Residential Real EstateHelpful Tips for Carpet Stain Removal
Thanksgiving has passed, thank goodness. You opened up your house to 10
hungry guests, and a good time was had by all. The evidence is showing on
your kitchen counters, now littered with dirty dishes and a turkey carcass
... and your carpeting. It"s soiled with little Billy"s Kool-Aid, Aunt
Millie"s red wine and the mashed potatoes that Grandma didn"t noticed she"d
spilled until Great-Grandpa accidentally ground them into the carpet while
shuffling across the dining room. So what now? Is there any hope for your
brand-new beige carpet, now spotted with traces of yesterday"s Thanksgiving
feast?
The first rule of thumb when attempting to remove spots from your carpet is
that the sooner you catch it, the better. If you see the cranberry sauce
headed for the floor, don"t wait until later to clean the area. Your
chances of success are much higher if you attempt to clean the spot before
it"s dry. For many of us, our first instinct is to grab a towel, wet it
thoroughly and saturate the affected area. While you"ll dilute the stain by
wetting it, you run the risk of spreading the stain, too.
Instead, grab a white towel -- preferably cotton or terry, both of which
absorb more effectively than other materials -- and blot the area. Make
sure that you use a white towel -- many colored towels will add to the
problem by bleeding into your carpet when rubbed on a damp stain. And with
a white towel, you"ll be able to tell if you"re successfully removing the
stain; the towel will show the evidence. If the spot comes from food and
there are solid materials built up on your carpet, scrape them off using a
butter knife or other dull edge.
Before you apply any spot remover to your carpet, test it in a remote area
of your carpeting -- the corner of a closet, for example, or behind a piece
of furniture that you don"t intend to move any time in the future. Pour
several drops of the stain remover on the carpet in this inconspicuous
area, then blot the area with a white cloth/terry towel. If the solution
bleaches the spot, or if your carpet"s color is being transferred to the
towel, be grateful you tested the solution first, and call a professional
to do the job where it counts.
If, however, your out-of-the-way spot passes the test, you can attempt the
job yourself. Apply a few drops of solution to the stain, being careful not
to apply too much, and blot the area gently with a white cotton/terry
towel, moving from the outer edge of the stain to the center to avoid
causing rings. Make sure you don"t rub the area; that can make the stain
larger and ground it into your carpet"s inner fibers. You may need to
repeat this process a few times, depending upon the cause of the stain and
how long the stain has been on your carpeting. When the area is dry, brush
it gently to restore your carpet"s look.
Some materials are tricker and require a little extra elbow grease to
remove. Again, if you catch these carpet culprits right after they"ve
dropped onto your carpeting, your chances of successfully removing the
stains are much greater. Some of these tougher culprits include:
Gum: If the gum is still soft, harden it with an ice cube. Then scrape it
off with a very dull knife (i.e., a butter knife) or a spatula. Then apply
a small amount of dry cleaning solvent (available at most hardware and
grocery stores) to remove any remaining residue.
Soot: These black smudges are resilient and are best removed with a
combination of a dry-cleaning solvent, detergent and ammonia solutions
(see below). Blot between each step. At the end of the process, rinse the
area well and blot until dry.
Crayons: If Junior has taken to expressing his artistic leaning on your
brand-new carpeting, you can remove this waxy substance by applying a
combination of a dry-cleaning solvent, detergent solution and
grease/oil/paint remover (available at most hardware stores). Blot between
each step. When finished, rinse and blot dry.
To make the above-mentioned cleaning solutions yourself, dilute one
tablespoon of colorless, mild dishwashing detergent (containing no bleach)
in a cup of lukewarm water. You can also use powered laundry detergents;
some of them list recipes on their boxes for creating your own household
cleaning solutions. To create an ammonia solution, dilute one tablespoon of
household ammonia in a half-cup of water.
If, after repeating all of these steps, you"re not having success, call a
professional carpet-cleaning company. However, let the buyer beware -- a
number of carpet-cleaning companies have come under fire recently for their
failure to adequately provide the services they claim to perform, leaving
customers with poorly cleaned carpets and high bills. You"ve probably
received several coupons in the mail advertising services that will clean
multiple rooms in your home for an amazingly low price. The fact is that if
it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If in doubt, call your local
Better Business Bureau, or ask for recommendations from family or friends.
And finally, enjoy the relief that comes from knowing you won"t be hosting
next year"s Thanksgiving feast.
Also See:
Are Your Pets Soiling Your Chances of Selling Your Home?
Cutting the Rug: How to Select a Good Investment