DIY Natural Carpet Stain Removal

Cleaning can often seem like an endless task, be it the kids with sticky fingers, the dog rolling on the floor after a long walk or a casual party that got out of hand. No one takes a more abuse than your carpet or your rug. It is always an easy option to grab a multi purpose cleaner but often these can be ineffective, leave bad odours and can even leave stains of their own if used on the wrong fabric.

Here are some eco friendly, DIY natural carpet stain removal methods, to get rid of those pesky red wine, coffee, tea, pet, urine, blood, ink and vomit stain.

Red Wine Stain

The common myth to remove red wine from your carpet is to use white wine. Different white wines have different strains of acidity, so there is no guarantee that this will actually remove the stain. At best the stain may be diluted slightly, however white wine could potentially make the stain worse and even damage the pile. Plus in my humble opinion, it also seems like a perfectly good waste of a perfectly good bottle of wine.

As soon as the stain occurs it is very important to act fast, as the longer you leave the stain the worse it becomes. Check out our natural carpet stain removal methods below.

Steps:

1) Blot the stain with a dry microfibre cloth (preferably a white cloth as dyes can run from the cloth onto the carpet), repeat this process to try to absorb as much as possible (remember not to rub as this can spread the stain).

2) Use a damp cloth and continue to blot the stain until you are sure that as much as possible has been absorbed.

3) Sprinkle with baking soda (this makes a great absorbing agent). Leave to settle for about 10-20 minutes and then use a vaccum cleaner to remove the baking soda from the carpet.

4) Pour or spray soda water onto the stain and continue to blot with a cloth. Soda water is a great neutraliser and is used for many cleaning purposes.

5) If the stain needs to be treated further, try a spot of bleach free washing up liquid in a basin of warm water and blotting further with a white cloth. You can also try white white wine vinegar and water to a ratio of (1:16). Make sure you do not use apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar as these can make the stain worse.

Coffee or Tea Stain

We all love a coffee and tea to wake us up in the morning, but nothing wakes us up more than dropping it on our lovely clean carpet. Coffee and tea stains are one of the most common types of stains and can heat the yarns of the fibre, effectively dying the fibres of the yarn, so it is very important to act as quickly as possible. Here are our non toxic tips for removing such stains.

Steps:

1) Blot, don’t rub, the stain with a clean, dry microfibre cloth.

2) Pre-soak the stain on using a basin of warm water mixed with a spot of bleach free washing up liquid and 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar.

3) Rinse the stain with water and continue to blot with your white cloth until dry.

5) Vaccum the area, then sprinkle with baking soda, working it deep into the fibres with a new dry cloth. This may help to absorb more of the stain. Vaccum the area once again. Repeat this step if you feel it is necessary.

6) Allow to dry naturally.

Pet Stains

Dogs and cats can be great fun, but sometimes have a mind of their own. If your pet has an accident on the carpet, the stains can often be easy enough to remove, but sometimes the smell is not. Try our natural carpet stain removal method below.

Steps:

1) If your pet has left a stool on the carpet, then firstly remove with a pair rubber gloves. If the stain is wet then use the previously mentioned blotting technique, use a dry microfibre cloth to continuously dab the stain until it becomes dry.

2) Mix white wine vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle to a ratio of (1:6). Spray generously onto the stain and continue to blot with the microfibre cloth. Repeat this process as much as possible until the stain has been removed and the area is almost completely dry.

3) Sprinkle a generous handful of baking soda onto the stain and work it into the pile using a cloth. Vaccum the area thoroughly to remove the baking soda. The baking soda will help to remove bad odurs.

4) Create a de-odourising spray to leave a fresh smell. This step is purely optional but can help to eliminate the ligering smell. Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda into distilled water and add 2-3 drops of essential oil. My personal favourites are - lemon, orange and lavender.

Urine

Do you have a new puppy the likes to pee or a baby that isn’t potty trained? If you do then urine (you’re in) luck. If urine gets onto your carpet it may leave an awful smell behind, especially the more it absorbs into the fibres, so the faster you can act upon this, the better. Here is our chemical free way to remove these stains from your carpet.

Steps:

1) Start by using the blotting technique with a dry microfibe cloth. Do this repeatedly absorbing as much moisture as you possibly can.

2) Use the crevice tool on your vaccum cleaner and work it deep into the pile to allow any moisture to be removed.

3) Use a spot of washing up liquid (make sure this is bleach free) in either a basin of warm water or a spray bottle. Continue to blot the soiled area until the stain disappears and it is virtually dry.

4) Use warm water with the cloth to rinse the area, and blot until it is completely dry.

5) Use a vaccum cleaner to absorb any of the left over residue. You may need to treat the area with a DIY deodouriser. (See above step 4 in Pet Stains).

Blood Stains

Blood can be very difficult, sometimes impossible, to remove if left for any period of time, so act as fast as you can to remove these stains. Check out our eco friendly method to remove this from your carpet.

Steps:

1) Blot the area very carefully with a microfibre cloth in order to remove some of the stain. Be careful not to spread this.

2) Fill a spray bottle with cold water and treat the area. Use a new microfibre cloth and keep dabbing the effected area. Repeat this procedure to reduce the stain as much as possible.

3) Soak a microfibre cloth in a basin of warm water with a splash of bleach free washing up liquid. Use the cloth, blotting repeatedly to try to tease the stain out of the carpet.

4) Once the stain has been removed as much as possible, dab it dry with a microfibre cloth.

Ink Stains

Has your child ever attempted to colour in between the lines and accidentally crossed over onto your lovely carpet? Water based markers are generally easy to remove but permanent markers can be much more difficult. Our natural carpet stain removal method may be the solution for you?

Steps:

CAUTION: Take extreme care when removing ink not to spread the stain into the carpet fibres. Just a light touch with a cloth to extract the stain.

1) Fill a basin with warm water and dab the stained area with a microfibre cloth in order to tease the stain out.

2) Mix a teaspoon of detergent into basin of warm water, replacing the water from before. Using a clean microfibre cloth dab the stain carefully, trying not to spread it further. Repeat this step if necessary

3) Use a clean microfibre cloth to dab the stained area until it feels dry to touch.

Vomit

Vomiting is a natural part of life. Whether it be a pet eating something it shouldn’t have, a child feeling unwell or you have just had a bit too much to drink at the weekend. Here are some top tips to remove these stains from your carpet the natural way.

Steps:

1) Scrape the excess vomit into a bin bag using a spoon.

2) Generously sprinkle the stain with baking soda to absorb as much of the puke as possible. Leave this for about 10-15 minutes then thoroughly vaccum the area.

3) Mix a drop of bleach free washing up liquid and one table spoon of white wine vinegar into either a basin or a spray bottle and treat the area. Make sure to continuously blot the stain with a microfibre cloth.

4) Once the liquid is removed, sponge the area with cold water and blot to dry.

5) You may need to treat the area with a DIY deodouriser. (See above step 4 in Pet Stains).

I hope that you found our guide on eco friendly, natural carpet stain removal methods useful? Please note this blog is only advisory, stains can react differently on different materials. If you are unsure then please contact your local professional carpet cleaning company.

Kleen-Dri offer a unique dry, natural and eco friendly method to carpet cleaning for those who live in Glasgow and the surrounding areas. Check out our cleaning methods in the link below.

Dry Carpet Cleaning