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The Ultimate Guide to Cleaning Carpet Stains

You love the way your fresh, new carpet makes your living room feel – until the kids run in with muddy boots. You can clean up most of the mess, but ghostly remnants of their romp will always lurk in your living room. Over the weeks and months to come, other calamities occur— spilled sodas, […]

You love the way your fresh, new carpet makes your living room feel – until the kids run in with muddy boots. You can clean up most of the mess, but ghostly remnants of their romp will always lurk in your living room. Over the weeks and months to come, other calamities occur— spilled sodas, splattered paints, and busted ink pens add to the clamor on your new carpet, until the stains make it look more worn out than it really is.

For your carpet to last as long as it possibly can, prompt removal of spills and stains is essential. Use these handy tips to keep your new carpet looking new for years, and even to help improve the appearance of older carpet stains.

Deep, Dark Stains

  • For wine, juice, berry, coffee, tea, and other beverages that tend to leave behind deep stains, act fast after a spill so that the stain doesn’t get a chance to set. Dilute the wet spill with vinegar or white wine before trying to sop it up.
  • A little bit of shaving cream can be used to lift juice and tea stains if you get to it quickly enough. Simply blot up the stain as much as possible, dampen it with a wet cloth, spray a little shaving cream on it, and wipe it up.
  • Out of vinegar and shaving cream? Using plain old table salt or baking soda is a bit more labor-intensive than other methods, but it works. Sprinkle the salt on the wet spill, let it soak in for a few moments (but don’t let it dry) then vacuum it up. Repeat until the stain is gone.

Food Stains

  • Treat almost any food stains with vinegar. Mix about 1/2 cup with 1 tbsp salt for light and shallow stains, or with 2 tbsp baking soda or borax for dark stains.
  • Vinegar is also good for old, deeply set stains. Combine 1/2 cup to 1 cup vinegar with 1 to 2 tbsp baking soda and enough cornstarch to form a paste; use a brush or steel wool to scrub the paste into the stain, let it dry for several hours, then vacuum.

Oil-Based Stains

  • Spills from paint, grease, ink, and other oils tend to get even bigger when you try to clean them, so blot them carefully with an absorbent cloth or paper towel before trying to remove any stain.
  • Salt is excellent for drawing oil up from almost any kind of carpet. Let it sit on the wet spill for a few minutes, vacuum, and repeat until the mess is gone.
  • Cornstarch serves as a good alternative to salt for wet grease or oil stains. For drier stains, mix the cornstarch with milk and let it dry for several hours before vacuuming.
  • If none of the above does it for you, paint thinner can usually help loosen oil-based stains.

Other Stains

  • There are few things less attractive than an unidentifiable stain. Try blotting it with hydrogen peroxide, which is unlikely to harm your carpet or make any stain worse, and follow it with baking soda if there is still an unpleasant odor left behind.
  • Slice a potato in half and rub the cut side into a blood stain to make it easier to remove.
  • Clean up urine and vomit immediately, and sprinkle the area with baking soda to both kill the smell and draw out any particles still remaining in the carpet fibers.

When all else fails, Windows Floors & Decor can help you identify the best stain remover and/or carpet cleaner for your carpet!