Carpeting and Stains by Enrique Cleanotto

If you have a carpet, you can count on spilling something on it at some point in time. Getting the stain out is a matter of timing and know how.

Carpeting and Stains

Carpeting has come a long way over the years. The first carpets would get stains from practically any contact. They were a nightmare to get out, if you could even do so. As the years passed, the quality of carpeting has improved particularly in relation to their resistance to stains. While this makes life easier for you when a stain occurs, you still have to put in some work.

One of the biggest issues that you need to focus on in the removal of stains is time. Simply put, procrastination will kill you and your carpet. If you spill something on the carpet, you need to deal with it NOW. The longer the stain sits, the more likely it is to soak into the fibers of the carpet. If you spill it, clean it immediately even if the spill occurs during a party or some gathering. You will be glad you did so.

The second step is, ironically, not to clean the carpeting per se. Instead, you should focus on removing the excess liquid. This should be done by blotting the area with a towel of some sort. To blot, lightly press up and down on the stain. Do not swirl or spin the towel over the spill. This will only spread the stain out and make cleaning it a more difficult task.

Once the excess liquid is removed, it will probably be necessary to apply a cleaning solution. Despite the claims on the bottle of cleaner, it is important to understand the cleaner may adversely affect your carpet, to wit, it may change the color. First try the cleaner in a small, out of the way area such as a closet. Once you apply the cleaner, look at both the carpet and your towel to see if any color has transferred. If everything appears okay, then it is time to remove the stain.

When addressing the stain, it is best to work from the outer edges towards the middle. The idea is to remove the stain, not spread it to a larger area. When rubbing the stain, do not use the bigger hammer theory. Pushing harder on the stain will not help remove it and may actually damage the weave of the carpet. Use a consistent pressure and go slowly. Getting the stain out is important, but not if it results in a patch of carpet that looks like it was run over with a lawn mower.

If you have a carpet, you will also have stains. Deal with them immediately and you should be able to keep your carpeting in reasonably good shape.