Ah, Christmas - the most fun and festive of all seasonal events is nearly upon us! But with it comes an influx of visitors to the home with family members and friends bringing food and gifts. It’s a great time, but there’s a much higher chance of your carpet becoming a victim of spilt drinks and mess!
Whether it’s gravy, red wine or mud from dirty boots – don’t panic – here are some easy ways to help you banish all manner of stains and dirt from your carpet in just a few easy steps…
How to get mess out of the carpet
The most important thing with spills and staining is to act fast. So, the first thing you should do as soon as something has spilt is to dry and dab up the excess as much as possible. Do not rub the stain! Instead, gently dab and blot the moisture away using a slightly damp cloth. Start from the outside, carefully working inwards. Continue this process until you are no longer picking up color or moisture from the spill.
If you’ve spilt a liquid that will not stain or damage the carpet, such as water, it’s easy to clean up. Just put a tea towel or kitchen roll over the wet area and press firmly to transfer the liquid to the towel. Keep pressing until no more water is picked up, and then leave it to air dry.
If your spill is likely to stain, there are further steps to take to save your carpet or rug…
Removing red wine or darker liquid stains
There are many different ways to tackle red wine stains, from old wives tales to deliberately spilling white wine on the stain to counteract with it, but here are a few popular methods:
1. The club soda method
The club soda method is a simple one. The idea is to repeatedly soak the stain with club soda and blot until the stain is gone:
- Start as normal blotting up the excess wine.
- Then pour on soda water, and gently dab and blot until dry.
- Keep repeating this process and pouring on soda water until the stain starts to lift.
Do not ‘rub in’ the soda water, simply allow it to saturate the stain and dab it up – let the bubbles do the hard work!
2. The washing up liquid & vinegar method
After blotting up the excess liquid, mix half a teaspoon of washing up liquid with half a teaspoon of white vinegar and two cups of warm water. Using a sponge, carefully dab the mixture onto the stain and blot with a clean cloth until dry. Finally, spray with cold water to rinse the area and blot dry again. You can repeat these steps a few times if it’s being stubborn - remember to be gentle!
3. The hydrogen peroxide method
Hydrogen peroxide is a home-cleaning powerhouse, but it should be used with caution – especially if there are kids around. For safety, wear some protective gloves and a mask, and keep everyone away from the area. To produce the solution, mix three parts hydrogen peroxide with one part washing-up liquid and let it sit on the stain for 30mins to an hour. After this time, blot out the mixture before rinsing with cold water and blotting dry.
It’s a good option, but there are other, more environmentally-friendly and safer methods. Hydrogen Peroxide is also technically a bleaching agent, so maybe only use it if you have a white carpet?
4. The salt method
Salt is naturally drying and absorbs moisture incredibly well through osmosis, so it’s ideal for drawing out unwelcome stains. Blot up the excess liquid as normal for this method, but then fully cover the stain with salt. Don’t rub the salt in, but let it sit within the fibres covering the stain generously for at least half an hour. If you can, leave it on for several hours or overnight to boost the cleaning power. When you’re ready, vacuum up the remaining salt using a pole attachment as you don’t want to rub anything in. You can repeat everything if the stain remains, just leave the salt on a little longer.
If none of the above methods work or the stain has set in, there’s always carpet shampoos, steam cleaners or local specialists who will have years of experience and well-tested products to help get the job done.
Main takeaway: Be gentle, consistent and don’t panic! Vigorous rubbing will only spread the stain and cause fibre damage, so proceed with care.
Coffee or tea stains
Because tea and coffee stains are majority water, the easiest thing to do is blot up the liquid as quickly as possible. As with other stains, blotting is the way to go and will likely sort the mess. If there is a dark stain left behind, one of the above methods should help.
Mud and dirt stains
The key difference between mud stains and most others is that the muddy area should be allowed to completely dry before you treat it. Once it is, scrape off as much as you can and then vacuum carefully and thoroughly. Some vacuums have attachments with deep bristles that may help with this.
If you’ve removed as much dry residue as possible and there is still a dark stain, use one of the methods above.
Stains from pets
If you have a four-legged friend, urine stains are a real worry! Luckily, they are fairly easy to remove. Now, before you get started, don’t forget to put on some gloves as you will be dealing with animal waste. Next, make a solution using one part vinegar to one part water and pour the solution on the affected area. With these stains, you can gently agitate the fibres with a soft brush to ensure you get all the mess and smell, then blot the area dry using a clean towel. If the smell remains, repeat the process to completely rinse out the area.
How to prevent stains and maintain a clean carpet
The easiest way to avoid stains is prevention! Here are a few steps you can take to protect the carpet from all manner of festive accidents:
Purchase a stain protection treatment and apply it to your carpet.
Have doormats at each entrance.
Ask your guests to remove their shoes.
Move area rugs into carpeted rooms to catch the spills.
Hopefully, this will help you easily remove all sorts of stains from your carpet this festive season, so you can continue your celebrations without worrying about the drinks, pets or muddy shoes.
