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So you've just discovered an ugly spot on your carpet. Before you run for the cleaning supplies, you need to stop and think. What was it that made this spot? Knowing what someone spilled on your carpet might just make the difference between removing it effectively and just making a bigger mess.
Thinking back you remember now that it occurred last night while entertaining some friends. Don't try to remove it until you learn exactly what will work on this particular type of spot. Different things work on different spots and you need to be sure that what you use will remove it as it should.
Going about taking the spot out in the wrong way will only make things worse or even set the spot in your carpet forever. I've seen many customers make a real problem of a spot before they finally give up and ask me to remove it. I always hate having to tell these people that the spot will never come out because they tried so hard.
So, when trying to remove a spot in your carpet always remember these basic rules:
1. Most people think if a little carpet cleaning agent works well then a lot of it will work even better. They will soon find out this is not true. Seeing their beautiful carpet looking faded and worn in one conspicuous area will tell them the sad truth. The fibers will separate from the backing and the color will begin to change.
2. Don't over scrub your carpet. It has delicate fibers that you can easily damage especially if it is a cut loop carpet. The way to tell what type of carpet you have is by the height of the pile. A very plush carpet is usually a cut loop pile as opposed to a carpet that is much flatter. Scrubbing too hard on this type of carpet will cause irreparable damage to the fibers and will spread the tips which will unravel the tufts and make a worn looking spot in your carpet that can't be fixed.
Now that you know what not to do, here is what you should do:
1. Get the spill up as soon as possible. Pick up any solid material as well as you can, then soak the rest of the liquid up with paper towels. Put pressure on the towels to get as much of the spill up as possible.
2. Once you find out what substance was spilled, follow the instructions for removing that particular type of spot.
Unfortunately, there are so many different types of spots that it would be impossible to list them all here. Fortunately most spots will fit into one of three groups. Let's explore these three groups and look at how to remove the spots that fall into each one.
1. Protein spots: Food and body fluids make up most of these types of spots. Use a cleaning product that contains enzymes on a paper towel and blot the area. Enzymes are found in many laundry detergents sold today. The enzymes literally eat up the spot and get if off your carpet. Never use hot water, it can set the stain.
2. Tannin based spots: These spots are made of such things as coffee, tea, and soda. You need to clean these types of spills up as soon as possible as these will set and become permanent like a dye if allowed to remain more than a day or so. If a tannin based product spills, use a paper or clean white terry cloth towel with laundry detergent and cool water, the same as for a protein spill. Once you have done that, mix 1/3 of a cup of white vinegar with 2/3 cup of lukewarm water and gently apply the solution with a sponge to the spot. Then blot again with the clean white paper towel.
3. Oil based: Try some clear dish soap that is designed to cut grease. If that doesn't do the trick, use rubbing alcohol or a citrus based solvent and apply it to the spot. Blot that up with damp towel or paper towel.
And, the most important thing to remember is don't despair if something unsightly gets spilled on your carpet. Stay calm and take the steps you need to carefully remove the spot with the proper tools. This will give your carpet the best chance of having a long, beautiful, and stain free life.
Since 1993 within his handyman business Scott Becker has sold, cleaned and repaired carpet. Currently he also authors a blog for home improvement do it yourselfer's. Scott says "with the current housing market, I see more and more people fixing up their homes and many wanting to do the work themselves - just not always sure how." To read more of his articles you can go to his blog at http://youronlinehandyman.com
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