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Easy DIYs- HOW TO REMOVE STAINS FROM CARPET AT HOME
How To Remove Stains From Carpet At Home By Hands?
Carpet’s stains are a challenge while it comes to cleaning them. Owning a beautiful carpet is just like owning a pet. They are a pride of every home decoration. One cannot neglect the fact that carpet flooring is a way to say who you are even without having to utter a word about yourself. Your guests and relatives first eye on the floorings before anything else around it.
Unfortunately, someday your most cherished rug may get stained with coffee split, pet poop, urine, water stains and other unknown stains on carpet. All this could be alarming and may call for an instant action to be taken. People tend to try all ways to remove old stains from carpet with all of their self intelligence, some succeed, while some turn it to a complete disaster(Ex. may want to fix discoloration on carpet, etc.).
The article ahead covers:
how to remove really old carpet stains,
homemade carpet stain remover, etc.
Before Beginning To Clean
One must realize that all carpets and area rugs are not equal. They come in with varieties of materials and weaving techniques. Moreover, what also matters is the kind or cause of the stain in the rug that needs to be removed.
Every carpet material may differ; therefore, each type of rug requires a different and a special type of treatment. (Ex. may want to fix discoloration on carpet) Let us dive into this guide with very helpful techniques and learn how to clean carpets at home.
First things first before attempting to clean the rug:
- Do not panic.
- Check rug’s care tag usually placed behind the rug.
- Use only cold water on hand-knotted oriental rugs to avoid colors running on each other.
- If unsure about how to get the stain removed, contact your carpet manufacturer or a professional rug cleaner and ask for a suggestion.
Types Of Carpet Stains
Carpets stains is a broad topic to go through because stains could be of any kind, and each has to be looked up differently. For this, let us categorize them in four parts to make it all easy and understandable.
- Oil-based stains
- Water-based stains (or wet stains)
- Solid stains
- Pet stains
How to Clean Oil-based Stains From Carpets
Oil-based stains include water-based stains, grease, lipsticks, gravy, butter, crayon and coffee spill, peanut butter, etc.
The first and foremost step in removing oil-based stains is to first moisten the marked spot with a mixture of water with 1/4 teaspoon of dishwashing soap very easily available in every kitchen. Moisturizing is done to weaken the stain from the rug fiber.
Great if it did work with only this much of effort. Else if not, ahead on to the next step. Add either two tablespoons of ordinary ammonia to a tea-cup of warm water(not hot) or use one tea-cup of white vinegar with three tea-cups of water. The results will amaze you.
How To Remove Solid Stains From Rugs
Solid forms of stains are those stains caused by solid elements like food or pudding, etc., that fall on the rug and leave a spot or stain. If such an unfortunate happens, the first and principal thing to do is to separate the solids from the rug gently. The purpose of this is because using a picker-tool or a brush to remove the solid will break it down to several parts and drive it further into the rug’s depth.
Instead, use a tissue or a towel to wipe up the staining sold element from the rug in a skyward motion. Make sure the sold does not spread out while doing so.
After removing the solids from the rug, recheck for any stain still left behind. If a spot of the stain persists then apply the same process of removing it as stated above in the wet stain removal.
How to Remove Water-Based/Wet Stains from Carpets
Wet stains could have many types, like a coffee spill, baby’s urine, soft drinks. Water-based stains also include chocolate milk, beer, jelly, wine, vomit, candy and food stains.
When a wet stain is still on the rug, it’s easier to clean it right then and there. It is difficult to remove liquid stains once it has been penetrated and soaked deep into the rug and dried up completely within it.
Grasp the ways given below to discover how to remove liquid stains step by step.
Cleaning Wet Stains Step By Step
- Do not lift the rug, or this may cause the wet stain to run down to the other parts of the rug. Instead, roll up the rug to the point you reach the liquid stain and turn the rug upside down. The purpose of doing this is also to constrain the liquid stain from flowing deeper into the rug. Now while the marked side is facing the ground, place a piece of cotton cloth or sheets of tissue papers underneath the rug (a towel would equally work well but the rug stain would stain the carpet too). This will allow the cotton cloth to suck most out of the fluid.
- Change the cloth and repeat the process, this time by putting some pressure on the rug. Pressing it will help drain out more of the fluid from the rug to the cloth. Turn the rug back to its normal face-up position and unroll it.
- Grab a bottle that has a squirt top and fill it in with some water and some laundry detergent powder (try with the plastic ketchup bottle with a squirt top found in most fast-food restaurants). Shake the bottle well to ensure the detergent has been properly dissolved into the water.
- Rise the bottle tip over the marked stain and gently press the bottle to eject the mixture of the laundry detergent and water; this should help clean out the stain without any discoloration. If necessary, use a plastic bristle brush to help rub gently onto the rug fiber. If the carpet seems to look too foamy because of the detergent, stop squirting it the mixture and replace the bottle filling with just warm water. Squirt the warm water on the rug and repeat the process till no mark of the foam is visible.
- Once the stain seems to have gone completely, place a dry cotton cloth or a towel on the rug overnight to let the water absorb into the cloth.
It is recommended to pull out the rug to dry under sunlight to prevent it from any odor.
DIY Hack To Remove Stubborn Water-based Marks
If you still notice visible stain marks that aren’t going away, try another easy tip for such stubborn stains. For the same purpose, this time, prepare a mixture using one tea-cup of white vinegar with 1-2 tea-cups of plain water.
COFFEE STAIN
First things first, blot the coffee with a paper towel. The easy way to remove the coffee stain is by using vinegar on a hot steamed cloth. Once the cleaning is done, let the carpet dry or use a hairdryer to dry the carpet real quick.
WINE STAIN
Blot the spot with a paper towel to let it get absorbed into it. After that, sprinkle edible salt on the wine stain. Vacuum the area once both the wine and the salt dry up.
How To Clean Carpet Pet Stains
Pet stain, on the other hand, is those stains that are caused by the pets owned at home. Removing cat/dog vomit and stains can always be very challenging. Some types of pet stains, for example, are urine stains, blood stains, etc.
URINE STAIN
To clean or remove this kind of stain, you may also follow the same steps as discussed earlier, removing wet-stains.
As with every stain’s primary solution, suck out as much as the pee of the rug with sheets of tissue paper or paper towel. Wash the area using cold water and let it dry. You may also use a vacuum for this kind of stain.
However, often a rug has been dried up after cleaning the urine, the other problem that will remain is the bad smell it leaves behind. For this purpose, use an enzymatic pet stain eliminator product or any that is designed to treat pet odors. The bad smell usually goes away after applying 2-3 times.
Warning: Never use heat to remove a pet urine spot. Steam or heat cleaning of pet-urine stains may cause the stain to stick into the rug.
BLOOD STAIN
Sometimes pets playing outdoors may prey on or battle with other creatures like rats, cats, birds, etc. and then bring back home blood stains under their paws. Their fights can result in staining home carpets with the blood.
To remove blood stains from the carpet, use cold water and follow the same procedure as in the water-based stain removal. Just a reminder: Do Not Use Hot Water, or this may cause stain to set into the rug fibers.
How To Deal With Dried Stains
Dealing with stains that are dried up in the carpet? Let us face this; it is a bit harder to remove dried stains. Such stains may also thread to discoloring in the carpet’s fiber if done improperly. Just before seeking any professional carpet cleaner, try this DIY step by step directions as given below and save time & money.
- Since the stain is dry, soak the stained area with water for about an hour, this will help loosen the stubbornness of the stain from the rug fiber to some good extent.
- After soaking, make a mixture of water and detergent and pour it onto the stain while gently rubbing the spot with freehand. If this doesn’t show a sign of working then use a plastic bristle brush or any old toothbrush and brush it on the spot while pouring more detergent mixture. If this works for you, then keep repeating the same procedure until the stain has completely gone away.
- This way of dealing with dry stains works most of the time, but if it doesn’t work with your rug, then seek a professional rug cleaner.
How To Remove Gum From A Carpet
To get rid of gum or chewing gum removed from a carpet you need not spoil the whole rug by cutting or trimming the carpet fiber. There is an easier way.
Let the gum or chewing gum soften by using a hair blow-dryer. Wear on a plastic bag and gently pull the gummed element out of the carpet. Keep repeating slowly till it is completely removed.
How To Remove Yellow Stains From Carpet
Yellow and black stains on carpet is a natural phenomenon that occurs with time. Yellow staining in a rug is the least one can expect to find in their rugs at some time.
There are many cleaning yellow stains from the carpet, but home remedies such as white vinegar.
- Blend white vinegar with water in a vessel. For stubborn stains, add some baking soda.
- Soak the blend into a sponge and apply on the spot or all over the rug.
- Until the stain disappears, keep repeating the process.
- Once done the cleaning, Let the rug dry by itself.
Alcohol - How To Clean Rug Stains Using Vodka
Vodka works with everything you want. It works with just about every fabric, to clean glasses, and people also use it in their cars and trucks. It is great to get pulled over but vodka is a great solution also to remove carpet stains.
- Pour some vodka into a spray bottle, and that’s it. Spray the vodka on the area with stain and clean it with a towel. Now watch how the stain disappears from the carpet.
- Also, try by mixing the vodka with scented oils so you not only remove the stain and the odor from the rug with soda and vinegar but you can also have a little fun and have the smell you want around your house too.
Remove Carpet Stains With Shaving Cream
Another quick and home remedy for cleaning carpet stains is by using shaving cream. It is an inexpensive solution to remove many types of carpet stains easily, including red wine, grease, plain food stains, and makeup. Be for cleaning with shaving cream; do a patch test to ensure it does not cause discoloration.
To clean:
- Pick the foam version of the shaving cream, not the gel.
- Spray on the stain spot on the carpet and let it react for at least 30 minutes.
- Next, do not rub, instead blot the foam with a clean tissue towel.
- Let it dry. Repeat the process if there is still any visible stain left behind.
How To Clean Carpets Stains With Hydrogen Peroxide
Using hydrogen peroxide is another low-cost, homemade carpet stain remover for cleaning rug stains. It can remove urine stains, blood stains as well as old wine stains. You can also use dish soap and hydrogen peroxide together for better results.
To go about this, spray the solution on the stain spot and leave it for a few minutes. Next, using a white towel, blot it.
How To Remove Old Stains From Carpet With Vinegar
Blend Salt + Vinegar + Borax
- Take 1/4th cup of each ingredient (salt, borax, and vinegar) and their paste.
- Use the paste by applying it to the stain, and before vacuuming it, leave it to dry for 24 hours.
- The paste not only kills bacteria but also works as a deodorizer. The paste has excellent properties that remove protein-based stains equally as good as any expensive solution available in the market.
How To Clean Carpets Stains With OxiClean
So how to get stains out of carpet without vinegar?
The Oxiclean label recommends dissolving an eighth of a scoop of powder into 16 ounces of warm or hot water to remove carpet stain spots. The Oxiclean powder melts and foams quickly in the water.
Use an empty water bottle with a convenient nozzle so that you could squirt the mixture on the stain. Ideally, before using the Oxiclean, remove the excess of the stain as much as possible.
Oxiclean Versatile Stain Remover is a great option to choose for cleaning even the hard-to-clean rug stains. Use it as per the directions given on the package.
We hope our article about “How to remove stains from carpet at home” helps you remove stains from your rugs and carpets easily. Please do comment to share your carpet cleaning experience with us.