13 Most Googled Stains

Whether an oops, a yikes or an uh-oh moment, any seasoned homeowner knows the sting of a fresh stain on their cozy carpets.

Desperate for an answer to a stubborn stain?

Our team of certified carpet cleaning technicians share the inside scoop on how to remove stains from the carpets in your home, today.

Let’s get started.

5 Expert Tips for Removing Stains from Your Carpet

  • It is always best to use cold or room temperate water for most stains; hot water may react with the stain and end up setting it.
  • When it comes to removing stains, a clean, white cloth is always best. In some cases, coloured cloths or towels may end up bleeding dye on to your carpet.
  • Blot! Don’t rub. Rubbing may end up damaging your carpet fibres, or worse, working the stain even deeper into your carpet fibres.
  • When it comes to cleaning solution, use only as much as necessary. Dousing the spot with cleaner may end up flooding the backing of your carpet.
  • When using any new cleaning solution, it is always best to perform a spot test on a small area of carpet that is in a low traffic area such as a corner in a closet.

How to Remove Blood from Carpet

Yikes! Did a friendly game of ball toss end up going a little sideways?

Whether it’s a bleeding nose or skinned knee, sometimes, knowing exactly how to remove blood from your carpet is a must-have tool in the homeowner’s arsenal.

Blood is a bit different than other stains because it reacts differently to oxygen. If you’ve gotten blood on your carpet, the key is to remove it as quickly as possible, before it has a chance to set into the carpet fibres. 

  1. Start by loosening any dried blood with a steel brush.
  2. Mix cold water and your regular dish soap together, then apply the solution to the stain.
  3. Blot with a clean towel until the stain lifts.
  4. Rinse the area with cold water until the spot is clean.
  5. No luck? Try applying an ammonia solution for a more power-packed approach.

How to Remove Nail Polish from Carpet

  1. Remove as much of the nail polish as possible using a metal spoon or dull knife.
  2. Apply a non-oily nail polish remover to a clean white cloth and gently blot the spot. Be mindful not to allow the nail polish remover to saturate the latex backing of the carpet.
  3. Continue until spot is removed.
  4. To clean nail polish remover from carpet, create a solution of dish detergent and water, and apply the solution to the spot.
  5. Using a blotting motion, work the detergent into the affected area.
  6. Rinse the affected area by spraying it with water, covering with 3-5 sheets of paper towel, and stacking a few heavy books on top of the spot, allowing it to dry under pressure.

How to Remove Paint from Carpet

Uh-oh. Did Van Gogh paint a bit of an “Oh, no”?

While the type of paint and the length of time it has had to set will undoubtedly affect whether or not you are able to remove this stubborn offender, here’s your best bet for removing paint from your carpets.

  1. Apply a small quantity of dish detergent solution to the spot.
  2. Using a blotting motion, work the detergent into the affected area with a few sheets of disposable paper towel.
  3. Fill a clean, empty spray bottle with cold water, and spray the affected area to rinse.
  4. Blot once again with a few fresh sheets of paper towel.

How to Remove Wax from Carpet

There really is nothing like a relaxing evening spent reading by the light of your favourite candle, but what about when this lovely night goes sideways when some of the warm candle wax accidentally makes it’s way to the carpet?

Here’s how to remove wax from your carpets:

  1. Spread a brown paper grocery bag over top of the area. If there is print on the bag, turn the bag inside out to ensure the ink will not be transferred.
  2. Set your iron to warm, and gently apply the iron to the paper bag, applying pressure over the stain.
  3. Be sure to use a low heat setting on your iron, and be cautious, ensuring you are continuously moving the iron around.  Some carpets are made from synthetic materials and could melt if excessive heat is applied.
  4. Remove any traces of wax with alcohol or dry cleaning fluid.

How to Remove Red Wine from Carpet

The best way to counter a red wine stain on your carpet is to attack the offender as soon as possible.

  1. Take some paper towel and blot the mess, working from the outside inwards.
  2. Once you have blotted out as much as you can, mix 2 cups of warm water, 1 tbsp of white vinegar and 1 tbsp of dishwashing liquid to create a cleansing solution.
  3. Apply the solution with a sponge or clean white cloth and continue to blot until the stain has lifted.

How to Remove Coffee Stains from Carpet

As the old adage goes; no coffee, no workee.

To remove a coffee stain from your carpet:

  1. Blot out as much of the coffee as possible with a clean paper towel.
  2. Mix together 2 cups of warm water, 1 tbsp of white vinegar and 1 tbsp of dishwashing liquid to create a cleansing solution.
  3. Apply the cleansing solution to the coffee stain, and continue to blot until the stain has been removed.

How to Remove Gum from Carpet

  1. Fill a disposable plastic snack baggy with a few ice cubes, and rub the edges of the ice cubes over the gum on your carpet.
  2. Once the gum has hardened, shatter it with a knife handle, and vacuum up the pieces.
  3. Spray the area with a dish detergent and cold water solution, and blot with a clean white towel to remove any remnants.

How to Remove Slime and Silly Putty from Carpet

Are you pulling your hair out trying to figure out how to get slime or silly putty out of your carpet?

The first things you’ll need to figure out in the quest to solve this fuzzy flooring faux-pas is which type of dye was used to color the slime or silly putty. 

In most cases, slippery, silly slime is made by mixing materials like glue and corn starch, then made into fun colors with some type of dye. 

If the color was creating using a high quality dye or food colouring, you may be in for an unfortunate answer. Permanent dyes are meant to stick, and in most cases, you may be looking at having to replace your carpet. 

Conversely, slime or silly putty colored created with a craft-based, washable dye can often be lifted by our professional technicians using one of our natural, industrial grade carpet cleaning products. 

How to Remove Mascara and Lipstick from Carpet

  1. Create a solution of dish detergent and water, and apply the solution to the spot.
  2. Using a blotting motion, work the detergent into the affected area.
  3. Rinse the affected area by spraying it with water, covering with 3-5 sheets of paper towel, and stacking a few heavy books on top of the spot, allowing it to dry under pressure.

How to Remove Cola from Carpet

  1. Create a solution of dish detergent and water, and apply the solution to the spot.
  2. Using a blotting motion, work the detergent into the affected area.
  3. Rinse the affected area by spraying it with water, covering with 3-5 sheets of paper towel, and stacking a few heavy books on top of the spot, allowing it to dry under pressure.

How to Remove Hair Dye from Carpet

When it comes to getting hair dye out of your carpets, a basic rule of thumb is that if it can permanently dye your hair, it will permanently dye your carpet. 

While there definitely are some hair dyes on the market that are temporary, the majority are permanent, and for the most part, bad news. 

Hoping to lighten up your look for the summer? Uh-oh. Hair products that lift color from your hair, such as bleaching compounds, will likely do the same to your carpets.

If you’ve accidentally spilled hair dye on your carpets, the most likely solution will be to have your flooring replaced. 

How to Remove Ink from Carpet

Ink is yet again, one of those tricky stains to remove from carpet, especially if the spot has set. When treating the ink stain, be sure to use a blot, not rub, as rubbing may quickly set the stain more deeply into the carpet fibres. 

  1. Apply a small quantity of dish detergent solution to the spot.
  2. Using a blotting motion, work the detergent into the affected area with a few sheets of disposable paper towel.
  3. Fill a clean, empty spray bottle with cold water, and spray the affected area to rinse.
  4. Blot once again with a few fresh sheets of paper towel.
  5. Trouble pressing delete on this ink stain? Applying a small amount of lacquer hairspray or isopropyl alcohol, and returning to the spot with a sheet of paper towel and blotting motion should do the trick.
  6. Be sure to rinse the hairspray or alcohol from your carpet by spritzing with clean, cold water and once again dabbing with paper towel.

Would you like a free Printable Spot and Stain Removal Guide?

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Edmonton Steam Cleaning

AmSteam offers professional steam cleaning carpet cleaning to Edmonton, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, St. Albert, Leduc, Beaumont and beyond.

Have a tough stain you just can’t seem to beat? Get in touch with our friendly team for a quick and easy quote on carpet cleaning today!

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