Easy Home Carpet Stain Removers

With carpeting, one thing is certain. Every kind of substance will get spilled on it, and most likely it will happen when it’s fairly new or has just been cleaned. Having kids or pets, or even a husband, can compound the problem immensely. So, how do you keep your beautiful carpet clean? With stains, different treatments work on different messes. But no matter what your gang gets into, we’ve found some pretty awesome DIY tips that should do the trick to get your carpet clean.

Here Are A Few Home Carpet Stain Remover Recipes To Try:

• Red wine: Quick! Pour some white wine on it to dilute it, then clean it with cold water and a sponge. Now sprinkle salt liberally on the stained area and wait ten minutes or so before vacuuming up the mess.
• Ketchup spill: You have to act really quick with tomato-based stains, because once they are dried in, they are nearly impossible to remove. Sprinkle salt liberally, let sit for five minutes, and vacuum up. Sponge up any remaining residue and continue this process until the stain is out.
• Kool-Aid or Juice: This can be difficult to remove, if you don’t know the trick! First blot as much as possible with a dry, white towel. Don’t rub, that might spread it or make it harder to get out. A mixture of white vinegar, water and Dawn dishwashing liquid will do the trick most often. Mix it up in a spray bottle, with a quarter cup of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of Dawn and water the rest of the way. Spray it really well and walk away for ten minutes. Grab another dry, white towel and blot like crazy.
• Pet stains: Most pet owners face this at some time or another from their precious pup or even an older, but still ornery, dog or cat. Quickly clean up the initial mess; use gloves to pick up any yuck that is there, and the blot method for any liquids. Once you have removed all the liquid, you need to neutralize the odor and remove any spot. Try white a quarter cup of white wine or white vinegar in water and spritz it liberally on the stain. Allow it to soak for several minutes and blot up the stain. Another cleaning method for pet stains is mixing water with stain-fighting laundry detergent in a spray bottle. Spray on, let soak, blot, rinse and repeat, as necessary.
• Coffee or tea stains: Coffee and tea stains are some of the worst, leaving yellow/brown stains that your visitors might mistake for a pet mess. We’ve got you covered if you spill your java, though! First blot the spot dry with a dry, white towel. Try a mixture of vinegar, non-bleach detergent and water first with your spritzer bottle, and repeat it a few times if necessary. Another old wives remedy says that pouring some beer on it will help remove it, and suggests that you rub the beer lightly into the rug, making the stain disappear. Voila! Some carpet will stand up to bleach, and you might need to try a safety test of yours to see if it is colorfast, even with a quarter cup of bleach mixed into a cup and a half of water in a spray bottle. If your test comes out okay, soak the spot with your mixture, blot it dry and rinse well until that coffee is gone.
• Blood stains: The key to removing blood from your carpet is doing it fast and always using cold water, because it will keep the blood from soaking in deeper. A spray bottle with cold water and some liquid Dawn detergent should be sprayed directly on the stain.Use paper towels or dry, white cloths to blot as much as possible out of the carpet. Use a cold rinse, and repeat if needed. OxiClean is another cleaner you might try, because the oxygenation removes most carpet stains. Dilute the OxiClean with warm water, but add as much cold as possible, and use the blot method until the spot is gone.
• Ink Stains: This is probably one of the hardest stains to remove, but there are some things you can try. Moisten a clean, white cloth with isopropyl alcohol with a high percentage, and then dab it carefully on the ink stain. Do not rub, do not scrub; that will only spread the stain. Let it stand for several minutes, then grab your shop vac to suck up the liquid. You may need to try it two or three times before you get it all out. Other items that can work are hairspray, nail polish removers, anything typically with a high alcohol content, WD-40, and cornstarch. Seriously! Mix a little milk with cornstarch to make a paste, and apply it to the ink stain. Let this dry, brush off the dried gunk and vacuum it up. Most often, the ink will be gone from the carpet!
• Spilled paint or nail polish: Mix 3 teaspoons of white vinegar, 3 teaspoons laundry detergent and 3 cups of water. Sponge away the paint before it dries and rinse with cold water. You might also dab gently with paint remover or a dry-cleaning fluid.
• Grease and oil: Would you believe us if we told you to spray some shaving cream on it and let it dry? Seriously, rub it into the stain, allow it to dry, then remove with a clean, damp cloth. Repeat, if necessary. Another grease and oil remedy is cornstarch; sprinkle it liberally on the spots and allow it to sit overnight, then vacuum it up. If it’s not all gone, there should be a marked improvement. A combination of salt and rubbing alcohol is also a great grease stain fighter. Rub it hard into the stain, let dry and vacuum.
• Mystery stains: Sometimes, you have no idea what a stain is; you just know you want it out. There are some home carpet stain remover ideas that are good for all purposes, and some things you will want to keep on hand for carpet emergencies. Always keep white vinegar on hand; for light carpet stains, dissolve 2 tablespoons of salt in half a cup. For darker or bigger stains, add 2 tablespoons of borax to the mix. For really tough stains, try vinegar mixed with cornstarch; rub it in good and let it set for a couple days before vacuuming. A mixture of 1 cup of clear ammonia in a half gallon of water can lift stains from upholstery and carpeting by sponging them clean and repeating if needed. Hydrogen peroxide and a little bit of cream of tartar or standard toothpaste can remove mystery stains most of the time, too.

Of course, when all of those home carpet stain remover recipes just do not seem to be enough, you can always call for professional assistance and get a pro that has worked on your same type of stain hundreds of times.

Fresh ‘n Dri is always ready to come by your place at a moment’s notice and work on those tough stains. Just give us a call! 435-767-1950