written by American HouseCleaning
By using ingredients found in your household, you can remove unwanted stains from your carpet.
To remove a stain, simply mark the spot and wipe it dry from the outside going in. Then rinse thoroughly with clean water. Do not scrub the carpet as this can ruin the carpet fibers or make the stain worse.
AmericanHouseCleaning.com, a maid service company in Palo Alto, states that when removing carpet stains, you need different types of home-made cleaners depending on the stain. The most common is water-soluble stains. These include: alcoholic beverages, berries, soft drinks, food dyes, sauces, ice cream, jelly, milk, mud, washable ink and wet or latex paint. For such stains, use a simple cleaning solution composed of 1/4 teaspoon of non-bleach detergent mixed with 32 ounces of water. If you do not have detergent, you can use white vinegar instead.
There are also “special water-soluble” stains. These require different cleaning solutions and include blood, chocolate, coffee, mustard, tea, vomit and wine. For such stains, the cleaning solution should be a blend of 1 tablespoon of ammonia combined with 1 cup of water. For wool or wool-blended carpet, you have to use a solution with detergent and water. For solution-dyed carpets such as polypropylene, try a mixture of one part chlorine bleach to five parts water. Avoid using bleach as much as possible because it generally harms carpet materials, but if your stain is stubborn, it might be necessary.
For other common carpet stains, here are the recommended solutions:
Fat, Oil, and Wax. Place a paper towel over the carpet and iron on using just a warm setting. The wax, fat, or oil should come off the carpet and adhere to the paper towel.
Cigarette Burns. Use an object with a flat and hard surface such as a ruler to gently scrub the pile away.
Glue. You can use a wad of cotton or soft cloth for this type of stain. Pour rubbing alcohol on it and press your cloth or cotton ball on the stained area. When the glue stain is thoroughly softened, wipe it off with the cloth or cotton ball. Repeat the process until you have removed the glue stain completely.
Wax and Gum. Ice works best to remove wax or gum. Use the ice to make the wax or gum solid. Then use a blunt instrument such as a dull knife to break the hard wax or gum from the carpet. Vacuum the carpet before the wax or gum begin to soften, then blot the carpet with a white towel.
Nail Polish. What better way to remove nail polish than use nail polish remover? Use a rag moistened with nail polish remover and blot the affected area.
Urine. Use a towel to soak up the urine as much as possible before attempting to remove the stain. Then with a wet piece of cloth, blot the affected area. Next spray the stained area using a solution composed of equal parts white vinegar and water. Then, you should apply a solution of 1/2 teaspoon of mild, nonbleach detergent and 32 ounces of water. Rinse; then blot dry.
With all of the carpet cleaning solutions out there it can be difficult to understand which solutions to use on what type