How To Clean Carpet Stains And Carpet Cleaning Tips

Oct 6, 2010 by VegasKev

Carpet Cleaning

Carpet cleaning has become big business these days. Carpet cleaning companies are opening up left and right. The main reasons being that the equipment is relatively inexpensive and that most people don’t realize that a lot of “carpet stains” can be removed a lot easier than one would typically think. In this article, I’m going to share some carpet cleaning tips that have been passed down to me by some of my more experienced family members. Basically, this is a an article on how to clean carpet stains…even some of the nastier ones.

A Note On These Carpet Cleaning Methods

First, please understand that these methods will not necessarily work on every type of carpet out there. Though, I will also state, that I have yet to hear of any damage coming from any of these methods. That being said, it’s safe to assume that you can try one of these methods before deciding to rent a carpet cleaning machine or calling one of your local carpet cleaning services to come to your home to clean your carpets for a lot more than these methods will cost you to try. Also, being that some of the carpet cleaning products out there are somewhat costly, it seems that these methods would save you money on the cleaning products as well.

Here Are Some Carpet Cleaning Tips From My Family To Yours

Tip #1 – Insignificant Stains: Stains that are insignificant, typically those that are due to age, are actually quite easy to clean. Sprinkle your dry carpet with Baking Soda and let it sit for about half a day (12 hours, I like to do the sprinkle right before bed and vacuum it in the morning). Afterwards, simply vacuum the Baking Soda. This will also help deodorize your carpet. Double Bonus!

Tip #2 – Red Wine: You can use salt to remove this stain. Start by gently blotting the liquid. Then pour the salt and let it sit until it turns red. When it turns red, that means it has absorbed the wine. Clean thereafter with a sponge and dishwashing liquid and then rinse with a pure water (I prefer “distilled water”). If stain still leaves a trace, rub gently with a sponge soaked in water and white vinegar. You can also pour white wine on red wine stain. Leave for one minute and remove gently with a towel. [Note: I have not tried the “white wine” method, though I heard that it surprisingly works quite well]

Tip #3 – Candle Wax: Place a towel (one that can be thrown away after) atop the stain and gently rub a warm iron on the towel where the stain is below. If it is a large stain, you may need to move the towel a few times to give yourself new spaces to absorb with. This should remove the candle wax and a majority if not all of the coloring from the candle. If there is coloring left within the carpet fibers a dab or so of vinegar should do the trick.

Tip #4 – Mud: This one should be fairly easy. Typically you can allow the mud to dry and break it up with a hard brush, then vacuum. If some of it gets stuck within the fibers, you should be able to simply dab it lightly with warm water and vacuum it up. Be careful not to get it to wet as too much water at once may ruin your vacuum. It is probably best to get the excess dirt/mud stain using several pass-throughs to ensure that you don’t damage your vacuum.

Tip #5 – Chewing Gum: Gently rub the gum with ice to harden it. Then you’ll want to break up the gum with a knife tip. This one is very tedious but a lot less expensive than replacing your carpet.

Tip #6 – Blood: This one stinks! You’ll need to lightly dab with vinegar until the stain is removed. This one doesn’t always work, as blood is a major stainer; the lighter the carpet, the more difficult this stain will be.

Tip #7 – Urine: I hope this is because of a pet and not a disrespectful houseguest, however, vinegar should do the trick on this one as well.

Final Note On How To Clean Carpet Stains

Just remember that not all carpet cleaning methods will work on all carpets. Always try these methods, and others, in a small inconspicuous area to ensure that you don’t damage the color or fibers of your carpet. If these methods don’t work, then I definitely recommend calling a professional carpet cleaning company. If you have any of your own carpet cleaning methods, please share them below.

This post was submitted by VegasKev.