Rug Stain Removal

By Matt Oden | Comments | Carpet and Rug Stains

When having to perform rug stain removal there is a one simple rule you must always follow. You must NEVER scrub the carpet to remove the stain. This action could cause the stain to further penetrate the fibers, thus making it almost impossible to remove.

Water-Soluble Rug Stain Removal

What you will need:

1/4 teaspoon of non-bleach detergent or white vinegar
32 ounces of water
Clean white cloths

Water-soluble stains are alcoholic beverages, berries, colas, excrement, food dyes, gravy, ice cream, jelly, milk, mud, washable ink, and wet or latex paint. Water soluble simply means the stain can be broken down with water. The vinegar or non-bleach detergent just helps the cleaning process. To remove anyone of these water-soluble stains from your carpet follow these simple steps:

Begin by mixing your solution. You will need to place 1/4 teaspoon of non-bleach detergent or white vinegar and 32 onces of water in a bucket. Mix well.
Use your white clean cloth and blot the rug stain with the solution you just made. Try to only wet the rug where the stain exists. You should blot the stained area starting from the outside into the center.
Take another dry clean white cloth and blot the rug stained area dry. You will need to blot from the outside in just as you did in step 2.
Rinse the area with clean water. This is called flushing the area. Again try not to get more of the carpeting wet than necessary.
Take another clean dry white cloth and blot the stained area dry. You can see if you are still pulling up any of the stain from the rug by checking the white cloth for evidence.
Once the stained area is dry, check to see if the rug stain has been removed entirely.
If the stain remains you can try a few different rug spot treatments. Before using any of these products on your rug you need to ensure it is safe to use. You can do this by testing a small area of the rug. If the color of the rug does not change or become bleached it is safe to use on the rug stain.

Special Water-Soluble Rug Stain Removal

What you will need:

Ammonia (do not use on wool or wool-blend rugs)
water
bleach (optional)

*CAUTION: NEVER mix ammonia and bleach together! The fumes the two chemicals create is poisonous and can cause death.

There are many special water soluble stains. A few examples are, blood chocolate, coffee, mustard, tea, vomit, and wine. These stains are a little harder to remove, but can be removed if caught right away and you know the right way to remove the rug stains. To complete the rug stain removal project follow these steps:

To begin you will need to know what type of carpeting you have. If you have a wool or wool-blended carpeting do not use ammonia or bleach. You will need to use a mild detergent instead. You can only use bleach if you have a solution-dyed carpet. If you are unsure of the type of carpet you have try the manufacture for help.
Next, mix your solution. Use the ammonia, mild detergent, or bleach depending on what type of carpet you have. Use 1 tablespoon of the cleaning product of choice and 1 cup of water. Mix well.
Use a clean white towel and blot the solution into the stain. Remember do not rub or scrub the stain. You can blot the stain starting from the outside and working your way into the middle.
Next, take a dry clean white towel and blot the stained area dry. Again you should start blotting from the outside in until dry.
Flush the stained area with clean water. This will rinse away any of the cleaning products left on the rug.
Finally, take another clean white towel and blot the stain dry.
Inspect the area. If the stain remains you can repeat the steps above or use a rug spot cleaner. Remember to test the product before using it on the rug.

Cigarette Burns Rug Stain Removal

What you will need:

A dull knife

Many fear the cigarette burn stain on their rugs. These can be irreversible, but many times there is a way to give the rug a cosmetic facelift. For this type of rug stain there is only one type of solution.

Take a dull knife and begin to gently rub the burn stain to try and get the fibers to loosen up.
Inspect the area every so often. If the rug has been separated stop using the knife. If the rug stain remains try using the vacuum cleaner to further break up the rug fibers.

When a cigarette has stained or burned the carpet it is because the hot ash has melted the rug fibers together. This is what causes the unappealing stain. There are not many stain removal solutions, but trying to give the carpet the look that it was never burned could help the appearance of your carpet, but beware that you do not rub the rug too hard with the dull knife. You do not want to make an even bigger hole in the rug.