Avoid common carpet stains. Try these suggestions for easy stain removal and prevention.
Protect Your Carpets
Having guests over? Prepare your carpets for extra foot traffic and muddy shoes.
- Place area rugs and doormats in high-traffic areas. Be sure to add one at your entranceway. Use this as an opportunity to decorate with pretty throw rugs and mats.
- Have your guests remove their shoes near the door. Limit gatherings to rooms with wood floors or tile whenever possible.
- Keep a broom, mop and handheld vacuum handy to clean messes quickly.
- Don’t complete arts-and-crafts projects in carpeted rooms. If you can’t avoid it, spread newspaper on the floor.
- Crate-train your pets, and remember to take them out for bathroom breaks during long get-togethers.
- Place a spill mat under high chairs.
Prepare a Stain Kit
Don’t let stains keep you from socializing with your winter guests. Keep your stain-removing essentials in a bucket under your kitchen sink so you can whisk away stains without wasting time. Fill the bucket with these stain-removal tools:
- Baking soda
- Clean rags
- Clean sponges
- Club soda
- Dish liquid
- Oxygen-based stain remover
- Pet-stain remover and deodorizer
- Rubbing alcohol
- Salt
- Stain-removal foam
Avoid Common Stains
When your home is full of guests, stains are nearly inevitable. Know the common culprits and how to prevent them. Begin by pinpointing the substance — this’ll help you get the stain out quicker and more efficiently.
Winter Mud
Melting, muddy snow can wreak havoc on your carpets. Get tough on mud to keep your carpets looking fresh and clean.
- Use a carpet brush with firm bristle to scrape and brush dried mud out of the carpet.
- Always brush the stain from the outside inward. Otherwise, you’ll spread the mud to unsoiled carpet areas.
- Rinse and soak mud spots with a solution formulated specifically for mud stains. Pretest a small area first, especially on decorative rugs. Apply a small amount of cleaning solution to the surface to be cleaned. Then, wait 24 hours. If you notice any damage or discoloration to the area, don’t use the cleaning solution.
- Flush with water if the product’s instructions call for it. Then, blot and dry with a clean rag. Avoid using colored rags.
Red Wine
Grass, mustard and fruit drinks act like dyes.
- Soak a sponge in hot water. Then, wet the stain.
- Use a spot-tested carpet cleaner, and blot vigorously after soaking.
- Soak gently with the sponge and regular dish liquid.
- Blot again until stain vanishes.
Protein Stains
Will your guests be carrying food or drinks around your home? Handle spills carefully.
- Don’t dilute or blot with hot water — heat will set the stain.
- Scrape any extra spilled material away before treating.
- Use a carpet-cleaning product formulated for protein-based stains. Follow the product instructions carefully.
- Buy a special carpet-cleaning foam for pet stains.
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