No matter how hard you try to prevent, something or the other that shouldn’t get on the carpet will be spilled on it. It only takes a moment for your gorgeous carpet to become doomed. But before you rush it to the carpet cleaners, it might be a good idea to see if you could get the stain off yourself. Here are some tips on how to use household articles to remove some of the common carpet stains. What to do when you have a spill?• When you accidentally spill something, blot the spot dry with a clean piece of cloth before it seeps into the carpet pad. Work from the outside in and do not rub or scrub the spot in order to prevent the stain from spreading.• If you are using a commercial stain remover, make sure it works on the fabric your carpet is made of. If you are not sure, read the label on the bottle and the tag on the carpet or use the liquid on an inconspicuous part of the carpet to make sure that the dye remains intact and the fabric is not spoiled.Removing pet stainsPet owners are often faced with carpet cleaning challenges when their pets bring in some dirt or spoils from outside or are unable to control and/or get sick and make a mess on the carpet. As frustrating as that might be, there are ways to cleaning the carpet completely.• Pick up any solid debris by using a plastic bag wrapped over your hand or wear gloves. If the mess is mostly fluid, use copious amounts of paper towels or tissue paper to blot the stain without smearing.• If the stain has dried up, moisten it with a little water, leave for a little bit and blot it until the carpet is dry. • Use cleaning products specifically formulated to clean pet stains from the carpet. If the stain still persists, dissolve some stain-fighting laundry detergent in water and spray it on the area. Allow it to soak in for a few minutes before rinsing it out with warm water. Repeat if necessary.• To remove the smell, try using a cleaning solution of white vinegar on the spot similarly. Spray, soak it in the mixture for a few minutes and then rinse.Removing coffee stainsCoffee stains appear yellowish brown on the carpet and can be very difficult to get rid off if let be for a long period. • If the spill is fresh, use paper towels to blot it up. Change towels when one piece becomes saturated to make sure that the stain does not spread.• Use a commercial cleaning agent or a mixture of white vinegar, non-bleach detergent and water to get rid of the stain. If that does not work, see if you can use a bleaching agent safely on the carpet (e.g. polypropylene fibres respond safely to bleach treatment but not wool). If nothing else works, you might have to give it over to a cleaning service. Removing blood stains• Always use cold water instead of warm water when cleaning off blood stains, to prevent them from permeating through the carpet. • Mix cold water with a grease-fighting liquid dish detergent and spray it on the stain until it has soaked. Use paper towels to blot out the blood and rinse with cold water. Repeat the process as many times as needed.• Alternatively, you can also use oxygen bleach on the area in the same way. Do a patch test on the carpet before you use it. If you can’t get rid of it after several tries, give it to a cleaning agency.
