Ask Carpet Tech: How To Remove Pesky Stains From Your Carpet

Let’s face it: when you invite guests into your home, you’re also inviting a mess. Even if those “guests” are your own family members or beloved pets. But fear not, there are several at home solutions you can use to remove stains from your carpet.

FOOT TRAFFIC

A good rule of thumb is to ask that all guests remove their shoes upon entering your home. Not only will you be able to see whether or not their socks match, but it will prevent anyone from tracking in unwanted dirt, mud, etc.

In the event that mud does find its way into your home and onto your carpet, here’s what you need to do:

1. Run the vacuum over the spot to pick up as much of the dry debris as you can. Go over the spot several times at different angles.
2. Use a carpet safe spot cleaning solution to blot the area until the remaining stain disappears.

Spills happen. The odds of getting through life in your home without a “Whoops!” are pretty slim. Different spills call for different solutions. Here are two common food & drink messes and how to handle them.

RED WINE

Follow these steps to save your carpet from a red wine disaster.

1. Blot (don’t rub) the stain immediately with a towel.
2. Apply cold water and continue to blot.
3. To get the remaining wine out of the surface, pour salt over the stain. That’s right, salt. The granules will absorb the remaining moisture. If your stain has already started to dry, add a bit more cold water to the stain before adding the salt.
4. Let the salt do its job. If you have the time, maybe leave it overnight.
5. Once the salt has absorbed the wine (it’ll start to turn pink), you can scoop the majority of the salt up with a spoon and vacuum the rest.

CHOCOLATE

If you find a piece of chocolate in your carpet, you don’t want to use salt to get it out. Try this instead:

1. Just as you would with dirt or mud, pick up as much of the solid debris as possible.
2. Use the edge of a spoon to scrape the chocolate off the carpet fibers.
3. If the chocolate is too gooey to pick up, place an ice pack over the area for a few minutes until it hardens.
4. Once you’ve removed everything you can with this method, follow the procedure below for dealing with oil-based stains.

DECOR

It’s a known fact that candle wax and carpet don’t mix, but did you know that it’s possible to remove candle wax from your carpet? Here’s how:

1. Use cotton balls to soak up any wax that is still soft.
2. Grab your iron and turn it onto the lowest setting.
3. Place a clean dry cloth (or even a brown paper sack) over the remaining wax.
4. Once the iron is warm, run it over the cloth to soak up the remaining wax and oil residue.

Be careful. If your iron gets too hot, it will damage your carpet. Never place the iron directly onto your carpet’s surface.
Repeat the process with a new dry cloth or paper sack.
Once you have removed as much oil as possible, follow-up with a carpet-safe spot cleaning solution.
This method works with just about any oil-based stain you encounter.

KNOW WHEN TO CALL A PROFESSIONAL

There are some stains that just will not come out with at-home solutions like these. Luckily, Carpet Tech’s team of experienced technicians have the tools and techniques to remove even the toughest stains and keep your carpet looking fresh