Common Carpet Stains and How to Clean Them

You’ve had your new carpeting for a few weeks, and then the dreaded moment arrives — possible carpet stains happen.

The spilled wine. The broken coffee cup. The kid who came in with muddy sneakers.

Sooner or later, your carpet is going to get stained. And while regular vacuuming can keep it looking fresh, there are some stains that your vacuum cleaner can’t get out.

That’s where we can help. Read on to learn some tips from our San Diego carpet cleaning experts to find out how to tackle a few of the more common stains that might hit your floors.

The Basics

Many stains will come out with the following measures:

Fill one empty spray bottle with cold water, another with ¼ teaspoon of mild dish soap and a cup of warm water.
Spray the soap mixture onto an absorbent cloth — and not directly on your carpet — and dab the stain. As it dissolves, blot it with a clean section of the cloth, repeating the process until the stain vanishes.
Spray a second cloth the cold water to rinse the detergent, then blot again using a dry cloth.
Stack paper towels over the wet spot, and then put a heavy pot atop the paper towel pile. This will cause the paper towels to soak up the stain overnight. In the morning, remove the pit and the towels and pat the area dry with your hand.

Pet Stains in Your Carpet

Even the most housebroken pets have accidents sometimes. To get pet stains out of your carpet, choose a carpet cleaner that contains enzymes that remove odor-causing bacteria. By removing odors, you’ll prevent your pet from “marking” the same spot over and over.

Once you’ve applied the cleaner, scrub it in with a clean damp cloth, rinse with a clean, damp cloth and leave that area covered with that cloth for at least 12 hours.

How to Clean Wine Stains From Your Carpet

You’ve sloshed some red wine on a white carpet. No need to panic. Just get to work on trying to blot as much of the wine as possible. You may even need to stand on absorbent cloth to get it to soak up the spill.

Use a protect like Wine Away to saturate the stain and let it sit for a few minutes, then blot the area of the spill until the stain disappears. Use a damp cloth to remove extra residue.

Getting Coffee Stains Out of Carpet

Your first step here is to try to blot up as much spilled coffee as possible. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar and a tablespoon of liquid dish detergent to two cups of warm water, then use a clean white cloth to sponge the stain with this mixture.

Apply the mixture a little at a time and blot frequently with a dry cloth until the stain disappears. Rinse the area with cold water and blot dry.

Basic Carpet Maintenance

Even if you somehow magically avoid spills, your carpet will still undergo normal wear and tear. You can keep it looking new by:

Regularly clean high-traffic areas using a foam or powdered carpet cleaner.
Have family members remove their shoes when they come inside. You can keep slippers or flip-flops near the entryway.
Give your interior door mats a regular cleaning, either by vacuuming them or machine washing them if the care tag says it’s OK.

Carpet Cleaning San Diego

Has your carpet seen better days? Does it require professional carpet cleaning? San Diego’s Under the Rug Floor Care is here to help.

We know all too well the challenges of dealing with dirt and sand in our city’s dry climate and have the expertise to help clean every type of carpeting.

From pre-inspection to spot treatment to pre-conditioning to agitation to hot water extraction and air treatment for quick drying, our methods will restore your carpet to its former glory.