Every mom knows that it’s really hard to keep the entire house sparkling when there are toddlers, babies and pets around. And I even don’t want to mention windows and glass doors full of fingerprints and those beautiful carpets that are full of stains now. It seems that our livingroom carpet is like a gigant stain magnet. Every time I get it clean, another stain appears.
Finding stains on your carpet is inevitable, and every carpet owner eventually has to deal with it. It doesn’t matter how big the stain is, it seems that it becomes to focal point of the room, and it drives you crazy. If you find yourself in this situation, consider the following stain removal tips! You’ll see that normally, removing a carpet stain is not that difficult at all.
- Fast action is important, but sometimes that isn’t necessarily and option. However, the sooner you address the problem, the better your results will be.
- First, begin by removing the source of the stain (food, dirt, etc), and gently scrape the stain with a teaspoon of dulled knife. Don’t rub the stain, as this may damage the carpet fibers or set the stain even more. If the spill is wet, absorb with a paper towel or dry cloth. When blotting, work from the outside of the edge in toward the center to prevent the stain from spreading.
- Once the stain has been blotted or lifted use a mild detergent. Always test the solution on a small piece of carpet before applying to the entire floor. It’s also important to check with the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning tips and solutions. A solution of one tablespoon ammonia and water can be used on any carpet that isn’t wool or wool blend.
- After the stain is removed, clean the area with clear water. The water will help make sure no detergent or cleaning residue is left behind.
- Place paper towels over the wet spot to soak up all moisture.
- If the stain hasn’t been lifted, don’t panic. Now it’s time to consider seeking out a professional shampoo service for your carpet. Experts sure know how to deal with your carpet and get those nasty stains out.
Do you have any carpet cleaning tips? You are welcome to share them below!
Most of my house is hard wood, so it’s easy to clean – which I fully appreciate with my kids who manage to spill everything! This is good to know in case I do have a spill on the part of my house that is carpeted.
Excellent post! I have a huge stain on out basement carpet and have been looking up ways to remove it! Trying this later tonight!
Very very useful post! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the tips! I have dogs, cats and a child in a house full of carpets. I will definitely bookmark this one!
Hmmmmm….. my solution is to buy new carpet. 😉
Just kidding. We try to catch the stain as soon as it happens. We vacuum high traffic areas often to keep the stain down. My next house will have hardwoods though!
This is very useful, actually. There have been several things spilled on my carpeting that I have had no idea how to get out.
I hate carpet stains. Thanks for a good tutorial.
These are great tips! I was thrilled when we finally got rid of our carpet in the main living area – too many stains in high traffic areas. Even the professional carpet cleaning could take care of all the stains completely. As you might have guessed, I have boys. 🙂
These are great tips. I often use a lot of natural cleaners for carpet stains. But when it doesn’t work; yeah its time to call in the professionals because I’m not going to damage that expensive carpet. lol. -Amber
Great to know this. With a houseful of people and two pets, there is always something to be cleaning up.
I am glad to read this because I have no carpet cleaning tips. With our family I really needed some too. No one should get light carpet with kids and pets. 🙂
Make sure you get the detergent back out of the carpet too. Blot with vinegar as needed to remove it. Otherwise, those spots will hold more dirt because it will stick in the detergent residue and it won’t look clean for long.
Thanks for a great advice Nanny Flowers! Will keep it in mind!
Great tips, thank you! (Although we only have carpet in three closets in our home…the rest of the spaced is either tiled or wood.) I can still appreciate a good stain removal technique!
I don’t have any tips to share and glad to have seen this post. Today my baby got strawberry stains all over our carpet. Yikes!! I tried warm water on a paper towel but that didn’t work. Thanks for sharing!
I know one of the most important things to do is to immediately take a towel or paper towel and absorb as much as the liquid as possible before it seeps into the pad underneath and you are unable to get it out. Great advice!
If the stain is really bad, sometimes I let oxyclean soak on it for an hour or two.
The biggest problem I have is that it doesn’t come up well and I try to scrub instead of dab. I always end up damaging the carpet.
I used to fight carpet stains like crazy! The day we changed the entire house into hardwood I was the happiest mom ever 🙂
Great tip! I am definitely keeping this one in mind
I have pets and kids – we need all the help we can get on removing stains! I never thought to use a spoon or dull knife to help remove the stain.
Excellent tip…why didn’t I ever think of detergent?
There is a stain in my son’s room that I cover with a rug. That stain drives me crazy and I can’t even see it. I just KNOW it’s there.
My daughter needs this for her house. Her kids stain everything. lol
I have 2 children and 2 smelly dogs. I needed these tips!! Thank YOU!!
Thanks for the tips on cleaning carpet stains. I for some (ridiculous) reason, bought an ivory rug for my den, and I have an 18 month old and a 4 year old. yikes!
Where has this been?! LOL This would have been awesome to know when we got our puppy!
This is great advice! I think I’ll have to skip straight to the “high a professional” part for my new rug, though. Why did I buy white with a toddler???
Awesome tips. I spilled grape juice on my brown carpet so it blends it but I know it’s there lol . do you think this will help with grape juice too ?
I have a hard time fighting the urge to rub the stain. Blotting is the way though!
We have gradually been replacing the carpet in our house with wood floors. Wood floors are so much easier to take care of!
I love my pets, but they sometimes have their accidents. Most of our house no longer has carpet, though, because it wasn’t conducive to either them or my allergies.
I wash my carpets often and I have had great luck with vinegar, oxiclean and even bleach (if diluted really well, it’s great for brightening and deodorizing)
I have a light carpet – and kids plus 2 dogs! – and it might be time to just get rid of it. These are great tips for one stain though and I’ll use them going forward.
I use vinegar, water and baking soda! Then i use a lavender based home made spray to take away the odor.
Great tips! My kiddos are always making messes on our carpets.
Good tip….I will try the mild detergent. Since the kids are grown we have a lot less carpet accidents.
Great tips! I will have to share this with one of my patients as she was asking about this last week!
These are great tips. I also have a homemaking book that includes a chart to help you identify what ingredients to use to treat different types of stains (e.g. hot water vs cold water, soap vs. baking soda).