How to Clean the Most Common Carpet Stains

Last update: 3 weeks ago

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.

How to get coffee stains out of carpet

Depending on the color of your carpet, coffee stains can be very difficult to remove. The key is to act fast and treat the stain as quickly as possible. The longer the coffee is able to soak in, the harder it will be to get rid of. Follow this step-by-step guide in order to remove the coffee stain for good:

1. Blot the area with a clean cloth or napkin.
2. If the coffee stain is old, wet it with warm water first to loosen it before blotting.
3. Mix dish soap and white vinegar with two cups of water.
4. Using a toothbrush, sponge, or microfiber cloth, rub the mixture into the stain and blot with a clean cloth. Repeat this process until the stain is gone.
5. To finish, wet a clean cloth with cold water and remove any residue.
6. Let the area air dry or use your blow dryer to speed the process up.

How to get mud out of carpet

Remember to be extra careful when removing mud stains from a thin carpet:

1. Remove the excess mud 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 dirt stain deeper into the carpet fibres.
2. 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.
3. 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. Check our blog post for more end of tenancy cleaning tips.
4. 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 mud stain until it’s removed. If you don’t have any luck with carpet cleaning so far – proceed to the next step.
5. Apply a commercial stain remover. Repeatedly dab at the stained area with a clean cloth until the stain is gone.
6. Remove the cleaning solution with a clean, dry cloth. Then, use paper towels and water to rinse the area. Make sure there isn’t any soap or solution residue left.
7. Let the area dry completely and avoid walking over it.

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 remove tar from a carpet.

Cleaning tar from carpet with household cleaners

1. Blot the stain immediately using an absorbent towel. Make sure to remove as much of the tar as possible.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Once the tar stain 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

1. Find a home dry cleaning kit from your local supermarket. Make sure it uses a non-flammable dry cleaning fluid.
2. Dab a cotton ball soaked in the fluid on the tar stain. We’re talking about drops of course, not flooding spills.
3. Replace the dirty cotton balls with clean ones to prevent reapplying tar to the carpet.
4. Keep dabbing at the problematic area until the tar is removed.
5. If this tar removal method doesn’t work, use a solvent-based cleaner and follow the directions on the product’s label.
6. Apply firm pressure when dabbing with the cleaner to lift the tar from the carpet.
7. If that doesn’t work either, try a heavy-duty liquid disinfectant that breaks down grease and stains.
8. 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 carpet cleaners.

How to remove oil stains from carpet using cornstarch

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

Cleaning oil stains from carpet with dry cleaning solvent

1. 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 and let the solution sit for at least 5 minutes.
2. Blot up the solvent from carpeting using a damp cloth. Allow the area to air dry. Use a fan or a dehumidifier in order to speed the drying process.
3. 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 inconspicuous area of your carpet before applying it to the entire stained zone.

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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 paint or Ink stains from carpet with homemade solutions

1. 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!
2. Re-wet 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.
3. Rinse the area with a solution made of a quarter cup of white vinegar and a quart of warm water.
4. Once the stain is gone, rinse with clean water and let the carpet dry.
5. Vacuum the area thoroughly.

Removing paint or ink carpet stains with commercial products

1. Use an absorbent material, like a sponge or towel to soak up paint or ink immediately before it dries.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. If you are dealing with latex paint, the water will help dilute the paint and get it out of the fibres much easier.
5. Avoid using paint thinner on the carpet, as it may cause discolouration or damage the floor beneath.
6. Pour water and stain remover into the machine’s reservoir and run it over the carpet as instructed by the manufacturer.
7. Leave the carpet to dry.

Professional carpet cleaning methods explained

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:

1. Hot Water Extraction. Sometimes mistaken for steam cleaning, the hot water extraction method uses a device, which ejects hot water under high pressure. All dust, dirt, and debris are dislodged from the carpet and sucked all together with the water. This is a method, which provides a thorough deep carpet cleaning and is considered the most effective one so far. After the dirt is removed, the carpet doesn’t need rinsing at all, only a period of time to dry.
2. 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. After that, the whole carpet is vacuumed.
3. Encapsulation. This method uses a specialized high quality 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. Encapsulation is also not an easy technique to execute.

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