How To Treat Common Carpet Stains

Whether it’s a tipsy guest that has spilt a glass of wine, or you have children and pets that aren't quite as careful as you'd like them to be, you'll never completely avoid those misfortunate accidents that cause carpet stains.

And so how do you deal with a spillage or stain?

While it may be tempting to log in to Facebook and ask a friend for a secret remedy, or to rush to a supermarket and pick up a well known stain removal product, we advise against both these measures!

Instead, take a couple of minutes to read our guide on how to deal with carpet stains and spillages and you'll have a fighting chance of successfully treating a spillage without causing further damage.

Speed is of the essence

When confronted with a fresh spillage, it is vital to treat it as fast as possible in order to try and prevent it setting into a stubborn stain.

Here is a basic, chemical-free process to follow when treating common stains :

1. Blot the spillage with a towel or kitchen roll, blotting and dabbing as much of the moisture using your weight to add pressure to the area of carpet.

2. Keep checking the towel for colour and replace as needed. Continue the process and please don't be tempted to rub or scrub away at the spillage as this will only spread it.

3. Continue until all excess moisture has been absorbed and no further staining is being drawn out of the carpet fibres.

4. Now add a small amount of water onto a clean towel and return to blotting the area patiently with the damp towel.

5. Keep blotting until no more visible staining is transferring onto the towel. Then place a new, clean and dry towel over the effected area of carpet and weigh it down with something heavy for a few hours.

6. Return to the stain and check if all staining has been removed.

7. If there is still a visible stain, call your local, trusted professional carpet cleaner.

Treating a stain with household products

Rather than buy a harsh, popular branded stain remover from your local shop, we always recommend contacting a professional first.

But if you find yourself having to tackle some stubborn carpet stains yourself, then there are some common household products that can come in handy.

Here's our guide to help you treat the most common carpet stains.

General stain removal tips

• Always try and be careful not to over-wet your carpet

• Always test any chemical or cleaning product on an inconspicuous area of carpet in case of an unwanted reaction

• Scrape or blot up any excess solids / liquids prior to chemical treatment

• Don't scrub, rub or aggressively agitate your carpet fibres

• Avoid bleach, harsh detergents or shop bought stain removal products

• To avoid spreading a stain, work from the outside of the stain inward

• Drying can be helped along with the use of a hairdryer on a low heat setting

Beer, Wine, Tea, Coffee, Liquid Foods & Urine

• Follow steps 1-4 of our basic, chemical-free process above

• Make a stain treatment solution by adding one teaspoonful of gentle wool detergent and one teaspoon of white vinegar to 300ml of warm water

• Apply a small amount of the solution to a clean cloth and start dabbing - working from out to in

• Once you have dabbed the stained area, continue to dab and absorb the excess moisture with dry cloths

Rinsing the stain

• Follow steps 1-4 of our basic, chemical-free process above

• Dilute one-part white vinegar with four-parts water

• Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray over the treated area of carpet

• Blot carefully with a clean towel to remove any excess moisture

• Place several sheets of kitchen towel over the treated area and place a weight on top to compress the towels

• Leave for several hours or overnight

Vomit, Blood, Chocolate, Milk & Soft Drinks

• Scrape up excess

• Make a stain treatment solution by adding one teaspoonful of gentle wool detergent to 300ml of warm water

• Apply a small amount of the solution to a clean cloth and start dabbing - working from out to in

• Blot dry

• Make an ammonia solution by adding a teaspoonful of ammonia 250 ml warm water

• Apply a small amount of the ammonia solution to a clean cloth and start dabbing - again working from out to in

• Blot dry

• Finish by rinsing the stain as instructed above

The stain removal processes detailed above are often effective at treating many common stains, or at least for buying you time while waiting for a professional carpet cleaning appointment.

If followed correctly, they may completely remove the stain and also prevent any damage to your carpet fibres.

If you'd like any helpful stain removal advice, or you're thinking of booking a cleaning appointment, please don't hesitate to call us today on 07412 538306