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Using Household Items To Remove Carpet Stains

by Budget Maids - August 29, 2012

No matter how careful you are, there always seems to be something that gets on your beautiful carpets. If you have children, or even a clumsy spouse, it can be nearly impossible to keep those carpets stain-free. Budget Maids is always happy to come out and clean your carpets for you. However, there are some little known ways to remove those stains before they set, with every day items you may have hiding around your Columbia, Maryland home. 

Coffee Stains

If you are a coffee lover, than you know how easy it is for what is in the cup to end up on your clothes, furniture and carpets. As great as coffee tastes, it stains quickly and can ruin the look of your carpets in your Columbia home. If you get a coffee spill on your carpet, blot it up immediately! Then use a tablespoon of mild detergent such as dish soap, a tablespoon of white vinegar and mix in a quart of warm water. Apply the solution liberally to the stain, blotting, not rubbing. When blotting no longer is removing any color on the cloth, let the area dry and vacuum.

Ink Stains

Whether it is a ballpoint pen that leaks or explodes or a jar of Indian ink that gets spilled while a budding artist creates their masterpiece, ink is difficult to remove from carpet. All ink is slightly different in its chemical make up so you may need to try a few different solutions to find the right one. With all of them, just dab the stain with the solvent and keep blotting until the stain releases. Most Columbia, Maryland homes should have at least one of these items on hand.

–       Hairspray

–       Rubbing alcohol

–       Nail polish remover

–       Turpentine

Lipstick

If your lipstick ends up leaving a smear of ruby red or classy corral on your carpet instead of your lips, try this technique. First, blot as much of the stain up as possible. Do not rub! Then wet a cloth and use a small amount of dish soap and blot some more. Rinse and add ammonia to the cloth, blot again. Rinse and add white vinegar, continue blotting. Finally, rinse the stain with water and put a few paper towels on top of the area with a weight to absorb the water and any leftover residue. Let the towels remain as long as possible, you can even do your errands in Columbia and remove them when you get back.

General Stains

If you catch any stain right away, you have a better chance of getting it out before it sets. For any spill that you catch right away, try baking soda. Just pour it on the stain dry, let it do its work for a few minutes and then blot it up with a damp cloth.

For stains that are not so fresh, try combining 2 tablespoons of dish soap, 3 tablespoons of white vinegar and a quart of warm water. Apply, blot and repeat these steps until the stain is removed.

If you are unable to get the stain up, it may require a professional cleaning to remove. Budget Maids uses a dry carpet cleaning method that is quick and effective for our Columbia, Maryland customers.