Homeowners who put a lot of time and money into purchasing long lasting carpet are always at risk of having that carpet ruined by any number of potential risks that can lead to stains. It could be spilled juice, a wine glass knocked over, even a pet that might have an accident in the house, all of these things can have a detrimental impact on the look, feel, even the smell of your carpet.
But the good news is that even the toughest stains can be removed, as long as you take the appropriate steps towards prevention and, should that ultimately fail, know what to do to lift the stain and remove it entirely.
We’re going to cover both in this guide for removing stains from your carpet. Each one has a role to play in keeping your carpet in the best shape possible. You don’t need to let stains ruin your expensive floor covering, you can take the necessary precautions and restorative actions to ensure your carpet is always at its best.
Spot Cleaning
The best way to keep stains off your carpeting is to prevent them from setting in the first place. That means getting at spills and messes instantaneously, the second they hit the surface of the fibers. You don’t have a moment to lose, the longer you allow liquids, substances, or solids to remain on your carpet, the more likely a stain will set and remain there until you take further action.
The trick is to absorb as much excess moisture as you can so as to prevent it from wicking into the carpet and damaging the fibers. Once you have picked up as much of the mess as possible, you can apply a cleanser to the spot and clean it thoroughly.
Blot, Don’t Wipe up The Spill
Blotting or rubbing. Which is best? The answer is blotting. It’s the first thing to remember when you’re picking up any spill or mess from a carpet. Gentle blotting will absorb the moisture and keep it from soaking into the fibers or backing material.
This is very important to help keep from letting the stain set in. Rubbing or wiping will only drive the mess deeper into the pile of the carpet and assist the stain in setting. You want to avoid this at all costs, of course.
Removing Stains
Whatever the stain, there’s a way to remove it. But some stains are easier to eradicate than others, while some can be extremely stubborn. It’s true that you can’t get out all stains entirely, that depends on what it is you’ve spilled and how long you’ve allowed it to remain.
But the only way to find out whether or not you can lift the stain is to try first. That often requires you to flush the stain to help dilute and eventually remove it. This technique may work with red wine, fruit juices, even blood, and other tough stains.
All you need is a little warm water or club soda, either one can prove successful but be careful when you try to flush that stain. Too much moisture can get trapped beneath the carpet and cause moisture-related issues like mold or mildew to emerge. If this happens, you could be forced to remove the carpet entirely.
Flush the stain but be careful about using too much, don’t saturate the carpet.
Now what about the liquid or substance that’s been spilled? Surely there are special instructions you should follow to lift certain types of stains out of your carpet. Here are just some of the most common messes and how you should deal with them:
Nail Polish
This one is pretty simple. Instead of using water or club soda as mentioned above, apply some nail polish remover to the area and then blot gently until the stain comes out.
Dog/Cat Urine
After you’ve blotted the area dry and picked up as much of the urine as possible, you need to eradicate both the stain and the smell from the carpet. To do that, mix equal parts white vinegar and water to the area. After that, use a half teaspoon of clear detergent (no bleach included) mixed with about 32 ounces of water and rinse the area clean. Blot the moisture to keep it from soaking through the backing material.
Stubborn Stains
For those stains that just won’t lift no matter how much flushing and application of mixtures you try, it’ may be time to call your local Five-Star Chem-Dry to let the professionals come in and use their heavy-duty equipment and cleansers to lift those stains right out of your carpet fibers.
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