How To Get Tough Stains Out Of Your Carpet

While you should take care of spillages straight away, we know that sometimes smaller household tasks like cleaning pasta sauce or coffee from your carpet can get put off.

So, with the spillage now set, how do we go about removing these stains? Well, while it may be simple when it comes to cleaning a hardwood floor, there are a few more steps to consider for getting tough stains out of the carpet.

Not to worry, as we’ve got all the cleaning know-how to get your floor clean and tidy once more! Keep reading to discover our top tips for getting tough stains out of your carpet.

Did you know you can use white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda to remove stains from the carpet? These two household staples are a dab hand at treating long since set stains.

First, you’ll need to prep the cleaning solution. So, in a spray bottle, mix together one part water with one part white vinegar – not the brown stuff you put on fish and chips. Then, drizzle in a bit dish soap, just a drop will do.

Mixture made, you can sprinkle your bicarb over the old carpet stain until it covers the whole area. Spritz the carpet with your new homemade cleaning solution, leaving it until it fizzes. Once dried, you can vacuum the debris up – et voila! The stain should now be gone.

If you’re not a fan of using vinegar on your carpet, then you can try using baking soda on its own instead:

1.     Sprinkle baking soda over the old carpet stain until it’s completely covered.

2.     Take a clean cloth and soak it in warm water until it’s damp (but not soaking wet).

3.     Place the now damp cloth over the baking soda and leave it for at least an hour – you can leave it longer to get tougher brown stains out of the carpet.

4.     Lastly, vacuum up the remaining baking soda and you’re done!

The best part of this tip for getting brown stains out of the carpet is that you can use it as many times as needed! So, just repeat these steps if the stain is still visible.  

If it’s good enough to clean the pasta bowl that made the old carpet stain, then it’s good enough to remove the spill itself too, right?

Well, yes! You can use a mild detergent to get tough stains out of the carpet. Simply mix a few drops of an uncoloured, mild detergent into a bowl with lukewarm water. Use a clean cloth to gently dab the mixture into the carpet and keep repeating until it’s gone – it’s just that simple.

Bleach is a powerful tool, but if you’re using this cleaning hack to remove stains from the carpet, then be sure you only use it on white or very lightly coloured areas.

We suggest you start by testing it on a small, hidden part of your carpet first, to check for any colour bleaching. If there’s none, then you can go ahead and follow these steps:

1.     Use your vacuum to clean the area of dust, dirt, and debris.

2.     Mix together one part bleach with six parts water in a spray bottle.

3.     Spray the mix on the old carpet stain and allow it to soak into your carpet fibres – about 10-15 minutes should do, depending on the type and severity of the stain.

4.     Then, take a bristle brush and gently massage the area, before using a damp white cloth to dab the solution out.

TOP TIP: Using bleach is a great way to get dried red wine stains out of your carpet! But regardless of the type of stain, be careful when using bleach as a cleaning tool – always use gloves.

Last but not least, if you’ve got a series of old carpet stains that just won’t budge, then it may be time to simply clean the whole carpet.

You can do this yourself with a carpet cleaner, which will make light work of a big cleaning task like this. However, if you don’t have a carpet cleaner or you think the stains are just too stubborn to budge, then it could be time to call in the professionals. A cleaning expert will be able to remove tough stains from your carpet in no time at all.

TOP TIP: Our range of wet and dry vacuums work magic on both hardwood and carpet flooring! Doing the hard work for you, so you can pop your feet up in a clean, tidy room sooner.

And you’re done! All those pesky stains should now be well a truly taken care of. For more info like how to remove red wine from the carpet or how to clean a mattress, head over to our blog.