Common Carpet Stains And How To Clean Them
Article by William Gold. He writes about how carpet cleaning can remove common stains. For carpet cleaning NY visit http://www.24hrcarpetcleaning.com they have the best service and prices on the web.
Spot removal means cleaning a specific, well defined area of a carpet or rug, cleaning it of a particular stain or soiling that has recently occurred. This article will note some of the most common situations and what to do about them.
In cases of alcohol spills, apply a simple detergent solution, like neutral dish washing detergent diluted with water 20 to 1. Blot the area (do not scrub scrubbing is likely to only spread the stain). Apply white vinegar diluted at 1 to 1, then blot again. If necessary, bleach the stain with a three percentage grade hydrogen peroxide solution. Rinse with cold water and blot dry some more. It is the same general method where blood spills are concerned, only a cool ammonia solution or rust remover may be necessary in addition to detergent and vinegar.
You may also do the same with candy and chocolate stains, scraping (not scrubbing) off all that’s possible with a dull knife. The detergent solution may be sponged in, with alternate periods of blotting and rinsing. What’s most important is that the sugar be completely removed. Any trace of sugar left in a carpet will lead to rapid resoiling. Any remaining stain can be bleached with hydrogen peroxide. Actually, most food stains will benefit from this method. Note that while coffee stains can be subjected to this same general treatment, they tend to be very difficult to remove and may require professional assistance. And ice cream needs immediate attention in particular, with a protein digester or cool ammonia solution instead of simple detergent. Some shampooing may also be necessary.
Cigarette burns may be rubbed (that’s rubbed, not scrubbed) with dry steel wool. Alternately, the damaged tufts may be trimmed, if you have a good eye and a steady hand! With very bad burns, one possible trick is to “graft” some fibers in from another part of your carpet (typically a hidden area like underneath furniture) by using a good razor and some super glue to literally patch things up!
Have small children? Gum presents an interesting situation. When trying to remove chewing gum, use an aerosol gum freeze or simply an ice cube, if you have the patience to harden the gum and make it brittle. Then simply strike it and break it into pieces, which you scrape up with a dull butter knife. Remove any residue with a dry cleaning solvent; check with the instructions that came with your carpet or rug; most manufacturers will list some solutions that may or may not be applied.
As you can see, there are many things that can ruin your carpet’s fine looks, of which this list has barely been even the hint of a tip of the proverbial iceberg: check with a cleaning professional when in doubt!
Most of the services reviewed by this website are available or may be accessed from Australia (see 