6 Common Carpet Stains and How to Remove Them

A carpeted floor can be a thing of beauty – luxurious, stylish and adding warmth to a room. But it’s also susceptible to spillages and stains that can become permanent if not cleaned immediately.

That’s why it’s good to have some tips in your back pocket for when you have a carpet stain emergency. Read on as we look at six of the most common carpet stains and how to remove them.

1. Red wine

Red wine is the most common after-party carpet stain. Everyone has an opinion on how to clean a wine spillage. However, the best method is simply a mixture of water and white wine vinegar.

Soak up the excess liquid by blotting the stain first, before applying small amounts at a time of your homemade cleaning solution. If you panic and soak the whole carpet at once, you can end up spreading the stain even more.

2. Coffee stains

Coffee stains are a very common carpet stain and they’re also one of the hardest to remove. If you don’t clean coffee stains properly, your carpet can end up looking murky.

Soak up excess liquid before using either a carpet cleaner or a homemade mixture of water and white vinegar. Start from the outside and work your way into the middle of the stain. Blot again to dry off any more liquid.

3. Fat-based stains

Baking soda is a good solution for cleaning fatty stains from carpets. Whether the stain is butter, margarine or even gravy, just sprinkle with baking soda and leave it for approximately six hours. Then vacuum the excess baking soda before dabbing it with a cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol.

4. Pet urine

There’s nothing worse than the smell of cat or dog pee that has sunk into your carpet. The acidic property of urine means that it can also turn the carpet yellow and bleach the colour if you don’t deal with it as soon as possible.

To neutralise the acid, use baking soda. It will not only absorb the liquid but is also great at covering unpleasant smells. Leave it for 15 minutes before vacuuming it up.

5. Ink

Anyone with kids under 5 will appreciate this tip. Using isopropyl alcohol – found in most nail polish removers and hand sanitisers – is great for removing random scribbles from carpets. Apply to a cloth and blot the stain gently. Be careful when blotting the ink, as carpet colour could be removed when applying alcohol to the carpet (test on a less obvious area first).

6. Chewing gum

While it’s not as common as other stains on this list, dried chewing gum is easily one of the trickiest things to remove from a carpet. The best way to take it off a carpet is to use ice cubes. Yes, you read that right!

By placing a resealable plastic bag full of ice cubes over the chewing gum, it will harden and make it easier for you to remove it. Chip it off using a spoon or dull knife and then vacuum the stain with a dry-solvent carpet cleaner.

Struggling with stubborn carpet stains?

The tips above will give you the best chance against common carpet stains. But DIY cleaning has its limitations. To remove the toughest stains and keep your carpet at its best, you can’t get better than a professional carpet cleaner.

The National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCCA) makes it easy to find reputable, professional carpet cleaners in your area. All members are thoroughly vetted, fully insured and adhere to a strict code of practice.

Ready to get started? Find your local cleaner today.