Top 10 Carpet Stain Offenders

24 Jul Top 10 Carpet Stain Offenders

Top Ten Worst Stains for Carpet

A spill, smear or other accident can lead to ugly stains on your carpet. Your first reaction might be to panic and grab a spot remover, but that may just make things worse. Make sure you’re using the right cleaning method for each of these stains.

Basic Tips for All Stains

• Act quickly, before the stain has a chance to set.
• Use the correct cleaning product for the type of stain and type of fiber you have.
• For stubborn stains or smells, consult a professional carpet cleaner that uses an extraction cleaning method.

Now let’s take a closer look at some of the most common, difficult-to-remove stains you can find on your carpet.

1. Red, Red Wine

There are few things that can stop your heart like the sight of a glass of red wine cascading onto your carpet.

As soon as the accident happens, spill a generous amount of salt or baking soda onto the wine stain. You’ll see the salt crystals turn pink as they soak up the wine. Clean them up with a damp sponge or cloth. Because these liquids penetrate deep into carpet fibers, you should follow up with professional cleaning as soon as possible.

2. Juicy Fruit

Berries like strawberries, cranberries, and blueberries are delicious and good for you, but their stains can be very bad for carpeting.

For immediate help, pick up the berries and then use a mixture of white vinegar, warm water, and detergent to clean the stains. This method also works for spilled fruit juices.

3. Pet Stains

The worst stains for your carpet are probably those left by your furry friends. Cat urine leaves a smell that is particularly difficult to remove.

For pet stains, especially cat urine, you’ll need specialty cleaners with natural enzymes that break down the proteins in the urine that cause odors. CarpetKeepers’ all-natural methods include cleaners that completely lift out the stain and the smell, even from cat urine.

4. Coffee

A favorite wake-up beverage, but you’re in for a rude awakening of another kind if you spill some on your rug. Coffee will leave a dark brown stain on light colors and will even be visible on darker ones.

To treat it, use the same vinegar-soap-water mixture that you would use for a juice stain. The vinegar wash will help contain the damage until you can have it cleaned with a water extraction.

5. Chocolate

Chocolate stains, like bloodstains and tomato-based stains, need to be washed with cold water. Hot or warm water will make these stains set, sometimes permanently. Use a mixture of ammonia, cold water, and dish soap to scrub the chocolate stains.

6. Grass Stains

The great outdoors belong outdoors, not inside on your beautiful carpet. Grass stains are tough to remove and usually involve using strong detergent and cold water. Some grass stains require bleach to remove, but bleach is not safe for most carpet fibers.

7. Bloodstains

All kinds of accidents can cause bloodstains on your carpet. Use cold water, dish soap, and an oxidizing cleaner to get these stains out. If you have blood and other types of bodily waste, wear gloves and clean as much as you can before calling immediately for professional help.

8. Ink Stains

You know how hard it is to clean ink stains from your clothes. It’s even tougher taking them out of carpets. Luckily, you probably have a home solution for it right at hand.

Alcohol is the best way to clean ink stains. Use rubbing alcohol in the highest concentration you can find. You can even use vodka or white wine. Don’t rub the stain. Pour the alcohol on it, let it sit and then vacuum with a liquid-safe vacuum cleaner.

9. Old Stains

Any kind of stain that has been sitting on your carpet for a while has probably been subjected to a long line of cleaning products, spot removers, and hot water.

All hope isn’t lost, though. Start by combining vinegar with cool water and dish soap. Let this solution sit on the stain for at least 20 minutes and then try to clean it. This may help lift it but most old, set-in stains will need professional cleaning.

10. Grease Stains

Use a generous amount of corn flour or cornstarch to lift greasy, oily spots on the carpet. Add baking powder to deodorize and sprinkle the mixture generously on the spot. After 10 to 20 minutes, vacuum it away.

Call a Professional Carpet Cleaner

Don’t let stains ruin the looks and quality of your carpets or area rugs. Carpet Keepers can keep your carpets and rugs looking like new with our patented PureScience method that lifts out old, set-in stains, pet urine odors and other ugly, smelly messes. Get started with one call to Carpet Keepers today.