How to Clean Carpet Stains

A few years ago, I owned my own house cleaning business. For the kind of work I did most of the time, professional carpet cleaners came in after me to clean the carpets. For times when they didn't, I had to figure out the best way to get out some pretty tough stains. I have the absolute best ways to remove carpet stains that are inexpensive and easy to use.

Basic Stains

For a dried stain that was originally liquid and is set in, first try water. All you need is clean, cool water, a shop vac, and clean white cotton cloths. Many times, this will work for your more basic stains. Simply saturate the stained area with water and blot. Do not rub. Suck up excess water with shop vac.

If the stain is still there, mix 1 tablespoon Dawn (original) dish washing liquid with 2 liters cold water. Saturate stain and rub in circular motion. Rinse with cool clean water and vacuum up excess with a shop vac.

Solid Dried Stains

For a stain that is solid, such as mud, chocolate, etc., use a butter knife to scrape up the dried pieces. Vacuum up excess dirt. Use the same steps as above for Basic Stains.

Crayon/Candle wax

For wax that is melted into the carpet, scrape up any dried pieces with a butter knife. Cover stain with a damp white cotton cloth. Using a warm iron, "iron" the cloth slowly to re-melt the wax. The cloth will help absorb the newly melted wax.

The Best Carpet Cleaner

My ultimate go-to carpet cleaning solution, especially for stains like coffee, ink, sodas, and other sugar based spills, is rubbing alcohol. First, it is less than a dollar. Second, it cleans wonderfully and eliminates odors. This is also good for pet stains.

You will need:

1 bottle rubbing (Isopropyl) alcohol

2 cups clean cool water

White cotton cloths

Shop vac (wet/dry vac)

Gallon sized pitcher or bucket

Instructions:

In a pitcher, mix the alcohol and water. Saturate your stain with mixture. Blot stain with white cotton cloths to absorb stain. Saturate again and with another cloth, rub stain in a circular motion. Vacuum up excess mixture with shop vac. If the stain is not removed, repeat steps.

You need to remember that a lot of "over the counter" carpet cleaner product can leave a residue, causing you to have to buy more and more since dirt, body oils, spills etc. will be attracted to the residue. If you do decide to buy one of these, after cleaning the stain on your carpet, saturate with cool clean water and then use a shop vac to remove all excess water.

If any of these solutions do not work, you may need to hire a professional carpet cleaner. I recommend hiring one at least 1-2 times a year just for general carpet maintenance.