Removing Carpet Stains



No one ever really likes to hear the word “Oops!” It typically leads to something having to be fixed or cleaned and time taken away from whatever it was you were doing.


In this case we’re talking about carpet stains. Maybe someone spilled on the carpet or a stain was brought into the house from the bottom of dirty shoes, or a nice little mess one of the animals made.

Removing carpet stains is essential, especially if you have little ones crawling around.

A Few Tips to Keep in Mind Before Starting

• Blot stains don’t rub or scrub hard. You don’t want to spread the stain further into the carpet or damage carpet fibers.
• In most cases you will work from the outside of the stain towards the center.
• Don’t use an excessive amount of water or cleaning solution. You want to get the liquid out of the carpet and not have it soaking through the carpet pad.
• Test new cleaning methods in an inconspicuous spot first.
• Use clean terry towels or white paper towels to blot up stains.
• Use pressure to blot. You can stand on the towel or paper towel if it helps.
• It can’t hurt to cover a cleaned area with a clean towel until dry so foot traffic doesn’t create another mess.

Removing Coffee, Red Juice, Wine, and Tea Stains

Below are a few different methods you can try depending on the stain and how fresh or old it is. Remember, blot up all liquid as soon as possible and make sure to get up as much of the stain as possible.

Method #1

• Use club soda by applying to the area stained area. Allow to sit for a minute then blot it up again. Keep repeating this method until the stain is fully removed. When the stain is gone, rinse using some clean water and blot that up as well.

Method #2

• Mix 1/4 teaspoon dishwashing soap with a quart of water. Apply to the stain and blot up to remove the liquid and stain.
• Rinse using clean water and blotting up when done.

Method #3

• If not all of the stain came up, then use hydrogen peroxide. Pour onto the stain and allow it set for several hours. The hydrogen peroxide will chemically react with it and release the stain.
• Cover the area with a layer of plastic wrap then a towel. Hydrogen peroxide turns to water when exposed to light.
• Blot dry.

Chocolate Stains on Carpet

• Get rid of the chocolate by scraping up and removing any excess chocolate you can.
• Use one teaspoon dishwashing liquid and one cup of water then apply to the stain.
• Blot the stain out using a terry towel. Repeat if necessary.
• Rinse with clean water and blot as dry as possible.

Removing Candle Wax

• Scrape off as much as you can of the wax with a dull knife.
• Cover with a clean white paper towel then apply a warm iron to it. This will help to transfer the wax stain from the carpet to the paper towel.
• Keep moving the iron around until it is totally absorbed. Change paper towel as needed.
• If greasy spots are left, apply baking soda and let it sit a while then vacuum up.

Cleaning Cat Vomit off Carpets

Cats. We love ‘em but not the vomit messes on carpets they can make.

Cleaning Cat Hairballs

If your cat has vomited up a hairball, simply remove it gently as soon as you can, hopefully sooner than later.

Pick it up with a paper towel and clean using Method #2 above.

Getting Cat Vomit Out of Carpet

• First remove as much of the solid stuff using paper towels then blot up what you can of the remaining vomit again using paper towels.
• Mix together 1 cup white vinegar and 1 quart warm water to clean the stain.
• Pour this solution on the stain (be careful not to pour too much and flood the area). Let sit for a few minutes while you go get more paper towels.
• Blot until you’ve gotten the liquid up, let dry, repeat if necessary.

If the vomit stain is persistent, sprinkle a little baking soda over the stain then pour a little white vinegar over the top of the baking soda.

Let this set for a couple of minutes, the foaming action should help to remove the stain up and out.

Blot up liquid, rinse with clean water, let dry then vacuum.

Now Freshen Up with Spray Air Freshener

To make everything more fresh and clean, make yourself this simple air freshener.

Get a spray bottle and add some distilled water and your favorite essential oil(s). This recipe is based on the size of the bottle you use.

• Fill the container with the distilled water.
• Add essential oil to the water and shake.

The amount of essential oil to use will depend on the scent you are using. Some are stronger than others. Start with about 8 drops and do a test spray. Add more or less depending on what you like.

Some essential oils you might like to use are orange, lemon, cinnamon, grapefruit, rosemary, coconut oil, and lavender.

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