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Cleaning Carpets : No-Nonsense Real-World Carpet Stain Removal
Regardless of how hard we may try to keep our carpets in
top-notch condition it seems an inevitable fact of life that we
will all be faced with the problem of carpet stains.
Carpet stains are even more unsettling to those who have
recently purchased new carpeting. It is very frustrating to have
new carpet installed only to find a glaring stain in just a
month's time despite your best attempts to avoid that scenario.
In this article, I hope to provide you with the knowledge you
need to effectively tackle common carpet cleaning problems.
First, a little about me, after all, why should you listen to me?
The information I am about to share is backed up by many years
of carpet cleaning experience both commercially and
residentially.
I was a professional cleaner and cleaned carpets many times for
various office buildings in northeast Pennsylvania. Having been
exposed to commercial carpet cleaning it seemed natural to me to
spend time cleaning my own carpets at home rather than hiring
the work to be done.
As you might guess, this article is not based on a bunch of
theory. It is based on real-life "in the trenches" carpet
cleaning experience.
Carpet Cleaning Problems
Let's start by taking a look at some of the more common carpet
cleaning problems you may face.
Some of the most common, and yet intimidating, carpet stains
include barbecue stains, beer stains, blood stains, coffee
stains, ink stains, and even candle wax stains.
Rather than try to go into detail in this article on how to
tackle specific stains I have decided to cover the critical
subject of process.
I realize you might be thinking that you do not want to waste
time on these "basics" and just want to get the stain out now
but I assure you it is very important that you learn how to
clean carpet the right way before taking on any carpet cleaning
challenge. When you know how to clean carpet stains these jobs
will not seem nearly as overwhelming to you as they do to most
people.
Carpet Cleaning Process
Here is a 4 step process you can use whenever you tackle a
carpet stain.
1. Remove Solid Particles
Remove all of the loose solid particles that you can. You might
want to wear protective gloves when doing this. Here is an
example of removing solid particles. Let's say you are dealing
with a pepperoni pizza stain. Don't begin the stain treatment
until you have removed all of the pepperoni and cheese pieces
from the carpet fibers. Just pick up as much of the pepperoni
and cheese as you can and throw it away.
2. Blot the Carpet Stain
Start the actual stain treatment by finding out if you can blot
up any of the mess with a dry cloth. Often you will find that
blotting the area will remove a large part of the stain. Use
clean dry cloths. If clean dry cloths are not available you
should be able to substitute paper towels.
3. Test Your Carpet Cleaning Solution
Although a lot of household items such as club soda and peroxide
can help remove carpet stains, it's
important to know first what
kind of cleaning job and carpet dye you're dealing with.
You need to test the cleaning solution on a tiny area, ideally a
spot that is hidden out of the way of plain sight.
To test a cleaning solution to determine if it is safe for use
on your carpet this is what you need to do: apply a small amount
of the cleaning solution of your choice to a very small part of
the carpet that no one will see. If your carpet does not
discolor in this test area you can proceed to treat your carpet
stain.
4. Remove the Carpet Stain
Apply the cleaning solution you've chosen into the fibers and
blot.
What I am about to tell you now is very important so please
remember this. Do not rub when attempting to remove a stain.
Always blot. Why? Because rubbing can actually push the stain
deeper into the carpet fiber. And you certainly do not want to
do that!
Blot the solution onto the stain repeatedly until the stain is
removed.
Rinse the area with clean water and blot again until you have
removed as much water as possible.
Your last step is to keep traffic away from the cleaned area and
let it fully dry.
Carpet Cleaning Solutions
Now that you know the process for cleaning carpet stains I want
to share some of the cleaning solutions you can use. When I say
solutions I am talking about the actual liquid cleaners you will
use to help break up the stain.
Peroxide works well for cleaning carpet stains caused by blood
(but always remember to test your carpet first).
For juice stains, ink stains, coffee and other similar stains
try club soda or tonic water.
To recap what we covered above in the cleaning process, blot the
solution onto the stain repeatedly until the visible stain is
removed. When you have removed the visible stain, rinse the same
area with clean water and blot again until you have removed as
much water as possible. Now keep traffic away from the area and
let it fully dry.
I hope you have found this information useful and the next time
you are faced with a carpet cleaning challenge you feel better
prepared to handle the situation.
If you would like specific carpet cleaning information
explaining how to remove several types of carpet stains as well
as information on used carpet extractors and carpet installation prices I highly
recommend that you visit the Carpet
Cleaning Information website.
About the author:
Garfield Benjamin was a Professional Cleaner for 12 years. In
October 2004 he launched the website at Carpet-Clean
ing-Information.com to share his carpet cleaning
knowledge. The site currently provides nearly 100 pages of
real-world information covering a variety of aspects about
carpet cleaning.
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