Holiday parties, family dinners, and other gatherings often result in spills and stains on carpeting. While vacuuming up the mess might get rid of the visible evidence, the odors and stains might persist for days. Instead of scrubbing the stain repeatedly, you can remove the stain naturally by using homemade carpet stain remover. With a few household items and a little elbow grease, you can rid carpeting of the stains quickly and easily. Follow the steps outlined below for a quick and effective homemade carpet stain remover.
The smell of brand new carpet can be intoxicating, but that smell will fade as soon as it’s exposed to your favorite foods and beverages. If you’re looking to keep the smell year-round, it’s time to learn how to remove holiday carpet stains.
Red wine, chocolate, and other oily foods tend to bleed into carpet fibers and take on their own unique scent. This can make it difficult to keep your carpet looking clean year-round, but with a few simple tips, you’ll soon be an expert at removing holiday carpet stains.
Ways to Remove Holiday Carpet Stains
After spending most of the day trapped in your house with your friends and family, you might end up walking on your carpet a few more times than usual. Even if you hate the smell of your carpet, you might not have a choice when it comes to the amount of time you spend in your house for the holidays. After a few days of being trapped in the same space with all your loved ones, you’ll probably notice some stains from your guests’ feet. Removing holiday carpet stains isn’t that hard, but it does require you to think outside of the box. Here are some helpful tips for removing holiday carpet stains.
1. Remove any loose threads
You’ll have a better chance of removing a loose thread if it’s caught in the carpet. The last thing you want to do is pull on the thread and pull out even more of the carpet. Loose threads can get caught under furniture, the underside of your couch (or the crown molding) and even the edges of your walls. If you notice any loose threads, make sure to pick them up before you walk on the carpet. This will make it easier to get the stain out and prevent it from becoming a permanent part of your floor.
2. Wash the stain before you blot
If you have a little bit of a stain on your carpet, you can still get rid of it, but you’re going to have to go about it a little bit differently. Before you start to blot your carpet, wash the stain first. If the stain is a food item, you can use a generic food-based stain removing product. If the stain is something else (like a coffee or wine stain), wash the carpet first. When washing the carpet, make sure to use a generic all-purpose cleaner. If the stain isn’t too severe, you can just use a damp cloth to remove any loose dirt and liquids. You don’t need to scrub too hard as you don’t want to remove the original stain from your carpet. After you’ve washed the carpet, you can blot the stain. Blotting involves putting a layer of paper towels or a white cloth on top of the stain and pressing down with a paper towel or white cloth. Make sure you’re using the same paper towel or cloth for each area. After you blot the stain, vacuum the carpet and wash the towels used to blot the stain.
3. Use a drying rack instead of your clothes dryer
Drying racks are great for air-drying your clothes while you’re on vacation, but they’re also perfect for removing holiday carpet stains. After you’ve removed the stain from your carpet, use the drying rack to dry the area as much as possible. The less moisture your carpet has, the easier it will be to remove the stain. If you have a drying rack and you don’t plan on using it, keep it stored away until the following year. Drying racks aren’t the best at absorbing moisture, so you don’t want to put it in a dark, humid space.
4. Don’t rub the stain
Most people think that rubbing a stain out is the best way to get rid of it. But rubbing a stain will cause the stain to spread, so you’ll want to avoid rubbing the stain if possible. Instead of rubbing the stain, blot the carpet until most of the liquid has been removed. Then vacuum the carpet to remove any loose particles that have been spread by the vacuum. After you’ve vacuumed the carpet, start blotting again.
5. Don’t use too much pressure when blotting
Rubbing a carpet stain will cause the stain to spread, so you don’t want to use too much pressure when blotting a stain. But you also don’t want to just let the carpet sit and collect more debris either. The best strategy is to gently blot the carpet until most of the liquid has been removed. This way you’re not over-bluetting the stain, but you’re also removing the excess liquid from the carpet.
Use an enzymatic stain remover
Most people know that vinegar is a great stain remover, but it’s actually an enzymatic stain remover. You can get rid of stains on your carpet with just water, but you can also get rid of odors with vinegar. After you’ve removed the stain from your carpet, mix a solution of 5 parts water and 1 part vinegar.
6. Vacuum the carpet before you clean it
While you’re on vacation, your carpets probably haven’t gotten very much attention. Vacuuming your carpets before you clean them is a great way to remove any debris that has collected in the carpet. Vacuuming your carpet will also remove any stains that are still on the carpet.
Conclusion
Whether you have a little bit of coffee or wine stain on the carpet, or a giant stain from your entire family, these tips will help you get rid of the stains. If you follow these steps, you should be able to remove any stains from your carpet. If you’re still experiencing trouble removing the stain, you can always hire a professional carpet cleaner to come and clean your carpets for you.
