Urgency is the key when dealing with carpet stains and/or spills. Getting to the problem ASAP often determines whether the spot or stain can be removed. Treat your carpet like you would your favorite clothing. You wouldn't leave a stain on your new shirt for weeks or months before laundering and expect it to come out. Most homes already have everyday products that work well in emergencies to keep spills and stains from becoming permanent. Always remember to test an out of the way spot for colorfastness before attempting any spot or stain removal.
Parker Family Carpet Cleaning offers these suggestions as a service to their customers. They make no guarantee as to the results and assume no liability for their use.
Our customers have had the best results with do-it-yourself spotting by using the following procedure and repeating as necessary. Use paper towels to blot and dispose of problems such as wine spills, sick kids or pets, kids or pet accidents, weather or grease tracked in from the yard/garage, or food spills. After you have blotted the majority of the spill/stain, flush the area with white vinegar. http://www.vinegarbook.net/vinegar_tips_for_cleaning.shtml Verify that you are using white vinegar. Never use red apple-cider vinegar. Blott again. Use a laundry spotter such as Shout http://www.shoutitout.com/ or Spray 'n Wash http://www.spraynwash.com/product.html to treat the stain. Let this sit for 20 minutes. Put two inches of cold water in a scrub bucket. Add two cups of white vinegar. Rinse the area with the vinegar solution and a mild scrub brush. The vinegar is a very effective sanitizer, which is helpful in the event of kids/pets being sick or having accidents. http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf874210.tip.html Blot the area with an old terry cloth towel. Only use a towel that is color neutral so no transfer takes place. For more difficult stains, let the laundry spotter sit for additional time. See the following link to the Tide site for other useful spotting tips. http://www.tide.com/en-US/index.jspx
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Remember: Get to spills and stains as soon as possible, and always test for colorfastness. These simple steps can save you $$$ on carpet cleaning and help avoid permanent damage to your carpet and rugs.
