Five of the most common carpet stains and how to remove them
Spilt your red wine and not sure what to do? Discover five of the most common carpet stains and how to remove them.
Carpets are a popular choice amongst many homes across the UK. They offer a warmer, cosier alternative to wooden or tiled floors and can make all the difference to your interior design. However, undeniably, carpets require a lot more maintenance than their cold floor alternatives.
An accidental trip or slip and before you know it, your beautiful carpet has a ghastly mark staring back at you. But fear not, we are going to uncover everything that you need to know about the most common carpet stains and how to remove them easily.
Home cleaning experts Fantastic Services have revealed the most common carpet stains in the UK and some of their top tips to remove them.
There are two golden rules when it comes to removing carpet stains. Firstly, never scrub the carpet, this only puts the stain deeper into the fibre of the carpet and makes it harder to remove. Instead, always opt for blotting or dabbing.
Secondly, always use a clean cloth when cleaning the stained area. There is nothing worse than adding to the stain with leftover residue from something else. Keep clean cloths on hand so that you don’t get caught out.
Let’s dive in to reveal the top five most common carpet stains in the UK and how to remove them.
What are the top five most common carpet stains in the UK?
The top five most common carpet stains in the UK are coffee, tea, red wine, blood, and curry. Whilst you might expect food and beverage stains to be high on the list as the most common household stains, bloodstains are equally as frequent.
No doubt we’ve all had to deal with at least one of these stains in our lifetime. But fear not, we have outlined an exact step-by-step guide to rid ourselves of these horrible stains.
1) Coffee
We’ve all been there. We’ve dragged ourselves out of bed, made our way to the kitchen, poured ourselves that first cup of coffee that we so desperately need, and then accidentally trip on a step as we make our way back up the stairs.
Let’s face it, it’s one of the worst ways to start the day and can put you in a bad mood from the get-go. But it needn’t be such a catastrophe. In a matter of minutes, this stain can easily be sorted out.
How to remove a coffee stain from carpet
In order to remove a coffee stain from your carpet, you should first gently blot the area in order to soak up as much of the coffee as you can. Next, make up a solution of 1/2 tsp of washing up liquid or liquid dish soap, with 1/2 tsp of white vinegar and 1 and 1/2 pints of warm water.
Take a fresh clean cloth and begin dabbing the stain with the solution. Apply a little a bit at a time, interchangeably using a dry cloth to blot excess solution. As the stain begins to disappear, sponge the area with clean cold water and blot dry.
2) Tea
We all love a nice cup of tea, but the last thing that you want to do is spill it all over a clean carpet. It happens to the best of us. An accidental kick, a playful animal that is more interested in coming in for a cuddle than looking where it’s going, or even just a trip on route to the kitchen. From time to time, we all do spill our tea!
How to remove a tea stain from carpet
To remove a tea stain from your carpet, the first step is to blot the area to remove excess tea liquid. Fill one bowl with baking soda and another with clean water. Take a damp cloth and dip it into the bowl of baking soda. Gently blot the tea stain with this cloth.
Then use a clean cloth and the clean cold water to rinse the area. Repeat these steps until the stain begins to clear. After that, rinse the area with cold water, making sure that the baking soda is removed, and finally pat dry.
3) Red wine
Just imagine, clean white new carpet, inviting the girls round for some after-work drinks… need we say more? Let’s be honest, a white carpet and red wine are never going to be a good combination. Fortunately, there are some easy tricks to tackle this stain from hell.
How to remove a red wine stain from carpet
To remove a red wine stain from your carpet, you first need to blot the liquid to soak up as much of it as possible. This is the case for all stains, as the last thing you want to do is spread the red wine around and make even more of a mess. Add a few drops of clean water to the stain to help dilute it and then continue to blot it until you can’t get any more out.
Make a paste using a combination of baking soda and water. Apply the thick paste to the stain directly and wait approximately ten minutes or until the paste dries.
After that, you can vacuum the paste up. If this hasn’t removed the stain then tackle it with a solution of warm water with 1 tbsp of white vinegar and 1 tsp of washing up liquid. Return to the blotting to help remove the last of the stain. Finally, rinse any residue from the solution away and blot dry. This method works well for light-coloured carpets, as well as cream and grey rugs.
4) Bloodstain
Any household with children or pets knows the mysterious dark red stains that appear from time to time. A nose bleed, a grazed knee… despite our best efforts, accidents happen. You may have heard the old wives’ tale that bloodstains simply cannot be removed; however, there are a few little hacks that disprove this myth.
How to remove a blood stain from carpet
To remove a blood stain from your carpet, it is back to our trusty solution of water, white vinegar and baking soda. Combine 800 ml of warm water with 800 ml of white vinegar and 4 tbsp of baking soda in a bowl or spray bottle.
Spray the solution to the stained area and let it sit for five minutes before blotting the carpet dry with a clean damp cloth. Leave the area to air dry.
5) Curry
As one of the nation’s favourite dishes, no doubt you have faced the horrors of spilling curry on your carpet. The variety of spices result in different coloured stains and the oils can leave you wondering if you’ll ever manage to get them out. But don’t panic, there is always a way!
How to remove curry stain from carpet
To remove a curry stain from your carpet, first, remove any excess curry and blot away any sauce that is left. Then combine 1 tbsp of washing up liquid with 1 tbsp of white vinegar and add the mixture to 800 ml of warm water. Using this solution, blot the stained area, alternating between the solution and the clean water.
If the stain persists, sponge the stain with a detergent or ammonia solution. Leave it on the stain for at least 30 mins, blotting with a clean cloth intermittently to help lift the stain. Finally, rinse with clean water and dry.
Don’t stress over stains – learn now to remove them!
So there we have it. These common carpet stains needn’t leave you in a spin. From coffee to curry, with just a few standard household ingredients, you can quickly clear away any stain.
