Let’s face it. Spills just happen, and sometimes they stick around for months or even years. Whether it is your morning coffee or your evening glass of wine, carpets can be magnets for accidents. However, there are a few solutions for those pesky set-in stains that you can try at home. With a few ingredients you have on hand, you can make your own DIY carpet cleaner. Side note: if none of these solutions work for you, call our professionals for expert carpet cleaning solutions. We have the right equipment and know-how to get rid of any stain.
Cleaners for Synthetic Carpets
If you have synthetic carpets or materials at home, they require a slightly different solution than your natural-fiber carpets. Start by dipping a white cloth in these carpet solutions. It is best not to pour the solutions directly onto the carpet.
- Detergent solution: Combine ¼ teaspoon of a clear liquid dishwashing detergent, like Dawn or Joy, into one cup of lukewarm water.
- For vinegar solution: Mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 2 cups of water.
- Solvent solution: Use an oil solvent or try a substitute like a nail polish remover, such as Cutex Quick & Gentle non-acetone polish remover.
Cleaners for Natural-Fiber Carpets
For your natural-fiber carpets like jute, it is best to use things like ammonia. The rations will also be slightly different than for your synthetic carpets.
- Detergent solution for natural carpets: Combine 1 teaspoon of clear liquid dishwashing detergent, like Dawn or Joy, into 1 cup of lukewarm water.
- Vinegar solution for natural carpets: Mix ¼ cup of white vinegar with ¼ cup of water.
- Ammonia solution: Mix 1 tablespoon of clear household ammonia with ½ cup of lukewarm water.
- Solvent solution: This is the same as for your synthetic carpets (see above).
Carpet Cleaning to Removing Food and Drink Stains
These instructions are for synthetic-fiber carpets and rugs. Make sure to follow the instructions below if you need to treat stains from coffee, tea, beer, milk, tomato sauce, wine, ketchup, chocolate, berries, hard candy, juice, soda, Gatorade, and Kool-Aid.
Start by dipping a white cloth or paper towel with no printing into the homemade detergent solutions for synthetic carpets. Dab repeatedly, then press the cloth on the stain for a few seconds. Wait 15 seconds, then soak up the remaining liquid with a dry cloth. This procedure will be the same for the vinegar solutions. Afterward, rinse the carpet by blotting it with a warm soaked cloth. You can wait an hour while the carpet dries.
Call In The Pros for Carpet Cleaning
For natural-fiber carpets, spray the various solutions on the stain, then blot with a dry white cloth. You can repeat these steps until the stain is removed.
Stains seem to always happen, no matter what you do to prevent them. If you have stains you just cannot get rid of, call our team at Extreme Carpet Care today. We understand it can be a lot of work to get out set-in stains with DIY solutions. We have seen it all and are prepared with the right equipment to get the job done!
