Regardless of how hard we may try to keep our carpets in top-notch condition it seems an inevitable fact of life that we will all be faced with the problem of carpet stains.
Carpet stains are even more unsettling to those who have recently purchased new carpeting. It is very frustrating to have new carpet installed only to find a glaring stain in just a month's time despite your best attempts to avoid that scenario.
In this article, I hope to provide you with the knowledge you need to effectively tackle common carpet cleaning problems.
First, a little about me, after all, why should you listen to me?
The information I am about to share is backed up by many years of carpet cleaning experience both commercially and residentially.
I was a professional cleaner and cleaned carpets many times for various office buildings in northeast Pennsylvania. Having been exposed to commercial carpet cleaning it seemed natural to me to spend time cleaning my own carpets at home rather than hiring the work to be done.
As you might guess, this article is not based on a bunch of theory. It is based on real-life "in the trenches" carpet cleaning experience.
Carpet Cleaning Problems
Let's start by taking a look at some of the more common carpet cleaning problems you may face.
Some of the most common, and yet intimidating, carpet stains include barbecue stains, beer stains, blood stains, coffee stains, ink stains, and even candle wax stains.
Rather than try to go into detail in this article on how to tackle specific stains I have decided to cover the critical subject of process.
I realize you might be thinking that you do not want to waste time on these "basics" and just want to get the stain out now but I assure you it is very important that you learn how to clean carpet the right way before taking on any carpet cleaning challenge. When you know how to clean carpet stains these jobs will not seem nearly as overwhelming to you as they do to most people.
Carpet Cleaning Process
Here is a 4 step process you can use whenever you tackle a carpet stain.
1. Remove Solid Particles
Remove all of the loose solid particles that you can. You might want to wear protective gloves when doing this. Here is an example of removing solid particles. Let's say you are dealing with a pepperoni pizza stain. Don't begin the stain treatment until you have removed all of the pepperoni and cheese pieces from the carpet fibers. Just pick up as much of the pepperoni and cheese as you can and throw it away.
2. Blot the Carpet Stain
Start the actual stain treatment by finding out if you can blot up any of the mess with a dry cloth. Often you will find that blotting the area will remove a large part of the stain. Use clean dry cloths. If clean dry cloths are not available you should be able to substitute paper towels.
3. Test Your Carpet Cleaning Solution
Although a lot of household items such as club soda and peroxide can help remove carpet stains, it's important to know first what kind of cleaning job and carpet dye you're dealing with.
You need to test the cleaning solution on a tiny area, ideally a spot that is hidden out of the way of plain sight.
To test a cleaning solution to determine if it is safe for use on your carpet this is what you need to do: apply a small amount of the cleaning solution of your choice to a very small part of the carpet that no one will see. If your carpet does not discolor in this test area you can proceed to treat your carpet stain.
4. Remove the Carpet Stain
Apply the cleaning solution you've chosen into the fibers and blot.
What I am about to tell you now is very important so please remember this. Do not rub when attempting to remove a stain. Always blot. Why? Because rubbing can actually push the stain deeper into the carpet fiber. And you certainly do not want to do that!
Blot the solution onto the stain repeatedly until the stain is removed.
Rinse the area with clean water and blot again until you have removed as much water as possible.
Your last step is to keep traffic away from the cleaned area and let it fully dry.
Carpet Cleaning Solutions
Now that you know the process for cleaning carpet stains I want to share some of the cleaning solutions you can use. When I say solutions I am talking about the actual liquid cleaners you will use to help break up the stain.
Peroxide works well for cleaning carpet stains caused by blood (but always remember to test your carpet first).
For juice stains, ink stains, coffee and other similar stains try club soda or tonic water.
To recap what we covered above in the cleaning process, blot the solution onto the stain repeatedly until the visible stain is removed. When you have removed the visible stain, rinse the same area with clean water and blot again until you have removed as much water as possible. Now keep traffic away from the area and let it fully dry.
I hope you have found this information useful and the next time you are faced with a carpet cleaning challenge you feel better prepared to handle the situation.
If you would like specific carpet cleaning information explaining how to remove several types of carpet stains as well as information on used carpet extractors I highly recommend that you visit the Carpet Cleaning Information website.
Garfield Benjamin was a Professional Cleaner for 12 years. In October 2004 he launched the website at Carpet-Cleaning-Information.com to share his carpet cleaning knowledge. The site currently provides nearly 100 pages of real-world information covering a variety of aspects about carpet cleaning.
The author (Garfield Benjamin) herby grants permission to publish this article on websites, ebooks, newsletters and other electronic publishing means providing all links are kept intact and the author is credited as the original creator of this article.