It’s time for the holidays and you know what that means: plenty of friends, family, fun, and food! But if you’re opening your home to friends and family, the holidays can be the most stressful time of the year. Cooking, cleaning, entertaining— a hostess or host’s job is never done. Victory during the holiday season means getting a moment to sit back, visit with loved ones, watch some football and enjoy a bite to eat. Just when you thought it was safe to relax disaster strikes. Someone dropped lasagna all over the white carpet you spent hours scrubbing clean!
Do you lose it on the offender and kick everyone out? Are you so upset you retreat to your bedroom and assume the fetal position until dinner’s over? No! You know how to clean carpet stains, thanks to Carpetmart’s Rug and Carpet Stain Removal Guide. Before you know it, the mess is clean and the crisis is averted, and just in time for dessert.
So clean the house, set the table, grab your Holiday Rug and Carpet Cleaning Tips and get ready for the best holiday season yet.
Important Note: Always test stain removal methods on a small part of your carpet or rug first to ensure it doesn’t damage the fibers or color.
How to remove grease and oil stains (or Turkey gravy!!!)
Grease and oil spills on carpets or rugs are especially stubborn and extra frustrating. So if a salad bowl takes a spill, relax knowing that oil is not permanent and it can be removed. It’s just a challenge to pull it out of carpet and rug fibers. First, use clean cloth, towels or brown paper bags to soak up as much of the oil as you can. Next, take cornstarch or baby powder and completely cover the oil/grease spot. Don’t be afraid to pile it on. Now let the mixture sit for at least one hour. After giving the powders some time to draw out the oil, vacuum everything up. Repeat the entire process if the spill was large.
Once the majority of the stain is gone you can spread a thin layer of dish detergent (like Dawn) to the area and work it into the fibers with your fingers or a toothbrush. Now just pour small amounts of water on the area and immediately blot it with a cloth to rinse all that soap out. This is the most time-consuming part, but if you want that oil out of your rug don’t rush through it. After completely rinsing all the soap out of your rug or carpet, blot the area dry with towels. Do you have a secret stain removal method for carpets and rugs? Share it in the comments below!
How to remove a red wine stain
When dealing with carpets and rugs, it’s hard not to cry over spilled red wine. Time is of the essence with red wine spills so grab a cloth and blot the spill as soon as you can, being careful not to rub as rubbing can make the stain much worse. Next, if you have time to treat the stain, pour vinegar on it to neutralize the purple and then apply laundry soap or club soda right over the vinegar. Give it a few minutes to absorb, then rinse and wash. If you’re in the middle of entertaining and can’t give the spill the attention it needs, throw a bunch of salt or baking soda on the spot after blotting. The salt or baking soda absorbs the stain as it sits and is easily be vacuumed up.
How to remove blood stains
Bloodstains can be especially tricky to get out of carpets and rugs if you don’t know how. To remove blood stains from carpets or rugs use cold water (never hot) and apply it to the stain. Take a clean rag or sponge and rub gently, working from the outer edges of the stain, in. Use a clean towel or cloth to dry the area (a fan or heater speeds up the drying process) and repeat as necessary until the stain is gone. If the blood won’t budge after a few tries, swap your cold water for cold water with a bit of mild dish detergent, soak the stain, and gently brush the stain with a toothbrush before blotting, rinsing and drying.
How to remove ink stains
Removing ink stains from rugs or a carpet requires a quick response, but it can be done. The sooner you get this stain the better your chances are of getting rid of it. Get a clean cloth or towel and wet it with isopropyl alcohol (the higher the percentage of active ingredient the better). Now dab the ink stain with the alcohol-soaked cloth. Do not scrub; this will only make things worse. Let it sit for a few minutes and then vacuum the liquid or blot it until dry. Repeat as necessary until the ink disappears.
An informative article about cleaning rugs and carpets, thanks for sharing this one.