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Carpet Stain Cleaning Guide
Cleaning carpet stains can be easy or difficult, depending on the type of stain and how long it's been in the carpet. The first rule of spot removal is to clean the stain as quickly as possible. The longer it sits in the carpet the harder it will be to remove.
The Basics
- Never scrub a spot in a circular or back and forth motion, this only spreads it around. Always use a blotting motion to soak up any spillage.
- Clean with white paper or cloth towels to prevent any possible color transfer from the toweling to your carpet.
- After blotting up the excess spillage, rinse with clean, warm water (not HOT water) and blot up the excess moisture. Place paper towels several layers thick over the remaining damp area and place a weight (bricks work nicely) over the affected area to absorb the excess water. Repeat as needed if the paper towels become saturated. Allow to dry and then brush up the pile to match the surrounding carpet.
- If cleaning solutions are needed, always test the cleaning solution on an inconspicuous area to make certain it doesn't affect the texture or color of your carpeting.
- If stains appear gone, but return when the carpet is dry, the stain may have "wicked" up from deep down in the carpet. If this happens, repeat the cleaning procedure.
Cleaning Methods
Below are three general cleaning methods. Following that is a chart listing several common types of stains and cleaning problems with the recommended procedure for cleaning. Following the chart are cleaning procedures for tough-to-clean stains.
Method 1: Grease Spots and Stains of Unknown Origin
Remove any foreign material by blotting or scraping up with a spoon. Apply isopropyl rubbing alchohol to a clean white cloth or white paper towel. The spot may have absorbed deep into the pile, so blot until the spot is removed and your cloth comes up clean. If this is effective, continue until the stain is removed and blot dry. Use a fine-mist spray bottle to rinse the area with clean, warm water. Do not oversaturate! Then blot dry and use the paper towel layers and weight drying method mentioned in The Basics section to finish drying. Once dry, brush the pile to return to the condition of the surrounding carpet. If it doesn't work, go to Method 3.
Important! Do not allow the alcohol to penetrate into the backing as that could destroy the latex bond.
Method 2: Water Based Spots
As with Method 1, blot up the spill with white paper or cloth towels. If you have a wet/dry vacuum, you can also use it as long as you can do so without spreading the spot around and creating a larger stained area. If the spot is dry, moisten the area with warm tap water. A spray bottle works well for this, but be careful not to saturate the carpet with water. After moistening, wait two or three minutes for the water reanimate the stain, then blot it up. If this is effective, continue until the stain is removed and blot dry. Use a fine-mist spray bottle to rinse the area with clean, warm water. Do not oversaturate! Then blot dry and use the paper towel layers and weight drying method mentioned in The Basics section to finish drying. Once dry, brush the pile to return to the condition of the surrounding carpet. If this does not work, go to Method 3.
Method 3: When Methods 1 or 2 are Ineffective
Only if Methods 1 and 2 are ineffective, try this method. Apply a small amount of liquid hand-washing dish detergent solution to the spot. Use 1/4 teaspoon to one quart of water. Be sure the detergent doesn't have lanolin or bleach in it. Use a white paper or cloth towel to work the solution into the stain. If this works, continue until the stain is removed. Use a fine-mist spray bottle to rinse the area with clean, warm water. Do not oversaturate! Then blot dry and use the paper towel layers and weight drying method mentioned in The Basics section to finish drying.
If that didn't work, use a white cloth or paper towel to dab-moisten the affected area with a 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution. Let stand for one hour and check the problem area. If this method worked, blot and repeat until stain is removed. Use a fine-mist spray bottle to rinse the area with clean, warm water. Do not oversaturate! Then blot dry and use the paper towel layers and weight drying method mentioned in The Basics section to finish drying. Once dry, brush the pile to return to the condition of the surrounding carpet.
Recommended Cleaning Methods
Below are the recommended cleaning methods for specific types of stains listed in alphabetical order. When only numbers are recommended, refer to the three cleaning methods listed above. When a letter and number are recommended, refer to the Tough Stains section following the chart.
| Cleaning Problem | Cleaning Method |
|---|---|
| Asphalt | 1,3 |
| Beer | B,3 |
| Berries | 2,3 |
| Blood | A,3 |
| Butter | 1,3 |
| Calamine Lotion | 1,3 |
| Candle Wax | D |
| Candy | 3 |
| Catsup | A,3 |
| Cheese | A,3 |
| Chewing Gum | E |
| Chocolate | A,3 |
| Coffee | B,3 |
| Cola | A,3 |
| Cough Syrup | A,3 |
| Crayon | 1,3 |
| Dirt | F,3 |
| Drink Mixes* | 2 |
| Egg | C,3 |
| Feces | C,3 |
| Fruit Juice | 2,3 |
| Furniture Polish | 1,3 |
| Graphite | I,1 |
| Gravy | 1,3 |
| Grease | 1,3 |
| Ice Cream | 1,3 |
| Ink | 1,3 |
| Lacquer | 1,3 |
| Make-up | 1,3 |
| Mayo | 1,3 |
| Milk | 1,3 |
| Mixed Drinks* | A,3 |
| Mud | F,3 |
| Nail Polish | H,3 |
| Oil | 1,3 |
| Paint (Oil & Latex) | 1,3 |
| Perfume | B,3 |
| Permanent Marker | 1,3 |
| Petroleum Jelly | 1,3 |
| Play Dough | 1,3 |
| Rubber Cement | 1,3 |
| Rust | G,3 |
| Salad Oil | 1,3 |
| Sauces | 1,3 |
| Shoe Polish | 1,3 |
| Shortening | 1,3 |
| Skin Creme | 1,3 |
| Soda Pop | A,3 |
| Soot | I,1 |
| Soy Sauce | A,3 |
| Starch | A,3 |
| Tar | 1,3 |
| Tea | B,3 |
| Toothpaste | A,3 |
| Urine | C,3 |
| Vomit | C,3 |
| Watercolor | A,3 |
| White Glue | A,3 |
| Wine | B,3 |
* Drink Mixes refers to children's drinks,
Mixed Drinks refers to alcoholic beverages.
Tough Stains
Method ABlood, catsup, cheese, chocolate, cola, cough syrup, mixed drinks, soy sauce, starch, toothpaste, watercolor and white glue.
Blot with white paper or cloth towel. Neutralize the spot with an ammonia solution. Use a spray bottle to saturate the stain, but be careful not to oversaturate so that the backing becomes wet. Use warm water for all but blood, which must be removed with cool water. Blot again with clean, white paper towel or cloth to remove excess moisture, then follow cleaning Method 3 to finish.
Method BAmmonia Solution: Mix 1 tablespoon of clear household ammonia per 1/2 cup of water.
Beer, coffee, perfume, tea and wine.
Blot with a white paper or cloth towel. Neutralize with a white vinegar solution. Use a spray bottle to saturate the stain, but be careful not to oversaturate so that the backing becomes wet. Blot again with clean, white paper towel or cloth to remove excess moisture, then follow cleaning Method 3 to finish.
Method CWhite Vinegar Solution: Mix 1/3 cup of white vinegar to 2/3 cup of water.
Eggs, feces (excrement), urine, and vomit.
Remove as much of the offending material as possible by scraping it up with a spoon. Next use a clean, white cloth or paper towel to blot up as much of the stain as possible. Neutralize with an ammonia solution. Use a spray bottle to saturate the stain, but be careful not to oversaturate so that the backing becomes wet. Be especially mindful to remove all protein material, then follow cleaning Method 3.
Method DAmmonia Solution: Mix 1 tablespoon of clear household ammonia per 1/2 cup of water.
Candle wax and other waxes.
Spread a brown paper bag or terry cloth towel over the stain and iron with a clothing iron set to Warm. The wax should be absorbed by the paper bag or terry cloth towel.
Method EChewing gum.
Freeze the gum with an ice cube, then break it into pieces using light hammer taps. Do not strike too hard. Vacuum up pieces.
Method FMud.
Let the mud dry thoroughly. Break it apart by tapping it with a dull knife. Do not use a hammer, as that would embed the small particles into the carpet. Vacuum up and follow cleaning Method 3.
Method GRust.
Lightly saturate the area using a spray bottle filled with lemon juice and let stand 5 minutes. Follow cleaning Method 3 to remove the lemon juice. If this does not work, call a professional.
Method HNail polish.
Remove as much nail polish as you can with a spoon. Apply NON-oily nail polish remover to a clean, white cloth or paper towel and blot the spot with it. Do not saturate the carpet so that the nail polish remover soaks into the backing. Continue until all the nail polish is removed, then follow cleaning Method 3.
Method ISoot, graphite, and copy toner.
Vacuum using the crevice tool. Beater bars and rotating brushes only spread the problem material. If vacuuming removes most of the offensive material, follow cleaning Method 1 to remove any leftover traces. If vacuuming doesn't remove almost all of the offensive material, call a professional.
Remember!
Remember, if cleaning solutions are needed, be sure to test them on an inconspicuous area of your carpet, like in a closet or behind furniture, to ensure the cleaning solutions doesn't affect the color or texture.
Stains that can't be removed.
Acidic toilet bowl cleaners, alkaline drain cleaners, acne medication, insecticides, mustard with turmeric, hair dyes, chlorinated bleaches, plant fertilizers and other material can permanently discolor carpet. In such cases, you may need to call a professional carpet installer who can cut out and replace the affected area.
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1950 Post Road, Plover, WI 54467| 715.345.7847
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