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Stain & Odor Removal Professionals Carpetronex
Carpet stains can be particularly tricky to remove, and the procedure for removing a stain depends on what substance caused the stain to begin with. Here at Carpetronex, we specialize in carpet stain & odor removal (as well as stain removal from upholstery, draperies, and other fabrics too). To help make your life easier and keep your carpets cleaner, we’ve compiled these stain removal tips for several common types of stains.
Stain Removal Tips
- Blood: Blood needs to be treated quickly to help reduce the risk of a permanent stain. Blood’s coagulative properties make it particularly tricky to clean once the stain is set. First, rinse the blood with cold water, blotting with white paper towels or a clean white cloth. For any remaining stain, try to remove it with a solution of a few drops of dish cleaning detergent in a cup of cold water. Blot/srub gently, but take care not to grind the stain into the carpet, damaging the fibers.
- Candle Wax: If you catch it while the wax is still mostly liquid, you can sop up some of the wax with paper towels. For the dried wax that remains, you should first apply an ice cube to the stain. After a minute or two, a lot of the frozen wax can be scraped away with a spoon. Finally, place a clean brown paper bag over the stain, then use your clothes iron (set on low) to transfer the wax from the carpet to the bag. Repeat as necessary.
- Candy: Scrape away any dried candy with a butter knife or a spoon. Then, apply a solution of dish soap and water to the stain, blotting carefully with a white towel or white paper towels.
- Chewing Gum: Like many stains, the quicker you can react to gum the better. Use an electric hair dryer to soften the gum, taking care not to melt the carpet fibers. Use a sheet of plastic wrap or a plastic bag to pull the softened gum from the carpet. Finally, apply Ben-Gay or any other muscle rub that contains methyl salicylate. This should help you remove any remaining reside (again using plastic when you pull the gum free). Wash any remaining stain with dish detergent and water.
- Coffee: Work a solution of dish soap and water into the stain with your fingers, taking care not to spread the stain. Blot with a white paper towel. Repeat as necessary.
- Soda: Blot as much liquid as you can with a white paper towel before cleaning. Then rinse the area with water. Next, mix a tablespoon of clear ammonia with a cup of water and apply this to the stain. Blot and repeat, being careful not to soak all the way through to the carpet padding. Finally, dish soap and water can be used to clean any stain that remains.
- Juice: The more liquid you can soak up, the less severe the stain will be. Blot carefully with white paper towels, being careful not to spread the stain. Then, rinse the affected area repeatedly with water, blotting carefully each time.
- Ink: Rubbing alcohol is great at removing ink stains, but care must be taken. Don’t pour rubbing alochol onto your carpet, instead apply it to a white cotton cloth and dab the stain carefully. Suck it out after a few minutes using a Shop-vac, or blot with a clean cloth. Repeat this process until no more ink transfers to your cleaning cloth.
- Animal Urine: Blot the area with clean paper towels. If you can, use a Shop-vac to suck out any remaining moisture. Then, mix 1/4 teaspoon liquid dish soap with 1 cup warm water. Apply the solution to the affected area, then blot carefully. To remove any lingering odor, you can apply a solution of 2 tablespoons white ammonia and 1 cup water. Rinse, extract, repeat.
- Animal Feces: Wear rubber or latex gloves, and remove any remaining solids. If the excrement is dried, you can use a butter knife or spoon to scrape it from the carpet fibers. If you have a wet/dry vacuum, flush the spot with water and extract several times. Next, mix a tablespoon of ammonia and about 1/4 cup of water. This solution helps eliminate odor as well as clean the stain. Apply the solution to the stain, then blot using paper towels or a clean white cloth. Repeat as necessary.
- Wine: Acting quickly to soak up as much wine as possible make the resulting stain easier to deal with; use a white cotton towel or white paper towels. Then, mix water and white vinegar in a 2:1 ratio. Apply this solution to the stain, then blot after letting it soak for a minute or two. Continue this process as long as you continue to see wine transferring from the carpet to your cloth. For particularly tough red wine stains, you can also try 3% hydrogen peroxide. Let it soak on the stain for an hour, then blot any excess. Rinse with water, blog again, and repeat if necessary.
Remember to always test any cleaning solution on an inconspicuous area of your carpet to test for any discoloration that may result. You can also check out stain removal tips for many other substances here!
If you’ve got a tough stain that you just can’t get rid of, or a stain that you don’t even know how to begin to tackle, don’t forget that Carpetronex is your Annapolis-area stain & odor removal specialist. Call us today at 410-268-8900 to learn more!