Having carpets in your home means you mostly likely have had carpet stain issues at some point. You get stains from kids, guests, pets or from yourself when you accidentally bumped your elbow on your cup of coffee – you need to have the wits to act quickly just in case. A stained carpet can make your home look dirty even if the rest of your home is actually clean. Below are seven of the most common carpet stains and remedies that can be done using items commonly found in the home.
Candle Wax – Remove the stain by placing a damp towel and iron on it for approximately 30 seconds. Once the towel is covered with wax, soak the remaining stain in rubbing alcohol for a few minutes and brush it off with a toothbrush. Rinse it with water.
Chocolate Stains – Let it harden and scrape off whatever you can with a butter knife. Pour laundry detergent mixed with water over the stain and let it sit for a few minutes. Scrub off the stain with a toothbrush and blot with a towel. Rinse with water.
Coffee – Dry up any excess coffee with a towel, then drench the stain with laundry detergent mixed with water. Blot the stain with a towel until you see that most of the coffee stain is absorbed into the towel. Soak the remaining stain with vinegar blot it with a towel. Repeat these steps until the stain is completely cleaned off. Lastly rinse it with water.
Dirt – use the vacuum to get as much dirt as you can, then gently brush off the excess dirt with a toothbrush. Soak the stain with laundry detergent mixed with water for a few minutes. Scrub the stain with a toothbrush, then wash it with a towel, rinse it with water.
Ink – to completely remove ink stains, soak it with alcohol for a few minutes and blot it out with a towel. Repeat until the stain is gone.
Oil – put cornstarch on the stain and let it sit for 30minutes to 2 hours, depending on how old the stain is (this remedy only works for oil stains up to 2 days old). Drizzle dishwashing soap on the cornstarch. Using a toothbrush, work the cornstarch all into the stain. Wash it off with cold water.
Wine Stains – Soak up the wine as much as possible by dabbing at it with a towel. Pour white vinegar on the stain and let it sit for about 15mins. Get rid of the vinegar that hasn’t soaked in by blotting it (don’t rub!). Sprinkle baking soda and using a wet toothbrush, brush the stain off. Rinse the baking soda with water.
Stain catastrophes are almost inevitable and even if you are able to save your carpet from it, your flooring would still need regular cleaning to keep it looking fresh and smelling good. It is very expensive to replace carpeting, so it’s important to have it cleaned every 12 to 18 months. There are professionals who does carpet cleaning or if you decide to do it yourself, you can rent a steam carpet cleaner at your supermarket.
