Right Manner of Carpet Cleaning Spills With Success

For spills on carpeting, acting quickly is essential.When cleaning stains and spills, don't become overzealous. Mix the cleaning solutions according to the directions. In truth, more is not better. Don't use too much water; try to keep the carpet as dry as possible. And always remember to pretest the product on an inconspicuous spot of carpet.

• Blot liquids with a dry, white absorbent cloth or plain white paper towels (no prints or colors). Use of a printed or colored material may transfer ink or dye to your damp carpet.
• Start at the outside of the spot and continue toward the center to prevent the stain from spreading.  Continue step one until the area is barely damp. Semisolids, like food spills, may need to be scooped up with a spoon. Solid, dried bits can be vacuumed up. Warning: do not scrub or use a brush. Scrubbing and brushes can damage the carpet.  Fraying and texture change is the likely result.

Liquid stains should be blotted, rather than rubbed. Rubbing works stains in further and may harm the carpet.

• Using clean white rags for blotting, working from the outside edge of the spot toward the center is effective.

Once as much of the liquid is absorbed as possible, the following tips may help remove any remaining mess.

Homemade and Commercial Spot Removers for Liquid Carpet Spills

• A general carpet stain-removal formula is provided in the book Making A Home: "Stir one teaspoon of liquid dish detergent into a quart of warm water. Add ¼ teaspoon of white vinegar." Dishwasher detergent should not be used, as this can harm carpet. The book recommends allowing this solution to soak into a stain for 10 minutes before blotting.

• Another all-purpose homespun solution recommended by the Carpet and Rug Institute is one part white vinegar to two parts water. For a small stain, this would mean one cup vinegar mixed with two cups of water. This solution can be mixed in advance, labeled, and stored in a spray bottle for quick action when a spill happens.

Keeping a commercial spot carpet cleaner on hand for stubborn stains is a good idea. Additionally, there are small handheld machines available, designed specifically for spot removal.

Over-wetting the carpet with any cleaner should be avoided, to avoid damaging car

What if you don't have a CRI-approved carpet cleaner handy?  Try one of these homemade remedies:

• Use plain water. Surprisingly, water often works better than untested carpet cleanersdo.
• Use a detergent solution.  Mix 1/4 teaspoon of a clear (nonbleach, nonlanolin) dishwashing liquid with one cup of warm water.  Never use laundry detergent; it may contain bleach or simply be too harsh.
• Use a white vinegar solution.  Mix one cup white (not red wine or cider) vinegar with 1 cup of water.  White vinegar (5 percent acetic acid) is sometimes effective on tannins (weak vegetable dyes found in tea and coffee), and it leaves no residue.  However, be careful because acids can set some other dye stains.

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