Sometimes, most of your carpet cleaning will involve stain removal. It is almost impossible to avoid stains since most of the foods and chemicals you use at home are potential causes of carpet stains. The best way to prevent stains from damaging your carpet is by knowing how to remove them. Some people remove stains through abrasive means when cleaning their carpets. This might be effective, but such method damages the carpet.
For example, scrubbing the stained area using a rough brush might discolor the carpet or cut its fibers. You should use a suitable solvent to remove stains without damaging the carpet. Below are different types of stains and the solvents you should use to remove them.
Water-soluble stains
These are stains that dissolve in water. Most water-soluble stains are foods, beverages, or inks. Examples include milk, soda, fruits, alcohol, and latex paint. To remove these stains, you just need warm water and a soft towel. Moisten the soft cloth with warm water and blot the stained area gently. It will be easier to remove the stains if you blot the stained area before the stains dry.
If pure water does not remove the stains, you can add soap or detergent to the warm water and blot the stained area again. Remember to rinse the carpet after removing the stains since soap can discolor it. You can also use ammonia on non-wool carpets and hydrogen peroxide on white carpets in place of soap.
Oil-based stains
Fat and oils do not dissolve in water, so oil-based stains cannot be removed using water only. Common oil-based carpet stains include lipstick, petroleum jelly, margarine, crayons, and grease. You can remove oil-based stains using baking soda, corn starch, or alcohol. Baking soda and corn starch remove stains by absorbing moisture from the stains. Moisture is what makes the stains stick to the carpet. Once the moisture has been removed, you can vacuum up the residue.
Alcohol removes stains by dissolving the oils. If you are removing stains using baking soda or corn starch, you should sprinkle them over the stained area and let them sit for about 20 minutes before vacuum cleaning.
Wax and gum
Wax and gum stick to carpet fibers, and chipping them off forcefully will damage the material. The force needed to remove the stains is substantially reduced by drying the wax or gum using ice. To dry the wax/gum, cover the stained fibers with ice cubes for at least 20 minutes. Once the wax or gum is dry, gently chip it off starting with the outer edges. If some wax/gum remains, apply baking soda, and let it sit for about 20 minutes. After that, remove the residue using a vacuum cleaner
Combination stains
Some stains contain both soluble and non-soluble compounds. These include tea, coffee, vomit, blood, and chocolate. To remove combination stains, blot the stained area with a soft towel soaked in a solution of water and white vinegar. If the stains do not go away completely, use the baking soda method of removing non-soluble stains.
To effectively remove stains while cleaning your carpet, you need to use the right stain removers. Before shopping around for stain removers, determine the types of stains on your carpet. This should inform your choice of stain removers. If you find stain removal daunting, you can hire professional carpet cleaners to do it for you.
