Carpet Stain Removal: DIY Home Remedies
Get Rid of Carpet Stains with these Household Items
The appearance of your home is directly tied to its value, and carpets are no exception. Sometimes you will need to get a specialist to take care of old, heavy duty stains. But you’d be surprised how many common household items and materials can be used to clean up stains!
Before you Start:
It is important that you do NOT scrub stains deeper into your carpet. Instead, use a gentle blotting/dabbing motion to remove stains.
When dealing with spills and stains, be sure to act as quickly as possible. The faster you respond to an accident, the easier it will be to remove any trace of it. That said, some of these techniques will actually work on older stains, depending on the severity.
Top DIY Carpet Stain Removers
Ammonia solution:
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Most carpet stains: Mix solution of 1 cup clear ammonia, ½ gallon warm water. Sponge the mixture into the stain. Let dry. Repeat if necessary.
Baby wipes:
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Recent spills: Gently dab fresh spills on the carpet, furniture or clothing.
Baking soda:
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Vomit or urine on white carpet: Wipe up excess before applying baking soda. Pour baking soda on the carpet, then pat with paper towel. Let dry completely. Vacuum.
Grease: Create a solution of equal parts baking soda and salt. Apply the mixture with a brush. Let sit 4 or 5 hours. Vacuum.
Beer:
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Coffee, tea: Pour some beer on the carpet stain, then gently blot. Repeat if necessary.
Cornstarch:
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Ink, grease, oil: Create a paste out of milk and cornstarch. Apply the solution to the stain. Allow it to dry on carpet for a few hours. Brush off remainder. Vacuum.
Club soda:
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Pet urine, coffee, tea: Carefully wipe up excess liquid. Liberally apply club soda to the carpet. Wipe up the soda after a minute or two. Scrub the area with standard carpet cleaner or warm soapy water.
Dry-cleaning fluid:
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Grease, oil: Dab up the excess grease, then blot the dry cleaning fluid into the stain with a cloth.
Hydrogen Peroxide:
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Most stains: Combine a teaspoon of Hydrogen Peroxide with a dab of cream of tartar, or non-gel toothpaste. Rub the stain, rinse, repeat.
Ice cubes:
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Gum: Use bagged ice to freeze up the gum and remove it with a butter knife while it is hardened. Then apply a simple cleaner.
Meat tenderizer:
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Blood: Mix equal parts cold water and meat tenderizer. Apply the solution to the blood stain, then leave it for a half hour. Blot up the remainder using a wet sponge.
Paint remover:
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Paint, nail polish, ink: Apply some paint remover to a cloth, then dab the stain with the cloth.
Salt:
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Red wine: Before the wine dries, you can add some white wine to the spill to lessen the red coloration. Use a sponge and cold water to wipe up before sprinkling the stain with salt. Wait 10 minutes, then vacuum.
Grease stains: Combine 1 part salt to 4 parts rubbing alcohol. Rub the solution into the grease stain with some force.
Ketchup: Before the ketchup dries, sprinkle salt on the area. Let sit a few minutes, then vacuum. Sponge and repeat as necessary.
Shaving cream:
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Juice, grease, oil: Dab the juice stain with a wet sponge. Add shaving cream, then wipe it up with damp sponge. Let it dry, then clean residue off with a damp cloth.
Toothbrushes:
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Tough, deep stains: Use a toothbrush in combination with one of the stain removers above to remove stains that have become deeply rooted in the fibers of you carpet.
Vinegar:
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Light carpet stains: Mix 2 tablespoons of salt, dissolved in ½ cup white vinegar. Rub the solution into the light stain. Let dry. Then vacuum.
Darker stains: Combine 2 tablespoon salt, dissolved in ½ cup white vinegar, add 2 tablespoons borax. Rub the solution into the darker stain. Let dry. Then vacuum.
Tough, deep stains: Combine 1 tablespoon vinegar with 1 tablespoon cornstarch to make a paste. Rub the solution into the stain with dry cloth. Let set for two days. Vacuum.
Spilled paint: Create a mixture of 1 ½ teaspoons vinegar, 1 ½ teaspoons laundry detergent, 2 cups water. Mop up the wet paint with the solution. Rinse with cold water and dry.
Juice stains: Mix 1 tablespoon laundry detergent, 1 ½ tablespoons white vinegar. Combine with 2 cups of water. Dab the stain with the solution.
Coffee and tea: Combine equal parts white vinegar and water. Gently mop up the stain.