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Knowing how to remove stains from carpet may seem like an impossible task, especially when you’re faced with old set-in stains that seemingly refuse to budge. However, you can return your flooring to its former, super-clean glory without damaging it. You just need to know how.
Of course, investing in one of the best carpet cleaners will help you deep-clean your carpets and remove everyday dirt and debris. But accidents and spills are a fact of life, whether it’s food, drinks, dirt, or even pet stains. So, finding a way to handle stains as they happen (and following the stain removal golden rules) is vital – because the longer you leave it, the trickier it can be to get out.
That’s why I spoke to cleaning and carpet experts to find out how to remove stains from carpet quickly, easily and most importantly – correctly.
1. First, remove any excess
To effectively get stains out of carpet, your first step is always to remove any excess material around the stain, whether it's liquid, food, or another substance.
Laura Harnett, founder of plastic-free cleaning brand, Seep, says acting as soon as possible is the key here. ‘As soon as something is spilt, like wine, any type of sauces, gravy etc., it needs to be blotted up immediately with an absorbent cloth,’ she explains.
The rules change slightly if you want to clean candle wax off carpet, or if the stain is more solid and chunky, as you’ll struggle to blot the residue. Instead, you’ll need to try and scrape up as much of the solid residue as possible using a blunt knife or spoon.
A scraper tool like this can also work wonders if you want to scrape off the excess of more solid stains.
2. Dampen the stain and blot
The next step when removing stains from carpets is to dampen the stain. Of course, this may sound counterintuitive and may temporarily make the whole thing look worse, but you’ll need to trust the process. In fact, rehydration is key when it comes to treating stains - especially older, set-in stains.
You simply need to add a small amount of water to your stain, and then gently blot at it with a kitchen towel, or a clean microfibre cloth. And while you may be inclined to scrub at the stain in an effort to lift it, you should avoid doing this as much as possible, as this can push the stain deeper into the fibres and even ruin the carpet fibres in the process.
I swear by these cleaning cloths, and they're incredibly absorbent when trying to remove stains from carpet.
3. Add the right cleaning product
All stains are different, which is why it’s important to note that you need to use different cleaning products to remove certain stains from carpet. In most cases, you’ll also need a soft-bristled brush - like this Polyethylene Scrubbing Brush, £1.50 at B&Q - at your disposal. Just remember to test this product on an inconspicuous area of your carpet before you tackle the whole thing.
So, this is what you’ll need for some of the most common carpet stains:
- Red wine stains: If you’ve accidentally spilt red wine on your carpet, never fear. Laura says the first step is to ‘sprinkle over a generous amount of baking soda, which will absorb the liquid even further, leave it for about half an hour and then brush or vacuum up.
- Then, mix baking soda with water to create a stiff paste and gently rub it into the stain using circular motions and a soft brush.’ You could also use a designated red wine stain remover, like this Lakeland Red Wine & Fruit Juice Stain Remover Spray (£7.99 at Amazon).
- Candle wax: If your love of candles left you with candle wax stains on your carpet, it’s fairly easy to remove them, and actually, it’s best to do this with one of the best irons and a tea towel. Then, you can steam the wax so it transfers onto the tea towel.
- Mud stains: It’s easy to track mud into your carpet, especially during the wetter months of the year. To remove mud stains, the experts at Shark Clean advise making a cleaning solution by mixing 2 tablespoons of washing-up liquid with 500ml of cool water.
- They say, ‘Dab the solution onto the stain using a soft-bristled brush such as a toothbrush. Work inwards from the edges of the stain. Use kitchen roll to blot the stain, which should now lift. Finally, blot the spot with a microfibre cloth dipped in cool water to draw the soil and cleaning solution out.’
- Oil stains: Knowing how to get oil out of carpet can save your bacon if you find yourself in a pinch, and experts suggest sprinkling bicarbonate of soda onto the oil before using a soft-bristled brush to rub it in. Then, leave it to work its magic for around 15 minutes before vacuuming up.
- Coffee stains: If you want to know how to remove coffee stains, you’ll be happy to know that it’s easier than you’d think. Simply create a mixture of water, white vinegar and dish soap and blot the affected area to lift it. You could also try the Dr. Beckmann Stain Devils Fruit & Drinks (£2.35 at Amazon).
This two-pack of bicarbonate of soda should set you up nicely to remove stains from your carpet, and it's one of my favourite natural cleaning hacks out there.
There are so many things that you can clean with white vinegar, and removing carpet stains is just one of them. I use this particular brand, and I can't recommend Miniml enough.
If you need washing-up liquid to remove stains from your carpet, this one will be gentle on the carpet fibres but still offer an effective clean.
4. Leave it to work its magic
No matter which stain removal solution you use, it’s important to give it time to work its magic. This is echoed by Lucy Rhead at Gtech. She says, ‘Leave it for about 10 minutes to allow the cleaning solution to settle deep into the fibres. Then, dip a microfibre cloth into some cold water and dab at the stain until all the carpet cleaner is removed.’
‘Be sure the area is completely dry before vacuuming,’ she adds. ‘You can use one of the best vacuum cleaners or one of the best handheld vacuums for this job, and, ideally, use a floorhead suitable for carpets. This will leave your carpet looking fresh and fluffy.
With multiple attachments and a 30-minute run time, this handheld vacuum can come in very handy when dealing with stains in carpet.
5. If in doubt, use a spot cleaner
The above steps should be enough to get stains out of the carpet, but if you have particularly stubborn stains, you may need to call in reinforcements. This can come in the form of a spot cleaner or a full-size carpet cleaner.
In fact, Gill Baker, Head of Décor at B&Q, says, ‘A handheld carpet cleaner or upholstery wand is ideal, especially when paired with a mild detergent.’ This means that you can opt for targeted stain removal rather than having to clean your whole carpet. After all, there are big differences between a carpet cleaner and a spot cleaner.
Some spot cleaners may even come with their own cleaning solution to give the appliance its best chance of removing the stain.
Then, in the future, you just need to make sure that you tackle any stains as soon as possible. Lucy at Gtech agrees, saying, ‘When it comes to stains, timing is everything. The sooner you address the spill, the less likely it is to set into your carpet.’
This spot cleaner is perfect for stain removal both inside and outside the home (yes, it's cordless!). It even comes with four accessories to help the stain removal process.
FAQs
What carpet stains cannot be removed?
Knowing how to remove stains from carpets is one thing, but certain stains can pose a particular cleaning challenge. This includes permanent dyes or oil-based products that can quickly seep into the fibres and sometimes be impossible to remove - but only if they aren’t treated as soon as possible.
As mentioned, stains become more difficult to remove the longer they are left to sit. And, if you don't know what caused the carpet stain, it can be twice as hard to remove it. So, in order to avoid a tricky cleaning task, always address stains as soon as possible and use the correct cleaning method, if possible.
Does vinegar and baking soda remove old stains from carpet?
Yes, you can use vinegar and baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) to remove old stains from carpet, and you can either use them separately or together as a paste or combined with water to form a spray.
These two products are best suited to oil or liquid-based stains as the baking soda can absorb excess moisture, and the vinegar can help to loosen the stain and deodorise the area. However, you should be wary of oversaturating your carpet with this mixture. Aim to leave it for around three hours before cleaning.
So, there you have it! By following these steps, you should be able to remove stains from carpet in no time.
