How to remove the 3 most common carpet stains

We all know that carpet stains are a pain. And in a mad panic to mop up a spill, we can easily make carpet stains worse. Properly removing stains from your carpet requires a bit of know-how. Not all carpet stains should be treated the same. Depending on what has caused the offending stain, you will need to choose an appropriate cleaning method and an appropriate cleaning material. You’ll also need to consider the material composition of your carpet.

It’s no surprise to learn that the 3 most common carpet stains involve red wine, coffee and pet urine. We’ve put together a quick guide for cleaning each of the 3 most common stains from your carpets, including emergency tips to follow at the time of the spill.

Red wine

Whether you are hosting a dinner party, a get together or simply enjoying a glass of your favourite tipple in front of the TV, a spillage of red wine at some time or another is inevitable. If you are busy hosting, spending adequate time to ensure you don’t end up with an ugly stain on your carpet often goes by the wayside. The best you can muster is to throw an old tea towel over the area and mop up the excess. Here’s what you should do:

1. Carefully blot the stain immediately using alternate clean parts of a white cloth.
2. Add a little water to the area and continue to blot. Switch to a dry cloth as many times as you need to.
3. Make a baking soda paste (three parts baking soda, to one part water). Apply to stain and leave to dry, before hoovering up.
4. If any stain remains, apply a carpet stain remover according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Coffee

Coffee stains are notorious for spreading as you treat them. Cleaning up the spill immediately with the right know-how will minimise the risk of a permanent stain. Here’s how:

1. Use a clean white cloth to blot up as much of the coffee as possible. ALWAYS work gently from the outside of the stain towards the centre to prevent the stain spreading, or bleeding out. DO NOT RUB or SCRUB. This will damage carpet fibres and spread the stain.
2. Pour a small amount of cold water onto the stain and blot again (with another dry cloth). You may need to repeat this one more time. In this step you are diluting the coffee and soaking it up. Don’t use too much water.
3. Use a carpet stain remover as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Pet stains

When a pet urinates or has another unpleasant accident on the carpet there’s both a stain and an odour problem to remove. No matter how well-trained your pet is, accidents will inevitably happen. If at all possible you need to clean up the stain quickly as urine can leave a nasty odour that is difficult to erase once it sets into carpet fibres. Pet urine can also bleach carpet fibres. Here’s what to do:

1. Place a towel on the spot to absorb the urine. Stand on the towel or put pressure on it so it absorbs as much urine as possible.
2. Make a solution of white vinegar, water and baking soda (2 cups vinegar, 2 cups warm water and 4 tablespoons of baking soda). Place in a spray bottle and spritz directly onto the stain. Leave for 10 minutes and then blot with a soft dry cloth.
3. If the stain is stubborn, or particularly strong-smelling sprinkle baking soda directly onto the stain, then apply a 50/50 mixture of water and white vinegar. Leave for 5 minutes and then blot with a soft dry cloth.

If you have really old, stubborn stains that won’t come out, why not try our excellent carpet cleaning service? We can help give your tired carpet a new lease of life.