You probably have carpet in your home. A lot of people do, whether it’s just in the bedrooms or throughout the whole house. And there’s a good chance that you worry about stains and spend time hoping your toddler doesn’t drop a glass of juice and leave a brightly-colored splotch on your otherwise pristine carpet.
Stains are ugly and unsightly. If you’ve got carpet in your home, whether it’s brand new or you’ve had it for a while, you’ll need to know how to remove stains from carpet. Housekeepers, homeowners, and DIYers can all benefit from some guidance in this area, so here’s what you need to know.
What Kinds of Things Can Stain Carpet?
This is an unfortunate thing to have to say, but almost anything can leave a stain or discoloration on your carpet, even water! Here’s a (partial) list of some of the most common culprits.
Wine
Juice
Coffee
Tea
Blood
Urine
Bleach
Poop
Oil
The truth is that most things you can spill on your carpet have at least the potential to leave a stain behind. Fortunately, we’ve got the step-by-step instructions to help you banish them for good.
Cleaning Products and Supplies to Get Rid of Carpet Stains
Here are some of the basic cleaning products and supplies you’ll need. We’re going to focus mostly on natural cleaners, but you always have the option of buying a commercial carpet cleaning product if you prefer.
Cleaning Products
Cleaning Supplies
White vinegar
Clean white microfiber cloths
Dish soap
Paper towel
Rubbing alcohol
Butter knife
Laundry detergent
Ice pack
Enzymatic cleaner (for pet-related stains)
Vacuum cleaner
Hydrogen peroxide
Basic Carpet Stain Removal Process
You know what to have on hand, so now, we present our basic carpet stain removal process. This basic method can work for a lot of different things, as long as you know which products to use.
Step 1: Whatever spill, whether it’s a solid or a liquid, caused the stain, the most important thing you can do is to act quickly to treat it. If you let it sit around for a long time, it’ll only get trickier to clean and remove.
Step 2: With a solid item, use some paper towel to lift it off the carpet. In the event it’s a liquid that could harden (think melted chocolate), then you may want to apply an ice pack to solidify it and make it easier to remove. Then, use a dull knife to scrape the solids away, and a vacuum to suck them up before moving to the next step.
Step 3: For a liquid spill, use a clean white cloth or paper towel to blot at the spill, removing as much liquid as you can. Do NOT scrub the spill, something that may push the liquid deep into the carpet fibers and make it impossible to remove.
Step 4: Choose the right cleaner for the stain. For example, you might want a club soda for a wine stain, an enzymatic pet cleaner for poop or urine, or hydrogen peroxide if you spilled your morning tea or coffee.
Step 5: Keep the stained area wet by reapplying the cleaning solution as needed. You don’t want the spill to dry if you can prevent it. Keep using clean cloths or paper towels to blot at the affected area.
This basic method will work with most spills and stains. Keep reading to get our methods for cleaning some of the trickiest and most stubborn stains.
How to Remove Blood Stains from Carpet
You’re not living in an episode of Law & Order, but we all get cut sometimes. One of your kids could cut their foot and track blood on your carpet. Even a papercut can translate to a stain. Here’s the method to get rid of blood stains on your carpet.
Step 1: Start by blotting the blood stain with a paper towel or a clean cloth. Don’t scrub or swipe at it. Simply press down to absorb as much as possible.
Step 2: Mix cold water (not warm or hot!) with two teaspoons of grease-removing dish soap in a spray bottle. Spray the stain until the area is soaked, then use a clean white cloth or paper towel to blot at it. Repeat as necessary.
Step 3: If the stain is stubborn – for example, if the blood dried before you could get to it – use an oxygenated cleaner like OxiClean to oxygenate the blood. After application, blot again, swapping out cloths as needed, until the stain is gone.
Step 4: Rinse the area with cold water, and blot dry.
Watch this video to see how to get rid of fresh or set blood stains on your carpet.
How to Remove Pet Stains from Carpet
We adore our pets, but there’s no sense in denying that they can be messy. Puppies have accidents and so do older pets. These steps can help you get rid of their urine and poop.
Step 1: Remove solid debris, if any. Use a clean white cloth or paper towel to blot any liquid, and continue until the area is mostly dry. This should make the stain far less visible than it was at first.
Step 2: If you’re looking at a urine stain and the urine has had time to dry, dampen the area with water and then blot.
Step 3: You have a few options in terms of what to apply to the area to clean it. You can use a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water. For a heavy stain, sprinkle the area with baking soda first, then add white vinegar and water and let it sit for 5 minutes or so. Of course, you can always use an enzymatic cleaner such as Nature’s Miracle, too.
Step 4: Don’t scrub the stain. Instead, use clean white cloths or towels (paper towels, if you prefer) to soak up the stain remover after it’s had time to do its work.
Step 5: Rinse the area with water and blot it dry.
Step 6: For any lingering pet odors, we recommend a cleaner that’s designed for pet stains. It’s really hard to get rid of urine smells, so go for the gusto and use something powerful.
Carpet Stain Removal Reference Guide
We don’t have room here to cover every type of stain, so we created this grid to help you out.
Vinegar
Dish Soap
Hydrogen Peroxide
Rubbing Alcohol
Baking Soda
Club Soda
Oil/Grease
X
X
Red Wine
X
X
X
Old Stains
X
X
X
X
Rust
X
Common Stain Removal Mistakes to Avoid
Stain removal from carpet comes with some special challenges. Most of us have had the experience of either waiting too long to treat a stain or using the wrong method, leaving us with a permanent reminder of our mistake. Here are some common errors to avoid.
Rubbing instead of blotting at spills. Rubbing can make the stain worse, or even spread it around.
Not cleaning solids before using stain removal products.
Using the wrong product, e.g. using bleach and ending up with a bleach stain to replace the original stain.
Oversaturating the carpet with cleaning products, which can (weirdly) be a magnet for dirt if you don’t remove all of it.
Flooding the carpet with water after cleaning it.
Reusing the same cloth to blot the stain. Have multiple clean cloths or plenty of paper towels handy. You don’t want to transfer the stain back to the carpet from a dirty cloth.
Avoiding these mistakes gives you the best possible chance of permanently removing that ugly stain!
FAQs
Can I use vinegar and baking soda to remove old stains from carpet?
You can, but you should mix the vinegar with warm water in equal parts. Sprinkle baking soda on the affected area first, let it sit, then spray with the vinegar and water mixture.
Does hydrogen peroxide clean carpet stains?
It can. Make sure to use a 3% solution because anything higher than that may bleach the area. Our Pros like hydrogen peroxide for wine stains, blood, and old stains that may have set in.
Can I use Dawn dish soap to remove carpet stains?
You sure can! Dawn does a great job of removing grease and oil, and it’s also effective at removing blood.
How do I get rid of high traffic carpet stains?
We like this method. Start by generously sprinkling baking soda over the high traffic area. Then, mix one cup of warm water, one cup of white vinegar, and two teaspoons of dish soap. Spray the mixture on top of the baking soda, The mixture will bubble up and once it stops, you can begin to blot the area with white towels (cloth or paper) until the stains are removed. Continue until the area is clean and dry.
Can I use bleach on my carpet?
We don’t recommend it because bleach is harsh and can remove pigment from your carpet, leaving you with a different kind of stain. Use hydrogen peroxide instead.
Conclusion
Removing carpet stains can be a challenge, but it’s actually pretty simple to do if you know which products and methods to use. Our Pros have made it easy for you by putting all the information in one place. We think you’ll be happy with the results!
