Area Rugs

Getting the Tough Stains Out of Your Carpet
By Budda Oliver

Everyone has had an accidental spill every now and then. These tips will help you get those deep down and unsightly stains out of your carpet so you won't have to rearrange your furniture.

Gum can be a messy and sticky substance to get stuck in your carpet. Before you start cutting away at the carpet fibers and destroying your rug further, try spraying the area with WD-40. You can also spread peanut butter over the gum. The WD-40 and peanut butter takes the sticky properties from the gum and turns it into crusty flakes. Once you remove all pieces of the gum, just blot the affected area with a little club soda.

Grape juice and wine contain tannins, which are an acidic dark purple liquid that make cleaning carpet stains difficult, if not impossible. When the spill is fresh, you can try blotting with club soda to get the excess liquid soaked up. You can pour the club soda directly onto the carpet and soak it up that way. You can also use a combination of vinegar and a mild dishwashing liquid to neutralize the tannins in the grape juice or wine. Just dab at the stain until it is removed, taking care not to rub. Rubbing a stain will just embed it in the fibers more deeply and can cause damage to your carpet.

Coffee or chocolate stains can be treated with straight white vinegar. Just blot at the stain until it is removed, then dab at it again with a damp cloth or sponge to rinse out the excess vinegar.

Trying to clean up a nail polish spill can seem like a lost cause, but removing these stains are easier than you might think. Nail polish remover removes it from your nails, so it would seem logical that it can remove it from your carpet as well. Just dab a little bit on a cotton ball and blot the stain until it is removed. Then blot the affected area again with water to remove the excess nail polish remover. Remember to blot the area, not rub, to avoid spreading the nail polish around and making the stain larger.

If you accidentally spill hair dye on your carpet, you must act quickly to avoid the stain from setting, however some stains are impossible to remove. If you dampen a sponge and use dishwashing detergent, you may be able to blot the area until most of the dye is removed. You can also try vinegar. In this case, however, trimming the top layer of carpet fibers may be your only option in completely removing the discoloration.

Remember - these carpet cleaning tips are home remedies. Professionals can get the job done more effectively and safely. Consult with professional carpet cleaners for any stain too large or too deep.

Mr. Oliver is a marketing agent of Absolute Carpet Care. The carpet cleaning professionals provide carpet, rug, tile, and grout cleaning services that sanitize and beautify homes throughout the Northern Virginia and DC Metro areas. For more information on their Upholstery Cleaning please visit their website.

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