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Spot Cleaning

Mishaps and stains are inevitable. Your best bet may be to choose a stain-resistant carpet that resists soil and cleans easily. If your carpet is tain treated with a product like Scotchgard, you'll need to follow that manufacturer's instructions for cleaning to avoid voiding the stain warranty. Familiarize yourself with how to treat stains before they occur. You'll have the most success if you treat them immediately. Always blot the area to be cleaned. One of the best agents to use on water based spills is club soda. Keep a bottle handy at room temperature for emergencies. After blotting to remove a spill, dribble it on, let it set for a moment, then blot it again to remove the stain.
Stain
Type		 Cleaning
Method		 Stain
Type		 Cleaning
Method
Asphalt D Iodine A, E
Beer A Kool-Aid A
Beet Juice B Latex Paint A
Blood A Lipstick D
Cherry Cola A Medicine (FD & C Colors) A
Chocolate D Mouthwashes A
Coffee D Motor Oil (Used) D
Cola A Mustard A
Cooking Oil D Nail Polish G
Cough Syrup A Oil Paint D
Cranberry Juice B Orange Juice A
Crayon D Orange Soda A
Dirt F Pet Feces C
Egg A Pet Urine C
Felt Marker D,E Prune Juice B
Furniture Polish E Red Clay Soil F
Furniture Stain D Rouge D
Gelatins A Rust A
Grape Juice B Shoe Polish D
Grape Soda A Slime (Toy) H
Grease D Tea D
Hawaiian Punch A Vomit (Human & Pet) C
Ink (Water Soluble) A Water Colors A
Ink (Ball Point, Permanent) D Wine B

Cleaning Method
A
  1. Blot excess stain or liquid.
  2. Soak with lukewarm water one minute and blot with sponge or paper towel.
  3. Repeat until no stain is evident on towel or sponge.
  4. If stain persists, use 1/2 teaspoon liquid hand/dish detergent without lanolin, mixed with 1 pint water and press into stained area with fingers. Blot excess, rinse with clear, lukewarm water to remove detergent and blot dry.
  5. If stain persists, add water again, fold paper towel and place over stain with weight. Check towel every five minutes, or until it is stain free (this procedure may need to be repeated with deep stains).
  6. Brush up pile and allow to dry before walking on carpet.
B
  1. Blot excess stain or liquid.
  2. Soak with lukewarm water one minute and blot.
  3. Apply hydrogen peroxide, immediately follow with household ammonia and blot. **
  4. Rinse with water and blot.
  5. If stain persists, follow guidelines 4-6 of Method A.
C
  1. Blot or scrape off excess stain or liquid.
  2. Vacuum particles and soften stain with alcohol or dry cleaning solvent and blot immediately.
  3. If stain persists, follow guidelines 4-6 of Method A.
D
  1. Blot excess stain or liquid.
  2. Wet stain with alcohol or dry cleaning solvent and blot dry immediately. Repeat 2 times.
  3. If stain persists, follow guidelines 4-6 of Method A.
E
  1. Blot to remove excess stain or liquid.
  2. Rinse with clear, lukewarm water and blot dry.
  3. If cleaning method fails to remove stain, have affected area replaced (plugged) by professionals.
F
  1. Allow area to dry and vacuum excess.
  2. Soak with lukewarm water for one minute and blot with sponge or paper towel. Repeat until no stain is evident on towel or sponge.
  3. If stain persists, follow guidelines 4-6 of Method A.
G
  1. Blot excess.
  2. Apply nail polish remover and blot immediately. Repeat until no stain is evident on blotter.
  3. Brush up pile and allow to dry before walking on carpet.
H
  1. Scrape off excess.
  2. Soften stain with vinegar and blot with lukewarm water. Repeat until no stain is evident on blotter.
  3. If stain persists, follow guidelines 4-6 of Method A.

*Cleaning Method B suggests the application of hydrogen peroxide followed by household ammonia. The use of hydrogen peroxide alone for food dye stains is often sufficient. By immediately adding ammonia, you raise the pH of hydrogen peroxide, which dramatically accelerates the bleaching process. Hydrogen peroxide contains approximately 0.001% phosphoric acid for the very purpose of slowing down the bleaching process. Finally, hydrogen peroxide in itself ages very rapidly (which explains the need for the brown bottle) Shelf life for spot cleaning purposes is only 3 to 6 months. It is suggested that you use a hydrogen peroxide/ammonia solution only on white and off white colors.

*Information used by permission from BeaulieuŽUnited.