Common Carpet Stains and How to Remove Them

Carpet wear and stains are inevitable, especially in high-traffic areas. However, if you deal with common stains quickly and correctly, you'll minimize the damage, and you may even be able to remove the stain completely.

Here are a few common types of carpet stains and how to treat them.

Pet Stains

If you have a furry friend and carpet, chances are you'll have to deal with a pet stain from urine or vomit at some point.

Soak up wet messes as soon as possible using paper towels or a clean, white towel and place pressure on the wet spot so it doesn't soak deep into the fibers and padding.

For urine, mix a solution of equal parts warm water and white vinegar, along with a few tablespoons of baking soda and spray it liberally onto the spot. Let the solution sit for 10 minutes before soaking it up with a clean, dry towel.

For vomit, mix 2 cups of warm water, 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of dish soap, and 1 tablespoon of salt in a bowl. Blot the mixture onto the stain with a clean sponge until the spot disappears. Then, clean the solution out of your carpet by dipping a clean cloth into warm water and blotting the carpet fibers dry.

Try a commercial enzyme-based cleaner for any lingering smells after you take care of the stain.

Mud and Dirt Stains

You're bound to see some dirt stains on your carpet in high-traffic areas, especially if you have a light-colored floor. Allow any mud to dry completely before you attempt to clean it so you don't spread it around and make a larger stain.

Vacuum up any loose dirt and dried mud by moving slowly over the spot and switching directions often so that you pull as much dried material out of the carpet fibers as possible. Dab a clean white towel in a mixture of 1 cup of warm water and 1 teaspoon of dish detergent. Blot the cleaning solution over the stain.

Switch cloths until you don't pick up any brown or gray residue and pat the area dry with a clean towel.

Juice Stains

Fruit juices can stain a carpet quickly, but if you clean up any spills and tackle stains as soon as possible, you might never know it happened. Soak up as much of the juice as you can, but don't rub a cloth or sponge smeared with juice into your carpet — this can work the stain further into the carpet fibers and padding below.

Mix 1/4 teaspoon of dish soap in one cup of warm water and spray or blot it over the stain with a sponge. Allow the cleaner to sit for at least 10 minutes before blotting with a clean, white cloth. Repeat this process until your cloth stays white.

If there's still some color remaining, spray a mixture of white vinegar and warm water over the stain and follow the same process, blotting until you can't see the stain coming up on your cloth.

Coffee and Tea Stains

The tannins in coffee and dark teas can leave an ugly stain on your carpet after an accidental spill. As with all stains, you should tackle stains from hot beverages when they're fresh.

Like other liquid stains, you should blot up as much of the coffee or tea as you can. Use a clean towel so you don't transfer other residue or stains to your carpet.

Dabbing a mixture of warm water, a tablespoon of dish soap, and a tablespoon of white vinegar onto a fresh coffee or tea spot will usually bring up most of the stain. Use cold water to rinse the area and blot until the carpet is as dry as possible.

Sometimes elbow grease, household cleaners, and commercially-available products just aren't enough, particularly for older carpet stains. Smith-Mathis Carpet + Upholstery Cleaning provides professional carpet cleaning and repair services in the Fishers and Indianapolis, Indiana areas.

Contact us today to schedule a cleaning for your home or business.