt a little dish soap on the stain, mixed with a small amount of hydrogen peroxide (we recommend 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 2 parts water). Please note that hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent, so avoid this option if your carpet is brightly of densely coloured.
Now keep dabbing with clean cloths, or more paper towel until there is no more transfer. Remember to avoid scrubbing or rubbing, as this will damage the pile of the carpet.
If there is still some residue of the stain, apply a liberal amount of baking soda to the stain and leave overnight to absorb, then vacuum it away the next morning.
Grease Stain Removal
Now let’s turn our attention to grease stains, which can ruin your carpets with unsightly patches that continue to attract grime and bacteria.
Before you get started, make sure you have everything you will need to hand as follows:
Vacuum cleaner
Roll of paper towel
Dish soap
Baking soda or talcum powder
Clean cloths
Soft scrubbing brush
Ammonia solution (diluted 1tspn to one quarter cup of water)
Most stains call for cold water to avoid ‘setting’ the stain, but grease stains are the exception – you need hot, soapy water to dissolve the grease.
Dampen the stain with a cloth and your hot soapy water, then lift as much as possible by blotting with your paper towels.
Sprinkle liberally with baking soda, or talcum powder, and leave for an hour or two.
Then vacuum the residue before repeating the hot soapy water and paper towel stage.
You should now find the stain is significantly reduced. Time to blot gently with a cloth dipped in your ammonia solution, taking care not to overly soak the area, and using a blotting motion rather than rubbing.
Now, using your brush, work very lightly to avoid damaging the pile to brush any excess greasy residue before giving the stain a final rinse with clean water – blotting one more time until it is touch dry.
Tea and Coffee Stain Removal
Possibly the most common spills in most households, with potential for damage due to tannin stains. For this you are going to need an acidic stain remover, however if your tea or coffee contained milk, a protein stain spotter will be required.
Don’t use bleach in this instance, as the amount required to shift the tannin stains will damage your carpet.
If you catch the stain while it’s still wet, you may be able to lift the stain, but if it has dried in, you are probably going to need to get professionals on the case. Similarly, if your carpet is made from natural fibres, it’s probably safer to leave it to the professionals, whether the stain is wet or dry.
So, assuming your carpet is synthetic, and your stain is not dry, try the following:
First use the same two steps as above, rinsing with cool water and blotting with paper towel. If your spill contained milk, now is the time to apply a protein stain spotter and rinse before moving on to the next stage.
A good DIY acidic remover is cleaning vinegar or lemon juice and water solution. Apply this to stain with a soft cloth and blot away with your paper towel. You may need to repeat a few times before the stain lifts, then rinse with look water and blot dry.
If in doubt, or if your DIY methods don’t shift stubborn stains, you may need to call in professional carpet cleaners, but if you are careful, you won’t do any harm and you may save yourself some cash!