Essential tips to remove a stain safely from your carpet
It may be best to read this whole article through just to see which section applies to your situation. This first list will give you an overview of general actions taken to remove nasty stains from a carpet. It does not guarantee their removal, but in many cases you may be lucky.
- The first point is stop worrying – Being calm about the situation is always best and will have your mind focused on the job ahead (or your husband’s job…).
- When dabbing at the stain with a paper towel or a cloth to apply the solvent on your carpet, do it gently in order to prevent the dirt from penetrating further.
- After using solvents or water to remove the stain, blot up the spot carefully. If the carpet is not dried properly, in fact, the moisture will produce bacteria that will compromise your carpet’s health.
- Opt for a vinegar solution to remove the stain from your carpet. By reducing the water pH, vinegar solutions are ideal to maintain the colour of your carpet.
- Remove the stain as soon as possible in order to make the removal easier.
- Follow our guideline steps to become aware of your carpet’s needs depending on the type of stain and carpet.
Useful tools and solvents to get the stains out of your carpet
Some stains are particularly dense, such as those which generate from food residues. If the substance causing the stain has been laying on the carpet for a rather long time, the stain will be harder to remove. In this case, it is essential that the sponge is in good condition. If it bears the sign of time and is consumed, an easy and efficient removal of the stain will be achieved renewing the sponge by letting it soaking in water mixed with a small portion of white distilled vinegar. Use the back of a spoon to scrape off encrustation on the carpets due to solid agents such as food, hardened paint or lacquer that may have caused the carpet to get stained.
According to your cleaning exigencies, you may need one of these useful solvents that can help you to remove efficiently all kind of stains on your carpet:
Common household items which may help:
- Dry solvents (mineral spirits, nail polish removal)
- Acid solutions containing water
- Break cleaner
- Dish-washing soap
Which kind of stain do you need to remove from your carpet?
Removing Liquid Stains, Wine etc
When a liquid such as wine, coffee or other kind of drink is dropped on the carpet, the first move to remove it efficiently is to blot the liquid quickly with a paper towel. The towel, has to be moved toward the centre of the stain in order to prevent the stain from spreading around. After you have made sure there are no residues left, scrap the stain with a sponge moving it inward as well as outwards. The sponge should be dampened with a mixture of hot water and vinegar. Lemon juice too is good for such operation as its acidic nature makes it suitable to remove all kind of liquids including urine.
Ink, paint and lacquer stains
It is highly recommendable to use non water-based solvents also known as dried solvents such as mineral spirits or nail polish removal for an efficient removal of such substances from your carpet. Blot the stain with a cloth on which you have applied the dried solvent. Once you have applied the solvent, let the carpet dry for about 15 minutes and then rinse with a cloth dampened with water. Finally, dry out the spot by positioning a pad of paper towels on it. If the substance to be removed is lacquer, you may blot the stain with lacquer thinner to help lacquer to come off the carpet and then wipe with a cloth. In case you decide to use some alcohol or nail polish remover, which is the most efficient solvent, apply one of the two solvents on a cloth, then dab at the stain. A pad of paper towels on the stain will then allow the substance to dissolve. At this stage, you need to rinse with water using a spray bottle and let dry. Carbonated water would be better to use as its bubbles will help in case some of the stain still needs to be removed. Finally, to complete the stain removal, scrap with a cloth.
Grease and oil stains
Once such substances have been dropped on a carpet, the most important thing to do before trying to remove the stain, is to prevent it from spreading. In order to do that, it is important not to rub the stain or it will spread on the carpet. These substances are to be removed using preferably non water-based solvents. To remove them efficiently you need to apply a small quantity of solvent on a paper towel and then dab gently at the stain with the towel. The spot will then need to be dried by positioning a pad of paper towels on it. Finally, rinse with water or, better, carbonated water to pour on the spot by using a spray bottle and scrap with a cloth.
What to do with wool carpets
Wool is one of the materials most resistant to stains. For this reason, most kind of stains on wool carpets,except grease or polish stains, can be easily treated using only water to apply by a spray bottle and dish soap or vinegar. The delicate fibre of wool carpets require a soft treatment which does NOT include rubbing the stain or applying harsh solvents. In order to remove correctly a stain from your wool carpet, you need to spray the mixture of water and vinegar or dish soap. Then blot up gently with a white cloth, rinse with water and soak up with a dry cloth.
If none of the above work, then it will still be more cost effective to call in professionals for a stain removal service. Contact Innovate today to discuss the problem.
