When you first had your carpet put in you were probably seriously protective, right? Whether you offered everyone booties to cover their outside shoes or demanded that they take them off before venturing anywhere – you understood that your carpeting is an investment. No one was allowed to drink even a glass of water while near your carpet, but at some point, everyone else won. A quick glance at your carpet shows some of the stains that have managed to bed themselves in. Whether it was you or the kids, someone grabbed a towel and rubbed the stain in, making matters worse.
So, let’s talk about the toughest carpet stains and how you can beat them! Remember this, there are four vital factors – time and temperature, as well as chemical and the action taken to clean.
Wine Stains & Grape Juice
Whether it’s adult juice or kid juice, fruit stains are a nightmare. We all know just how quickly it can seep into the fibers of the carpet, making it impossible to save it. The key here is speed – grab your hydrogen peroxide and dab it while the spill is wet. You can then spray it down with a combination of cleaner and water. This should minimize your damage.
Blood Stains
Kids roughhouse, and sadly this often leads to bloody noses and frustrating stains. Much like fruit juices, it seeps in quick. Of course, you will need to deal with whatever injury has occurred before you can tackle the carpet, but once you get to the carpet you need to remove it as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Pet Stains
We love our pets just as much as we do our children, and both are as messy as each other. So, when your other kids have made a mess you have to jump on it quick. Of course, with pets, there’s an odor issue with a lot of these stains. You’ll need to deal with any debris first and from there, you can blot to soak up any wetness. Do this until it’s essentially dry to touch.
If the mess has had time to dry then you will need to moisten it before applying a stain removal product (one that is designed for pet problems).
Now, how about that smell? Warm water (around a quart) and a quarter cup of white wine (or vinegar) and spray the area down. Let it soak for a few minutes before applying the blot technique until the area is dry.
Ink Stains
The first step is to use ammonia to spot clean an ink stain. Once you’ve done this you can steam rinse it. This should take care of the stain.
Bodily Fluid Stains
It isn’t just the visual mess, it’s also the smell… whether it was you, the kids or your pets that have created the mess you’re going to need to launch a deep cleaning assault. That means a shampoo – and it needs to be fast.
Perhaps a better idea, though, would be to just hire a professional cleaner. They come with professional cleaning products and specialized equipment to get the job done in a way that you can’t. In fact, you might just make matters worse. Why risk needing to replace your carpet?