If you have kids, pets, or constant activity in your home that create not so spot free spaces. You may love a clean home but hate to spend the extra time and money at the store. From juice spills to crafting mishaps or an untrained pet – there are ways to spot clean with some supplies that you may already have around your home. Vinegar, ammonia, mild detergents or sometimes freezing or heating certain types of stains can do the trick. Read below for some quick go-to solutions for your next cleaning target!
Before you begin…
To treat a stain, you should first gently blot the area with a dry washcloth. Work your way from the outside of the stain to the inside – rinse with a cloth using clean water and continue to blot. Be gentle as you clean because scrubbing the stain can cause damage to the rug or carpet or the pad underneath.
Water-Soluble Carpet Stains
A small percentage of all carpet stains are water-soluble. These are certain food, beverage, or protein-based spills which can be remedied with cleaning products that contain water. Stains including milk, mud, food dye, alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages, gravies, berries, juice, wet paint, fecal matter, and more. Of course, the sooner you apply a treatment, the easier it will be to remove.
- Mix a 1/4th tsp of white vinegar per 4 cups of water for the cleaning solution
- Blot the stain with the solution, rinse and repeat with care.
In-Soluble Carpet Stains
The majority of stains, however, do not dissolve in water or any other kind of solvent. These are the least desirable stains to find, but not so tough to clean – gum, grease, make-up, oil, paint, oh my.
Gum – ice cubes are the way to go! Get the stuck gum as frozen and hard as possible and then chip it away until it’s gone. Baking soda can also help to remove the remainders.
Oil based (grease, oil, make-up, etc.) – sprinkle a dry solvent such as baking soda or cornstarch on the stain. Let the solvent sit for at least 15 minutes to soak up the spill. Vacuum up the remnants and repeat, blotting with a gentle solution if needed: (1 TBSP of liquid dish soap, 1 TBSP of white distilled vinegar, and 2 cups of warm water.)
There are so many products marketed for very specific stain situations, but for the day to day common stains, we hope that these tips come in handy. Taking care of your carpet and flooring between steaming or professional services is a must to keep it beautiful and lasting for years to come! When you are ready for your professional cleaning, call us at All Clean ChemDry.