This brief carpet stain removal guide will show you what to use in case of different stains. As a general rule, you should never scrub your carpet, because you risk to destroy the fibers. Spots should be cleaned by blotting them and dry working them from the outside in. Gently press a dry, clean cloth on the spot and try to remove the moisture. Then apply warm water and keep on blotting until the cloth comes out clean.
If you want to use one of the carpet stain removal solutions that are available on the market, test it out first on a less visible area, in order to make sure it doesn't cause any discoloration of your carpet.
After you make sure the detergent is safe for your carpet, apply it on the stain by following the instructions on the bottle. Let is act for several minutes, then remove it using paper towels.
Examples of water-soluble stains: alcoholic beverages, cola, food colorants, gravy, ice cream, milk, jelly, mud, pet excrement, washable ink.
In case of blood, chocolate, wine, mustard, coffee or tea, you can try one tablespoon of ammonia mixed into a cup of water. Beware, though, if you have a wool carpet, you shouldn't use ammonia.
For wax stains, there's a different procedure. You should let them harden completely, then use a flat iron and a newspaper page or a paper towel. Place the paper over the stain, then flat iron it carefully. After each passage of the iron, move the towel a little bit, so a clean area comes over the stain. You'll see that the wax comes off the carpet and sticks to the paper. If you are patient enough to repeat the operation multiple times, the stain will be removed completely.
Nail polish stains can be removed with a rag dipped in nail polish remover. Don't rub, just blot the area until the stain disappears.
Urine is quite a difficult one, mostly because of the odor. You should use paper towels to absorb as much as possible first. Then prepare a solution made from equal parts of white vinegar and water and blot it on the stain. At the end, you can try a solution made with a mild detergent or a special carpet cleaner and water. Rinse and blot until it dries.
It's best not to let the carpet wet for a very long time, because there's a chance it may develop mildew and bacteria. You could use fans or a dehumidifier in order to speed up the drying process.
When the carpet is dry, vacuum clean it, in order to restore the texture. This is the moment when you'll notice whether or not your cleaning attempts were successful.
The cleaning solution should have a pH of 10 or less. It's best not to pour it directly on the stain, but apply it to a cloth which you should then use to blot the stain. You should make sure you remove the detergent solution completely after cleaning, especially if you have small children and pets in the house. If it gets into their digestive system, they might get sick and cause you much more trouble than the stain itself.
Before attempting any cleaning, you should check whether or not your carpet has been treated with a stain resistant solution. If this is true, you should use specially formulated cleaning products, otherwise you'll ruin your carpet. Normal detergents aren't suitable for stain resistant carpets. If you use them, you risk voiding your warranty, so be very careful.
If you have a very expensive carpet and you aren't sure you can clean it yourself, it's better to call a professional cleaning service like Texas Professional Restoration and have them help you with carpet stain removal.
