Most of us have carpets at home. Whether we have a fully carpeted floor or just a small area of a carpet mat, there are times when we can get a little too clumsy and end up dropping something over the carpet, thereby staining it.
From grease, to oil, chocolate to red wine, to many more such stains; they can be quite hard to get off. Well, luckily, there are simply hacks you can use to get rid of these stains, without needing to call a professional.
Here are ways to remove 8 different types of carpet stains at home:
1. Tea/coffee stains
Blot the stain with a paper towel and then use a mixture of equal parts of white vinegar and warm water to dab over the stain. Once the stain releases, blot the stain, then vacuum or air dry.
2. Juice stains
Mix together a cup of warm water, along with ¼ cup of white vinegar and ½ tablespoon of dishwashing soap liquid. Then, dip a cloth into the mixture and dab over the stain, until it releases and then apply a little plain water rover the stain before vacuuming it or air drying it.
3. makeup stains
You can use acetone to help get rid of the nail polish, foundation or paint from your carpet. But it is essential to test for color fastness (color changes upon the use of acetone) and therefore, test it on a small area at the end/edges of your carpet, before using it over your stain.
First, start off with scraping out the excess nail polish or paint and then apply a little acetone over the stained area, blot the stain with a cotton swab and gently remove. Lastly, you can clean the area with plain water, before vacuuming it or air drying it.
4. Red wine stains
Take a paper towel and soak it in cold water. Dab it over the stained are and keep repeating the process until a part of the stain has released.
Then, mix a tablespoon of vinegar along with 2 cups of warm water and a teaspoon of dishwashing soap liquid. Dab the mixture over the stain, let it sit for a few minutes and then scrub the stain with an old toothbrush and let the stain dissolve. Lastly, you can clean the area with plain water, before vacuuming it or air drying it.
5. Grease/oil stains
Sprinkle the stain with baking soda and let it sit for six hours. Vacuum and then blot with a cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol. After letting it sit for an hour, scrub with an old toothbrush and a little water (if it’s a tough stain, mix some dishwashing liquid with the water) until the stain releases. Lastly, you can clean the area with plain water, before vacuuming it or air drying it.
6. Chocolate stains
Use a plastic bag filled with ice cubes over the stain to harden the remaining chocolate before scraping Then, mix together a cup of cold water along with a teaspoon of dishwashing soap liquid and apply over the stain. Then, let it sit for a few minutes and scrub with an old toothbrush. Lastly, you can clean the area with plain water, before vacuuming it or air drying it.
7. Pet stains
Mix a solution of 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1 teaspoon of liquid dish detergent in a bowl. Let it soak in for 10 minutes and then, using an old toothbrush, scrub the stain until it wears off. Next, pat dry it with a paper towel or cloth and lastly vacuum it until dry (or leave it to air dry). The liquid dish detergent in the mixture will also help get rid of the bad dour.
8. Blood stains
At first, blot the stain with a paper towel (if it is a fresh blood stain). Then, make a mixture if a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid along with 2 cups of water.
Pour it over the stained area and let it soak in for 4 to 6 minutes. Then, using an old toothbrush, scrub the stain until it wears off. Next, pat dry it with a paper towel or cloth and lastly vacuum it until dry (or leave it to air dry).
If the blood stain is still visible after a few hours, moisten the stained area with a bit of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Let this sit for one hour.