Let’s be honest—spills happen. No matter how hard you try to prevent them, at some point you’re carpet is going to get soiled by something. While many people would throw in the towel at this point and think that a stain is inevitable, it doesn’t have to be. Even if you haven’t bought those fancy carpets with all sorts of stain protectors built in, there are still things you can do to clean up a spill before it sets in and becomes a permanent addition to your carpeting. It all depends on what types of spill you’re working on, below Remnant Kings gives you solutions to solve common stains:
1) Water-Soluble Stains
Most spilled substances are going to be water-soluble substances. Simply put, this means that the substance in mind can be dissolved or broken down with water. These spills include things such as fruits and juices, foods, beer, milk, water- or even latex–based paint, or ink. Really, there’s a wide variety of things that fall into this category, which is good, because this includes most of the spills you’ll ever have to deal with. The other good news? These are the easiest spills to clean up.
To clean these spills you’ll need the following materials: a non-bleach detergent (white vinegar can work, as well), warm water and two clean cloths.
Simply mix the solution in water (one-part solution and two-part water), and then use one of the cloths to blot at the spill. It’s important at this point that you DO NOT SCRUB the area—this can push the spill down into the fibers and even into the padding underneath, where it will stay until you hire a professional cleaning service. Instead of scrubbing, press the cloth into the area and let it soak up the spill. Then, take your second clean cloth and use it to rinse.
You’ll find that some substances are easy to clean in this manner, but others will require you to repeat several times before it’s clean. Depending on the substance in question and the color of the carpet you might find yourself working on the spill for quite some time. Don’t give up! This will work—just make sure to be patient and your carpet will be clean once again.
2) Pet Urine
Even though pet urine is technically a water-soluble solution, it can be quite difficult to clean. Because of that, you’ll need to take additional steps.
You’ll still need warm water and a non-bleach detergent. Before you begin to apply this solution, though, start by blotting up the urine with a cloth or towel. Get up as much as you can before beginning the actual cleaning. If you have a shop-vac, you can use this as well to help get the urine up—anything you can do to keep it on top of the carpet and away from the padding is crucial!
Blot the stain and rinse with the two cloths, like before. Continue doing this until you have removed all of the urine.
The final step is to mix two tablespoons of ammonia and mix it into a separate cup of warm water. Rinse the area and blot up. Repeat if needed—until the area looks and smells urine free.
3) Blood
Another substance that requires special treatment is blood. Because of blood’s unique properties, you can’t fight this spill with the same materials.
Instead, the first thing to know is that you’ll need cold water—not hot—to help prevent the blood from coagulating. You’ll also need a grease-fighting dish detergent. Mix the detergent and cold water, and then use the same two-cloth methods as before. Blot with one cloth (NOT scrubbing or pressing too hard) and rinse with the other. Repeat as needed, assume you will need to repeat several times! Blood is persistent, so you have to be patient and relentless to get this stain removed!
4) Oil
The final substance we’re going to talk about, oil, is also a little trickier than water-soluble stains. The first thing you need to do with an oil spill is to blot the oil with a towel until you’ve taken up as much of the oil as possible. Then, use rubbing alcohol to dampen a clean cloth. Use this cloth to blot up the spill. This will help to loosen the remaining oil and remove it from the fibers. Once you’ve dampened the area and loosened the oil, continue cleaning the area with the non-bleach detergent and warm water solution, using a second cloth to clean the stain, and a final cloth to rinse and blot dry.
5) Some Tips to Remember
As you can see, most of these solutions are similar, but there are important things to keep in mind:
- Do not use bleach or bleach-based detergents! As you know, bleach will permanently discolor your carpet, so bleach should be avoided at all costs!
- Do not press too hard! As stated above, pressing too hard or scrubbing can cause permanent stains by pressing the spilled substance deep into the fibers and the padding beneath.
- Do be patient! Many spills will not come up without determination and repetition on your end.
You may find yourself repeating these steps several times before the area is clean. Don’t give up!
- Do know when to hire a professional cleaner—if you’ve pressed too hard or just can’t seem to get a stain cleaned, you might need to hire a professional cleaner before you end up doing real damage to the fibers of your carpet.
For more tips on having the best carpet, contact us today!