It is typical: as soon as you get a brand new carpet, somehow a stain appears. Being careful seems to have no incidence as sooner or later stains will find their way. The good news is that you do not have to put up with stains, whether you choose to remove them yourself or get a professional in to do the job.



You are more likely to be able to tackle the stain yourself if it is relatively small. It can be a very simple process or a dreary one, depending on the size of the stain and how long since it first appeared. Certain types of stains will go with hardly any effort while others require several attempts with specialist stain removal products. The safest way to proceed is to get absorbent paper towels with which to blot out the liquid until the stain is removed and the carpet is dry. You should never scrub in a circular movement as this can damage the surface of the carpet.

A number of readily available household items are handy to have around when it comes to removing stains on carpets, including dishwashing soap, household ammonia (dilute one tablespoon with some water before use), hydrogen peroxide, isopropyl-rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, as well as specially formulated carpet cleaning products available commercially. You will also find the following items useful: paper towels, a spray bottle and a weight (for keeping the paper towel in position).

If you are removing greasy smears you should first blot out most of the stain with a white paper towel. The next step is to clean the remaining mark using a little isopropyl-rubbing alcohol with a clean cloth or paper towel: blot out straight away and do not let the alcohol sink too deep into the carpet. If the stain is limited to the surface of the carpet, blot it out by moving only in one direction at a time, never in a circular motion.

A wet vacuum is very helpful to quickly absorb vast quantities of water-based liquids. Should the stain have dried already you can If the stain has already dried, you can wet the area with tap water but do not soak the carpet fibers completely. You should let the water stand for a minute or so before you can start blotting it out.

For more resilient stains you can use a stronger liquid such as dish washing soap and other mild detergents. You should first blot out the mark with the solution, then rinse it out of the carpet using tap water that you can squirt on from a spray bottle. Harsher solutions such as hydrogen peroxide can be also be use to saturate a badly stained area before blotting.

Despite the fact that cleaning your carpets yourself can be an unsettling and painstaking process it will most likely save you money. Specialist carpet cleaners charge by the hour and have no issue about taking their time removing stubborn stains out of your carpet, so it may well be worth giving it a shot yourself before calling in a professional.