How to get stubborn stains out of carpet, stain by stain

To remove carpet stains, blot up as much as you can with a white cloth, then use a cleaner matched to the stain: dish soap and water for food and drinks, an absorbent powder first for grease, an enzyme cleaner for pet accidents. Work from the outside of the spot inward, rinse with plain water, and dry it under a weighted towel so it doesn't wick back.

What are the rules for any carpet stain?

• Blot, don't rub. Rubbing frays the pile and spreads the stain wider. Press down with a white cloth and lift, again and again.
• Use white cloths or paper towels. Colored cloths can transfer dye onto light carpet.
• Test first. Try any cleaner on a hidden spot, like inside a closet, and wait until it dries.
• Less liquid is better. Soaking the carpet pushes the stain into the pad, where you can't reach it.
• Rinse every time. Soap left in the fibers is sticky and grabs new dirt, so the spot turns gray soon.
• Dry under weight. A folded towel on top with a heavy book or pot on it pulls the last of the moisture out.

How do you get juice, coffee or soda out of carpet?

1. Blot up everything you can.
2. Mix one teaspoon of clear dish soap into two cups of warm water.
3. Dampen a white cloth in the mix and blot from the edge of the stain toward the middle.
4. For coffee or tea, follow with one tablespoon of white vinegar in two cups of water, blotted the same way.
5. Rinse by blotting with plain water, then dry under a weighted towel.

Red drinks like fruit punch and sports drinks are the stubborn ones. If a pink shadow stays, a little hydrogen peroxide from the drugstore, dabbed on and left for a few minutes, can lift it on light synthetic carpet. Test it first, because peroxide can bleach.

How do you get grease, makeup or butter out?

Water alone won't touch oil. Sprinkle cornstarch or baking soda over the spot, leave it 20 minutes to soak up the grease, then vacuum it off. Blot what's left with the dish soap mix, rinse and dry.

For lipstick or foundation, a little rubbing alcohol on a white cloth, dabbed, breaks down the oil and pigment. Test it first.

How do you clean pet accidents out of carpet?

Blot up all the liquid, pressing hard with layers of paper towels. Then use an enzyme cleaner made for pet urine, following the label, and give it the full dwell time it asks for. Enzymes break down what causes the smell. Regular soap only covers it, and a pet will go back to a spot that still smells to them.

For solid messes, lift them off with a paper towel or a plastic scraper first, then clean what's left the same way.

How do you get mud out of carpet?

Leave it alone until it's completely dry. Then break it up with a stiff brush and vacuum it out. A lot of it comes up dry. Treat the faint mark left behind with the dish soap mix.

What about gum, wax and slime?

• Gum: hold an ice cube in a plastic bag on it until it's hard, then chip it off and trim any stuck fibers with scissors.
• Candle wax: scrape off what you can, then lay a brown paper bag over it and press with a warm iron. The paper soaks up the melted wax. Move to a clean part of the bag and repeat.
• Slime: pick off the bulk, then dab with white vinegar to loosen the glue, and blot with the soap mix.

How do you get an old stain out of carpet?

Rewet it with warm water and let it sit five minutes to soften. Then treat it as the fresh version of whatever it was. Old stains usually take two or three rounds, letting it dry between them. Some stains, especially red drinks and pet urine left for weeks, have dyed the fibers, and no amount of blotting changes that.

When should you call a carpet cleaner?

Call a carpet cleaning company when a stain covers a large area, keeps coming back from the pad, or is on wool or a rug with a care label that says professional cleaning only. Our post on different types of flooring covers carpet care between professional carpet cleanings, and freshening up bedroom carpet has more on the full-room clean.

What does a house cleaning do for carpet?

On a Standard House Cleaning, RoutineCare, the floors are vacuumed and mopped on every visit. On a Deep Cleaning, PureRenewal, the edges and corners are detailed, and the floor under and behind furniture that moves easily is done too.

Carpet shampooing and steam cleaning aren't on any of our cleaning checklists. That's a job for a carpet cleaning company.

See what's covered at Deep Cleaning.

FAQ

Why does a carpet stain come back after it dries? That's wicking. Part of the spill soaked into the backing and pad, and as the carpet dries it pulls back up to the surface. Blot it again, then dry it under a folded towel with something heavy on top so the moisture goes into the towel.

Does vinegar remove carpet stains? Diluted white vinegar helps with drink spills and pet urine odor on synthetic carpet. Keep it off wool carpet and rinse it out after, since it can loosen some dyes.

How do you get an old dried stain out of carpet? Rewet it with warm water first, let it sit five minutes, then treat it as a fresh stain of the same type. Expect two or three rounds, and know that some old stains have already dyed the fibers for good.

Does a house cleaning include carpet shampooing? No. Carpet shampooing and steam cleaning aren't part of Standard House Cleaning, Deep Cleaning or Move-In and Move-Out Cleaning. The carpet is vacuumed on every visit.

Book a cleaning

We clean homes across South Jersey and Central Jersey. Book online at tinascleanteam.com/book-now, or call or text (609) 831-4455.