Keeping your carpet in perfect condition is always the ideal scenario, but with guests, kids, or pets, use and accidents just happen. Here are some of the most tricky stains in your carpet and how to deal with them.
Gum
There are three methods of dealing with sticky gum in your carpet; the first one is to freeze the gum to break it off the carpet. You can use ice cubes in this scenario. Another option is going the opposite direction as freezing: making the gum more malleable.
This method is only effective if it’s a recent incident. Use the hairdryer to melt the gum, and use a plastic bag to scrape the gum off with your fingers. The last method is to use WD-40 to help the gum get free from the carpet fibers, but you will need to clean the WD-40 off the carpet as well.
Red Wine
With red wine, speed is key. You will want to blot the area with a clean cloth to absorb any excess red wine. You can dilute the wine with some cool water and continue blotting the area. You can also add some salt to the area if you aren’t able to remove the stain straight away. To remove the stain, make a baking soda paste (3:1 baking soda to water).
Apply the paste to the stain and wait to dry—vacuum up the dried paste. Use a carpet stain remover to finish.
Blood
If you get blood on the carpet, you will want to blot the area when it’s fresh. Use cool water to dilute the blood as you continue to blot. If the blood is dried, try to use a steel brush to break it off the carpet and vacuum up the dried blood. You can also use the baking soda paste to help remove the stain. Use a carpet stain remover to finish.
Coffee
If you are to spill coffee on your carpet, use wet wipes to blot as much as you can. You can create a solution of washing up liquid, white vinegar and warm water with a sponge to take care of the stain. If the coffee contained milk or sugar, add some laundry detergent to help break down the stickiness.
Ink
When you have an ink stain use cotton wool pads to absorb any excess. Blot with alcohol to pick up ink that’s penetrated the carpet. Dry stains will need to be soaked for at least five minutes. If you don’t have any (rubbing) alcohol, you could also try using nail polish remover. With both alcohol and nail polish remover, make sure to test it first in a small unnoticeable spot on the carpet first.
Mud
Mud stains are usually easier to get out of the carpet. Let the mud dry, use a steel brush and vacuum the mud. You might need to use some mild soapy water to go over the mud once more, but you would just repeat the process once you’ve washed the surface.
If All Else Fails
And if you really need it done properly, without having to mix solutions yourself, hire a cleaning service to get it done well the first time around!