Don’t know how to clean badly stained carpet? This is the question that you’ll want an immediate answer to when a cup of coffee, drops of blood, ink, or nail polish get on your carpet. Despite the fact that stubborn stains are extremely hard to remove, you still have many chances to get rid of them. Here are top five challenging carpet stains, and reliable ways, and techniques of getting them out.
Cleaning Badly Stained Carpets - What Stains You’ll Encounter
1. Colored Drink Stains
Although many sugary and bright drinks taste great, they can give you quite the headache once they get spilled onto the floor. You should begin with blotting the spot with a dry towel. Avoid rubbing aggressively, as it can get it more stuck in the carpet fiber. Then, mix 1/4 of vinegar with 1 tablespoon of dish soap in a spray bottle, and add water. Spray the damaged area with the solution, and wait 10 minutes until it soaks. Finally, remove the stain, by blotting with a dry cloth.
2. Pet Stains
If you have a pet, you’ve probably had to deal with at least one poop surprise on the carpet. To clean the carpet, you have first to get rid of the mess, by taking it with a pair of gloves. If it had enough time to dry up, you are better off moistening it, and applying a special cleaner for pet stains. To eliminate the odor, make a mixture of white vinegar and warm water, and spray on the troubled area. Start blotting for a complete stain and odor removal, not before waiting 10 minutes until the vinegar solution soaks into the carpet. Laundry detergent would also be a good pet stain fighter.
3. Coffee Stains
Coffee stains add an awful look to your carpet. Luckily, there are several tried ways you can help your carpet regain its beauty. Gently rub the surface to soak the liquid. Do not clean the stain aggressively, as this may spread the stain. After that, apply a mixture of vinegar, water and non-bleach detergent. Let it soak, and blot for a full removal. In some cases, bleach can be used in taking the coffee stains out. If you have a polypropylene carpet, prepare in a spray bottle a mixture of 1/4 cup of bleach, and 1/4 cup of water. Soak the carpet with it, and blot gently until no trace of coffee remains.
4. Blood Stains
Blood stains are easier to remove in the first moments of spillage. If the stain remains, it becomes extremely stubborn and difficult to remove. Even so, you can get rid of it effectively if you follow some important tips. A rule in dealing with blood spots is that you should use cold water, instead of warm water, as it prevents blood from getting stuck into the carpet fibers.
Prepare a mixture of dish detergent with cold water, and spray it on the damaged area. Blot repeatedly, until the blood is fully removed.
5. Ink Stains
Ink stains can cause a lot of damage to your carpet. In order to remove the ink safely, slightly moisten a cloth with isopropyl alcohol and blot. After that, use a dry towel to remove the debris. Another efficient ink-fighter is alcohol. Apply alcohol-containing agents on the spot, but be careful with the amount that is used, as excess alcohol can damage the carpet fiber even more. To be on the safe side, try the cleaning solutions on an unseen area of the carpet before applying them on the stain to check if it will discolor the carpet or not.
Bottom Line
All in all, stains get tougher to remove the longer they stay on your carpet. However, there are proven ways to get rid of these stains, regardless of how much time passed from the spillage. Whether it is a blood drop or an ink stain, there are always tried methods to remove the spot. This article went over how to clean badly stained carpet and how to remove some of the toughest stains.
