Carpets can feel good when you walk on them, but when it comes to stains. holy cannoli! They have trouble loosening stains. I mean sometimes we all have trouble loosening things, people in our lives, objects, but it turns out carpets have a real problem loosening stains.
Just a few quick tips before we get into stain removal tips, a little carpet education. First of all, there are different types of rugs, different materials and different fabrics. So find out what type of carpet you have before you start cleaning it, that way you can be aware of any special cleaning instructions.
Also, an important point here is that whatever stain solution you're trying out, you'll always want to check it first in an inconspicuous hidden area to see how it affects your carpet. If you have a big stain in the middle of your room, you don't want to use something that can permanently damage the rug, so find a small corner and try it there.
A couple more things to note:- a) do not use too much product, it's very hard to get liquids and goo out of carpets, so use as little as possible, and b) don't scrub or rub, always use a patting motion or drying.
Finally, if you're really stuck on a stain, you can always bring in a carpet cleaning professional - they have equipment and products you don't have access to, and they really can work some magic on carpet stains.
Let's say you did not see it happen, but you certainly smelled it a few days later. What you can do is apply the process I explained above with the vinegar and water solution, then once you've done it a few times, you can sprinkle baking soda over the area and let it sit. Baking soda is a great natural odor absorber and when you let it sit for 24 hours or so, it will do its job in terms of removing those odors. You're also likely to see some yellow stuff, perfect. Now, you can scrape it off and then vacuum.
You're sitting there minding your own business reading the paper, drinking a coffee and the next thing you know... splash! You have a cleaning job on your hands. Well, the first thing to do, obviously, is dry off like crazy, get out your paper towel, and just blot as much coffee off the carpet as you can.
One of the saddest carpet stains you can get is a wine stain. Not only because you have a lot of cleaning ahead of you, but because you've wasted red wine, and that's a real shame. Fortunately, there's an easy way to clean it up (and it doesn't involve white wine).
As usual, blot as much as you can and then just add a bit of carbonated water, not a ton, just enough to cover the stain. The bubbles will help separate the stain from the carpet fibers and allow you to remove it. Dry off the sparkling water and repeat as needed.
Chewing Gum is not technically a stain on the carpet, but tell someone who has gum on the carpet and they'll give you a different opinion. There is a fairly simple thing you can do to get rid of this sticky stuff and it centers around an ice pack. That's how it is! Get some ice, put it in a Ziploc bag, or if you have an old school ice pack that will work too. Put it on top of the gum and let the gum freeze. You may need to leave it for 15 minutes, you may need to leave it for an hour and change the ice pack, whatever you have to do, the gum can't just be cold, it needs to be frozen.
Once it is frozen, you can use your fingers or a blunt metal object like a butter knife or even the edge of a credit card and just start picking up that frozen gum. It will flake off, appear in your hands, and you can throw it away. You may have a small stain left, but that's something you can easily clean with that hydrogen peroxide and dish soap solution I just mentioned for blood.
Get a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide and fill it into a clean spray bottle. Get plenty of towels, specifically white towels, whether they're bar towels, old rags, or just cut up old towels you no longer use, anything will do (if they're colored you risk dye transfer, and you don't want to!) that.
You will also need a steam iron (and make sure it's full so you get plenty of steam) and a large bowl (or bucket) of water.
You might have to do this 15 or 20 times but the stain will come up, and your carpet will look amazing.
A couple of caveats: First, be sure to test hydrogen peroxide on your carpet before you try it. Hydrogen peroxide can whiten certain surfaces. Second, make sure the iron's heat setting is appropriate for the task you're doing. You guys know your iron, you know what's going to burn something and what's going to be okay, so make sure you're using the proper settings before you start this trick.
Stains are definitely a pain, but the good news is that there are solutions and they work. The idea here is that you have to treat them fast and treat them with the right products and the right techniques.
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