Carpet Stain Removal Tips
Homemade carpet stain remover will remove most stains; however, lets take a minute to get a quick understanding of what Not to do when removing a spot, spill or stain from your carpet.
1. Less Soap, Not More
“More is Better” is what we like to think, but it’s actually quite the opposite. The more soap and suds you add to carpet fibers means it will attract soils much faster because all that soap is likely not coming out. You want use detergent sparingly in on carpet fibers to ensure it doesn’t cause re-soiling. Better yet, use our soap-free recommendation below so you don’t have to worry about soils sticking to all the soap remaining in your carpet. Extra Tip! If you have Resolve Carpet Cleaner, throw it away! Resolve Spot Remover contains a lot of soap and if too much is used, which is easy to do, will likely never come out of your carpet.
2. Do Not Over Scrub
Known as a distortion stain, our first instinct is to scrub the fibers as fast and hard as possible to remove the spill. This however damages the unique memory of each fiber making it appear worn out and tired in that area. So, be gentle and let the chemistry do the work for you.
3. Do Not Use Bleach
While there is a certain fiber that can withstand bleaches oxidative power, many other fibers can lose their dye after applying liquid bleach to your stain.
4. Dwell Time is the Magic
After applying the cleaner, give the stain a five minute dwell time before you attempt to clean it. A ten to fifteen minute dwell-time is even better! It’s enticing to scrub as soon as you spray a stain, but you want to let the chemicals do their job by loosening up the stain/soils before you remove them.
Homemade Carpet Spot Remover
Note: Certain carpet fibers ‘wick’ fine soils back to the surface as the carpet dries. If this occurs, or if you have future spots or stains, use our Homemade Spotter recipe.
General Carpet Stains
Spritz rubbing alcohol or ammonia (suds-free is preferred) onto the carpet stain and allow to dwell 10 minutes. Gently agitate the fibers inward with a soft bristle brush. Apply more rubbing alcohol and/or ammonia then absorb the stain and liquid into a white cotton rag. Repeat if necessary. Note: Do not scrub the fibers too hard as it can permanent distortion damage. Caution: Follow all safety precautions. For synthetic fibers only. Always check for color fastness using a cotton swab in an inconspicuous area prior use.
Urine, Coffee and Tea Stains
Apply the rubbing alcohol and/or ammonia (suds-free is preferred) as listed above. Then spritz a generous amount of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide onto the stain and gently agitate the fibers. Now cover the stain and stain remover with a plastic sheet for 12 hours. The spotter will dissolve the stain while eventually evaporating. Repeat if necessary. Note: Do not scrub the fibers too hard as it can permanent distortion damage. Caution: Follow all safety precautions. For synthetic fibers only. Always check for color fastness using a cotton swab in an inconspicuous area prior use.
Pet Odor Problems
Pet urine odors are mostly a problem of the carpet pad and subfloor instead of the carpet fibers. Whichever pet odor carpet cleaner you use, you want to make sure it gets down into the carpet pad to work effectively. Here are the products we not only use daily, but recommend to our customers: https://uroutodor.com/residential/