Worst Stains Hall of Fame & How to Get Them Out

Ah, that brief time when you get new carpet and it’s still clean. Let’s face it: if you’re a living human being, you’re going to create stains on your carpet. It’s where we walk. It’s where we sit. It’s where our kids and pets sit (and play). There are so many things just waiting to mess up your lovely carpet—but a few are notorious for being difficult to remove. Here are a few of the worst, and some tips on how to do your best to get rid of them from Integrity Carpet Care, LLC.

Ketchup/Tomato Sauce

Spaghetti dinner gone wild! When it comes to spills, there’s almost nothing as heartbreaking as tomato sauce. It just tends to splatter, making a stain look extra-messy. And ketchup is just so bright and red…what can be done?

First of all, act quickly. Grab a clean cloth, dampen it, and remove what you can from the “top” of the stain, being careful not to smear or make the stain any bigger than it already is. Work inward. If you have a lemon, take a slice and rub it over the affected area. Pour water onto the stain, then blot as much of the water as possible using another clean cloth or towel.

Red Wine

We can blame it on those stemmed wine glasses that are just begging to be accidentally knocked over. Red wine seems to be the #1 drink that has been spilled in every home. And it’s so, well, red. How is this fixable?

You’ll immediately want to grab a clean, absorbent cloth (like a towel) and dab the stain. Make sure not to rub it—dab it! Put some water on the stain, and then dab again with the cloth. Whatever you do, don’t let it sit and set.

Coffee

Coffee, we love you so much, but you’re so acidic and dark on our carpets! Many carpets have seen their share of coffee stains. Perhaps because coffee gets everyone so jittery? Here’s what to do if you spill your cup of joe.

Try the same steps we gave you to treat red wine, and you can also try using a paste made of baking soda or borax to rub the stain out. If it still persists, try using water.

Candle Wax

Almost every household has experienced candle wax drippings on the carpet. This one is particularly frustrating because it literally bonds to the carpet, hardening around the fibers. The sooner you can treat a candle wax stain, the better.

Here’s one method that has been known to work. Fill a Zip-lock bag with ice, then place the bag directly onto the candle wax stain. Allow it to freeze for about ten minutes, then take the bag away and start scraping the wax off with a dull kitchen knife. After that, lay a clean cloth directly over the stain and, using a warm iron, slowly press over top of the cloth. The cloth will begin to absorb the wax, and it should lift off of the carpet.

Lipstick

Do you have kids who play with makeup? If so, you also are very likely to have lipstick stains on your carpet. Whether it’s kids or just the result of dropping it yourself, lipstick is fairly difficult to remove from a carpet. And, obviously, it’s very colorful and tends to scream “Look at me!”

So what’s one to do? This is an old trick that’s worth a shot: try blotting up the stain as much as you can. After that, try adding shaving cream to the stain, working it in with a toothbrush. Then wipe away the shaving cream and sponge-blot the stain with cold water to “rinse” it out.

Hopefully these tricks will be helpful, but no matter how hard you try to keep a carpet impeccable, life happens to it—especially when you have a family. If these tricks don’t work out for you, or if it’s simply time for your carpet to be professionally spruced up, Integrity Carpet Care, LLC will be there for you! We are your Indianapolis carpet cleaners who will help keep your home looking its absolute best. Contact us today at (317) 730-2570, or simply request a quote!