Guest Post: 5 Ways To Remove Tough Stains From A Carpet

A light-colored carpet combined in a high-traffic home with rowdy kids, pets and busy schedules can be a recipe for disaster, often resulting in stains that seem impossible to remove. Whether it's red wine, mud, blood, grease or some other diabolical substance, your carpet can look like a Jackson Pollock painting at the end of the day. Although it might seem like a hopeless situation, you can remove these impossible stains quicker than ever using the following methods.

1. Blood
Whether your little one got a boo-boo or you cut yourself shaving and didn't notice, accidents happen and blood stains can often be the result. These deep stains aren't the kind you can quickly wipe up with a sponge, so listen up if you're in this predicament. Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidizer that can be used to deep-clean the stain and restore the look of your carpet. Because it can often have a bleaching effect, test it first on an inconspicuous area of your carpet.

2. Coffee
Who can get through the day without this basic fuel? It's probably not uncommon for you to be rushing around trying to get ready in the morning, with a cup of hot coffee in your hand. This scenario is exactly why it's probably not surprising that coffee stains will show up on your carpet. Although cleaning up these stains might make you five minutes late for work, it can help preserve the quality of your carpet. To start, spray the stain with detergent solution and blot with a dry cloth, then spray the area with a vinegar solution and blot dry again. Spray once more with detergent solution and follow up with a spray of lukewarm water, blotting after each application. Repeat these steps as many times as necessary.

3. Urine
If you've got furry friends in the home, urine stains can become your worst enemy. But this house-training woe doesn't have to get you down with a few simple cleaning steps. To remove urine stains, start by soaking up as much of the liquid as possible with paper towels. You can do this by folding several paper towels together and pressing firmly on the stain. Repeat until the stain has dried and pour cold water on top to re-saturate the area. Blot up the cold water and then spray a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water onto the stain. Let this sit for up to 15 minutes. Repeat until the stain is fully removed.

4. Grease
Remove all excess grease from the affected area and sprinkle with baking soda, cornstarch or another absorbent substance to soak up all residual grease. Let this sit for up to 15 minutes and then vacuum up the remainder. Apply a dry-cleaning solvent to a clean white cloth and sponge the stain until it has penetrated the carpet. Blot until the solvent is completely absorbed. If some of the stain still remains, use a solution of one tablespoon liquid dishwashing soap, one tablespoon of white vinegar and two cups of warm water. Blot to absorb the liquid, sponge with cold water and blot with a dry towel to fully remove the solution.

5. Lipstick
Although it might make you look better, lipstick can make your carpet look worse if an accidental fumble causes a deep stain. To remove this stain, simply dab the area with denatured alcohol and soak up the substance with a soft white cloth. Follow this treatment by applying a good detergent and letting it sit for 15 minutes. After this period, use cold water to rinse away the detergent and restore the carpet back to its original state.
These tips will certainly help with the bulk of serious stains. However, sometimes a stain can sit for too long or get too deep into the carpet fibers to clean out. In these instances, it might be best to opt for a professional carpet cleaning to restore your carpet and extend its life. By using coupons for this cleaning, this option can be both practical and affordable for having your carpet looking good as new.

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