Dirt Stain Before
Dirt Stain After
I recently wrote about fast flooring fix-ups and included a bonus post on cleaning tile floors, but perhaps one of the biggest challenges homeowners face is removing stains from the carpet. So today we’ll explore that topic a bit more.
Your best bet for removing stains is to tackle them as soon as they occur. The odds are better that you’ll successfully remove stains that are fresh. And never—ever!—scrub the stain. Instead, use a blotting motion to soak up spills while they’re still wet.
One more general warning: Know what your carpet is made of before you remove a stain—or at least test whatever cleaning agent you plan to use on a scrap of carpet before you douse the middle of your living room carpet with it. Whenever possible, try cleaning carpet stains with water first. It’s your best (and least harsh) line of defense.
Want to know what to use to clean certain types of stains? Scotchguard has a handy table that matches stains with home-based removal solutions. Or try these ideas:
Urine. Check out my post on cleaning up after your pets for urine removal pointers.
Gum. Freeze stuck-in gum with an ice cube. Chip off what you can with the blunt side of a knife. You may have to trim away what’s left (if it’s not too embedded) with scissors.
Red wine. I had a little run-in with red wine recently. In my experience, panicked blotting with soap and water, followed by white vinegar and more water, works wonderfully.
Cigarette burns. Sand burns away with sandpaper. Remove the remaining blackened fibers with scissors. (And please please please keep your cigarettes away from your carpet!)
Dirt. Here’s a handy little dirt removal recipe.
Blood. Use water, then detergent.
Grease or oil. Apply trichloroethane followed by detergent.
Latex paint. Detergent is your best bet.
Chocolate. Try detergent, then ammonia.
Lipstick. Trichloroethane, then detergent, then ammonia, then vinegar.
I’m a big fan of homemade cures for what ails the home, so I’m going to share a few other spots where you can find good cleaning info. Check out this post.
Moving.com has some good pointers too.
Here’s how to get your carpet clean on the cheap.
And before you go, don’t forget to take a peek at info on green carpet cleaning.
Until tomorrow,
The Home Know-It-All
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