Effective Carpet Care Through Prevention of Stain to Penetrate

While some accidents may leave you bruised, carpet stains do not have to be one of them. Let's face it, we live in a world where accidents happen – the unavoidable collision on the expressway, the mishap of tripping down the stairs and the dreaded grape juice stain on your new white carpet.

Here are a few tips to help you with your carpet cleaning

1. Avoidance. The best method to cleaning any sort of stain is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Do your best to keep all forms of liquids away from your carpet. Try to keep them on surfaces such as tile or linoleum that are easy to wipe down.
2. Absorb. If you have accidentally spilled that dark-colored grape juice on your new white carpet, the first thing you should do is place an absorbent towel over the stain and place something heavy on it, such as your body. Preferably, this towel should be white, so that you do not add other dye colors to your stain. This will allow the towel to absorb most of the juice from the carpet so it does not seep into the pad.
3. Type. You need to know what type of carpet you have. If you have a delicate wool carpet, a harsh cleaner may permanently damage your run while carpet cleaning. However, if you have regular carpet you may be able to clean the stain yourself without causing any damage.
4. Water. Spray some lukewarm water on fresh stains. Never use hot water as it may help the stain to set in permanently. Also, be careful to avoid soaking the carpet, which may cause your stain to spread and permanently damage a larger area of your carpet.
5. Absorb. Use another white towel to absorb the water that you have just sprayed onto the stain. Repeat this step a few times during your carpet cleaning. Essentially, you are trying to pick up as much of the stain as possible before you actually clean the stain with a detergent solution.
6. Detergent. If you have been unable to completely remove the stain by the previous methods of carpet cleaning, it is time to get tough and add some detergent to the stain. There are several different brands of detergent on the market for carpet cleaning, but certain detergents such as non-bleaching laundry detergent will also work. If you are using a commercial carpet cleaning solution, follow the manufacturer's instructions for the best stain removal. If you are using a detergent to make a carpet cleaning solution, add 1/4 teaspoon to 1 liter of lukewarm water and mix thoroughly.
7. Test. Be sure to test this solution on an inconspicuous spot of your carpet to be sure it is safe and will not cause any damage. It's even better to test it on a piece of carpet scrap, if you have any extra lying around.
8. Soak. Soak a white cleaning cloth with the prepared solution and lay if over the stain.
9. Knead. Gently knead the soaked cloth back the forth over the stain, working from the outside to the inside. This should allow the stain to lift and not spread any further. Be careful not to rub the stain vigorously as you may damage the carpet fibers.
10. Dry. Allow the stain to air dry. Never add heat as this may cause the stain to permanently dry into your carpet.

This method should work on treating most stains, before you pull out the carpet cleaner. If you are ever in doubt, consult a professional carpet cleaner