Clean Carpet Spots and Stains Safely

How To Remove  Stains Without Damaging Your Carpet

Do you have a carpet full of spots and blots? They make you cringe but how to get rid of them? Carpet stains can be tricky. You have to  remove the stain without damaging the carpet.

Professional help is always better but you can’t call Deluxe Dry Carpet Cleaning Services every time you see a spot or stain on your carpet. In between professional carpet cleaning, how do you deal with everyday stains? Of course a lot depends on the kind of stain and how serious it looks!

No matter what stain is on your carpet ….if you want to clean it yourself, it is important not to damage the carpet. Here are 8 tips to help you remove carpet stains
safely

1. No Rubbing or Scrubbing

Be very careful not to damage the carpet pile by rubbing or scrubbing too hard . Carpet fibres are very fragile when they are wet, if you rub too energetically you will distort the carpet fibres and then even if the stain is removed you are left with a “matted ” look. You can’t fix this — so be patient and gentle.

2. Test for colour run

Before you start on the stain you must test the cleaning agent –will  it affect the colours in your carpet or rug? The dye in some rugs is not stable, and some stain removers contain bleaching agents. Even if you remove the stain you will lighten the area and be left with a light patch on your carpet. Test your stain remover first on a non visible area of carpet ( or a spare piece if you have one ) Leave for a few minutes and then blot with a white towel or white kitchen towel. If there is no dye transfer and no colour fade in the test area you can carry on!

3. Remove the Stain Quickly

The longer a stain is allowed to sit the more difficult it is to remove especially if it is a bright colour like tomato sauce. The dye from the stain will bind to the fibres of the carpet . So be quick! Blot up as much liquid as you can and remove as much solid as possible with the dull side of a knife or a spoon. Then test your stain remover and start cleaning.

4. Use cleaning agent sparingly

Less cleaning agent is much better when dealing with stains , there is no need to flood the area with cleaner. Check that you have diluted the product correctly and then use a small spray bottle to apply and spray sparingly in short bursts and blot in between sprays. Use a microfibre towel to blot and be gentle.

5. Learn How to Blot or Tamp

Dont rub or brush the stained area. Blotting or tamping is a much safer technique where you  simply push the towel into the damp carpet without rubbing or twisting the fibres. The cleaning agent that you use is going to dissolve the stain and then you hope that you can soak up the dissolved stain out of your carpet fibres and into the towel. No rubbing is required!  Modern cleaning products for carpets are very efficient. Always move your towel from the outside edge towards the centre of the stain. This helps prevent a ring forming when it dries.  It is better to do a little and repeat the process rather than do too much in one go

6. Choose Cleaning Agent Carefully

Don’t use a cleaner with oxi or oxy or oxi in the title – they contain bleaching agents and may bleach the fabric if applied directly to the stain. If you have a wool carpet you must be especially careful. Always use cleaning agents that have been approved for wool and do not use any cleaner with enzyme detergents

7. Let the area dry between treatments

You can only see how well you are doing when the carpet is dry. When the carpet is wet it is too difficult to tell if the stain is gone . Can you use a hairdryer to dry it? Yes you can, but carefully,  if the stain has not completely gone the heat can make it set fast.

8. Dry  with towels

If the stain is on a flat area, once you have cleaned it you can dry the area by  putting a wad of paper towels or a towel on top of the damp patch. Then put a heavy book on top if the towel. This will dry the carpet naturally. You can replace the towels as they absorb the moisture.

The most important thing to remember is not to  damage your carpet. If you are not sure what to do  the best strategy is to blot up the liquid and remove as much of the stain as possible and then to call an experienced professional such as Deluxe Dry Carpet Cleaning at 0161 768 0208

for more ways to keep your carpets clean click here >>