Cleaning tips for tough carpet stains
Published: October 20, 2015
Regular maintenance of carpets is certainly important but what should we do when someone spills a glass of wine… drops a plate of food… or tracks in muddy footprints? Messes happen and until someone invents a completely stain-proof carpet, we could all use some tips on how to keep a spill from becoming a permanent stain. Of all the carpet stores in Indianapolis, Kermans Flooring has heard our share of carpet stain horror stories. And while we can certainly help you find a new carpet to replace a stained one, we also want you to enjoy your carpet for years to come.
When someone spills something on your tile floor or hardwood floor, clean up is easy. On carpet? It can be a different story. There are, however, two key things you can do when a mess happens on the carpet: act quickly and blot patiently.
1. Act quickly
The faster you move, the better chance you have of preventing the stain from soaking into the carpet. Your first task is to wipe up as much of spill as possible. If it’s food, pick it up. If it’s liquid, soak up the puddle as quickly as possible with a clean, dry cloth.
2. Blog patiently
Once the bulk of the mess is out of the way, resist the urge to scrub. Scrubbing can ruin the carpet fibers which only makes your problem worse. Instead, blot and absorb the stain. Work from the outside of the affected area in to contain the stain. Continue to blot until you can no longer soak up any liquid. At this point, rinsing the area with water and then blotting again until dry may take care of it. If you have a trickier stain, we recommend the Carpet & Rug Institute’s spot solver tips.
You’ll notice that we don’t recommend any harsh cleaning solutions or anything beyond clean towels and water. For most stains, that’s all you’ll need. And that advice holds true for any type of flooring. While it’s true that tile and hardwood don’t stain as easily or absorb a spill like carpet, a spill on those hard surface floors should still be handled quickly and absorbed completely. If you remember those two steps, you’ll be able to handle most messes on your floor. Want a few more tips? Check out this video in our Flooring Tips Series: Three dos and three don’ts for handling stains on carpets:
