e Carpet Protection

When the carpet gets stained, you need to act immediately. But that doesn’t mean you have to rush to the retail store and buy some specialized cleaning product. Right at your home, you may have most, if not all, of the stuff you’ll be using for the cleanup. These include such regular household chemicals as rubbing alcohol, vinegar, baking soda, detergents and lemon juice.

Below are some tips for removing pet stains and two other common types of spatters on carpets, ink stains and beer or wine stains

Pet Stains

You can use any of the following three solutions.

Your first option is to spray or apply a mixture of one teaspoon of clear, household ammonia and half a cup of cold water on the affected area. Take care not to wet the carpet’s backing. Blot with paper towels and allow the carpet to dry thoroughly.

You can also use a solution of hand or dish soap, instead of ammonia. Mix a quarter of a teaspoon of the soap to one quart water. Use detergent that doesn’t have lanolin or bleach as an ingredient.

Your third, and possibly best option, is to rewet the stain with plain water to make removal possible. Steam cleaners do well on most types of pet stains. Then let the area you worked on dry completely.

Ink Stains

Pour some isopropyl rubbing alcohol onto a clean white cloth or towel and blot the stain using the cloth or towel. Paper towels will do as well, as long as they are white. If the area covered by the stain is small, blot only in one direction to prevent horizontal spreading.

Beer and Wine Stains

Spray a mixture of one part water and one part white vinegar onto the stain until saturated. Let the stain with the solution sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Rub with a sponge, then rinse with warm water. Comb the carpet pile back to the original direction of its bend with a brush. Cover the stain with several layers of paper towel and place a flat weight on to. Give time to allow everything to dry.