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How to Clean the Most Common Carpet Stains

October 3rd, 2016 Fantastic Team How to's

Last update: 8 months ago

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This guide will take you through the most common stains and offer you carpet cleaning solutions which are perfectly doable at home. However, the most satisfying results come after a professional carpet clean session with methods, such as hot water extraction and dry chem encapsulation.

Table of Contents

How to get mud out of carpet

In order to remove dirt stains from a thin carpet, you should mostly act with caution:

Remove any excess stain-causing material using paper towels. This may involve blotting up a spilt liquid or picking up solid wastes. Don’t rub, just blot in order to prevent pushing the stain deeper into the carpet fibres.
Once the mud is dry, vacuum the stained area in all directions to remove the dirt residue. The best way to do this is by using the hose attachment of your vacuum cleaner.
Make a solution of a cup of water and a few drops of mild dish-washing detergent. This one is recommended by the Fantastic end of tenancy cleaners for removing stains in a toxic-free way. Learn more after tenancy tips here.
Wet a clean cloth with the mixture and then gently blot the stain. Switch to a clean part of the cloth when the previous gets dirty. Do not apply too much pressure to avoid making a hole in your thin carpet (yes, it can happen). Keep blotting the stain until it’s removed. If you don’t have any luck with carpet cleaning so far – proceed to the next step.
Apply a commercial stain remover. Repeatedly dab at the stained area with a clean cloth until the stain is gone.
Remove the cleaning solution with a clean, dry cloth. Then, use paper towels and plain water to rinse the area. Make sure there isn’t any soap or solution residue left.
Let the area dry completely before allowing anyone to walk on it.

How to remove jam stains from carpet

It might be tricky to get rid of jam stains on a carpet. Here is how to clean them:

Pick up any jam from your carpet with a smooth edged butter knife. Be careful not to push the stain deeper into the fibres, you’ll only give yourself more time to spend on this.
Add one part of vinegar to four parts of lukewarm water into a spray bottle. Mix well and spray the stained area thoroughly. Although apple cider vinegar works best, it is advisable to use white vinegar for light coloured carpet because the apple cider vinegar can leave a light yellowish stain.
Remove any excess liquid by dabbing the stain. Use a clean cloth for the job.
Reapply the vinegar solution. Continue blotting with the clean part of the cloth until the carpet stain is removed.
If it’s still there, mix a spoon liquid dishwashing detergent with water into a proper sized bottle.
Place a clean cloth soaked into the solution over the stained area. Use a spoon to massage the top of the cloth until you get as much of the stain out of the carpet as possible.
Cover the damp area with a dry, white cloth and place a heavy book on it.
Keep it there until the carpet is completely dry. The cloth will extract the moisture from the carpet along with the stain as the carpet slowly dries.

How to remove tar from carpet

A carpet tar stain is no small business, but before you book cleaning services, you can always try a few inexpensive techniques that may help you when wondering how to get tar out of a carpet.

Cleaning tar from carpet with household cleaners

Blot the stain immediately using an absorbent towel. Make sure to remove as much of the tar as possible.
Hold an ice cube against the affected area for at least a minute to freeze the tar. Once the tar has fully hardened, take a dull knife and scrape it off the carpet.
Apply a solution made of equal parts warm water and liquid dishwashing detergent directly to the tar stain. Blot the area using a clean cloth, working in small, dabbing motions to lift the stain.
Once the tar has been removed, use a dampened cloth to blot the area of carpet you were working on to completely remove any traces of cleaner.

Removing tar from carpet using commercial products

Find a home dry cleaning kit from your local supermarket. Make sure it uses a non-flammable dry cleaning fluid.
Dab a cotton ball soaked in the fluid on the tar stain (we’re talking about drops of stains of course, not flooding spills).
Replace the dirty cotton balls with clean ones to prevent reapplying tar to the carpet.
Keep dabbing at the problematic area until the tar is removed.
If it doesn’t work, use a solvent-based cleaner and following the directions on the product’s label.
Apply firm pressure when dabbing with the cleaner to lift the tar from the carpet.
If that doesn’t work either, try a heavy-duty liquid disinfectant that breaks down grease and stains.
If the stain is still visible, purchase a bug and tar remover designed for cars.

How to get oil out of carpet

To handle the situation, here are some tips for removing oil stains, presented to you by professional cleaners.

Removing oil stains from carpet using cornstarch

Don’t let the stain soak in the carpet. Act immediately.
Use an absorbent dry cloth and blot up the oil stain. Don’t rub and don’t press too hard, or the oil will get even deeper into the fabric.
Sprinkle a large amount of powdered cornstarch onto the affected area. It will absorb the remaining oil.
After it does, remove the cornstarch, using the vacuum cleaner.
Examine the spot and see if there is more residue.
Wash the stained area with water and some dish-washing detergent.

Cleaning oil stains from carpet with dry cleaning solvent

Apply the dry cleaning solvent to the stained area using a clean cloth. Press strong enough to penetrate the solvent deeper into the carpet fibres. Let the solution sit for at least 5 minutes.
Blot up the solvent from carpeting using a damp cloth. Allow the area to air dry. To speed the drying process use a fan or a dehumidifier in the room.
Once the area is completely dry, examine the carpet for any traces of the oil stain. If the stain remains, repeat the cleaning process above.

Be careful! Test the cleaning solution on a small invisible area of your carpet before applying it to the entire stained area.

How to remove paint or ink stains from carpet

It’s important to act quickly, like with every other carpet stain, because it will be nearly impossible to get paint out of carpet when it’s dry.

Cleaning Ink Stains from Carpet with Homemade Solutions

Moisten the stained area with some rubbing alcohol. Blot the ink stain using a clean cloth. Do not rub the area to prevent spreading the stain!
Re-wetting the cloth with more alcohol and dab it over the affected area several times. Be patient! The alcohol should sit on the spot for about 30 minutes.
Rinse the area with a solution made of a quarter cup of white vinegar and a quart of warm water.
Once the stain is gone, rinse with clean water and let the carpet dry.
Vacuum the area thoroughly.

Removing ink carpet stains with commercial products

Use an absorbent material, like a sponge or towel, to soak up paint or ink immediately before it dries.
Make sure no more paint or ink is transferred onto the absorbent material before proceeding with the next step. A tamping brush can be very useful when blotting up the stain too.
Pour a small amount of carpet stain remover onto the stained area, then spray some water and begin blotting with a large sponge to lift the stain out of the carpet.
If you are dealing with latex paint, the water will help dilute the paint and get it out of the fibres much easier.
Avoid using paint thinner on the carpet, as it may cause discolouration or damage the floor beneath.
Pour water and stain remover into the machine’s reservoir and run it over the carpet as instructed by the manufacturer.
Leave the carpet to dry.

How professional cleaners clean carpets

If carpet cleaning and maintenance isn’t your first daily priority or you really do not want to be bothered with it, you can always rely on professional cleaning companies. The cost of professional carpet cleaning offers great value for your money. Here are the rug cleaning methods PROs use:

Hot Water Extraction. Sometimes mistaken for steam cleaning, the hot water extraction method uses a device, which ejects hot water under high pressure. With the HWE method, all dust, dirt, and debris are dislodged from the carpet and suck all together with the water. This is a method, which provides a thorough deep cleaning to your carpet and right now it’s considered the most effective. After the dirt is removed, the carpet doesn’t need rinsing at all, only a period of time to dry.
Dry Powder Carpet Cleaning. For luxurious wool carpets that tend to shrink from water, professionals use specialized high-quality dry cleaning powder. The carpet is sprinkled with powder and rubbed deeply into the carpet with a mechanical brush. The idea of this is to let the powder absorb all dust, dirt, and debris from the carpet. Later the whole carpet is vacuumed.
Encapsulation. This method uses a specialized high quality (expensive) product. It is sprayed on the carpet and then rubbed deeply into it with a mechanical brush. The solution crystallizes all dirt and dust from the carpet, which is then hoovered thoroughly. It’s a good method, which doesn’t let dirt stick together and it also has a lasting effect. It gives the freshness your carpet needs. It’s also not an easy technique to execute.