Stain removal tips

Some stain removal tips are well worth knowing, always remember however best practise is to completely avoid rubbing and over wetting by simply applying the solution to your clean cloth and press from the outside in to avoid spreading. Scrubbing any carpet or upholstery stain is always tempting but it will only penetrate the undesired colouration further. Be patient!

Here are some of our favourites:

• Pen ink - Apply hairspray and absorb with dry kitchen roll, repeat as necessary and then rinse gently with tepid water and blot dry.
• Coffee and Tea - Mix a liquid detergent such as Ariel Excel with an equal amount of white vinegar and apply gently using a blotting tecnique without any rubbing pressure. Finally rinse gently with weak vinegar solution and blot dry. This method is also used for alcohol, urine and soluble food stains.
• Best practise is to completely avoid rubbing and over wetting by simply applying the solution to your clean cloth and press from the outside in to avoid spreading. Scrubbing any carpet or upholstery stain is always tempting but it will only penetrate the undesired colouration further. Be patient!
• Chewing gum - Use crushed ice in a plastic bag to make the gum brittle without dampening the carpet fibres whilst scraping off gently with a knife. Any excess can be treated with nail varnish remover.
• Candle wax - Firstly remove what you can by scraping very gently so as not to damage the fibres using a blunt knife. Next, place a plain piece of paper and apply pressure with an iron on its lowest setting repeating until all the wax has been melted and absorbed by the paper.
• PVA or Craft glue - This is best removed with the gentle application of very hot but not boiling water, if a large quantity of the glue has set you will need to repeat the process several times for as long as it takes, use rubber gloves to withstand the heat.
• Super glue - Depending on your carpet, nail varnish remover with acetone is best but test it on an inconspicuous area first as it may cause discolouration or even melt carpet fibres.
• Blood - As soon as possible use a gentle salt+non alkaline soap solution (not washing up liquid) then blot. Bear in mind that for organic stains, enzymes found in biological soaps take time to work but are extremely effective. However if this does not remove the entire stain then use Resolve carpet cleaner as a failsafe method.
• Engine oil and grease - 'Surgical spirit' or 'rubbing alcohol' can be purchased from Asda or Boots and is usually the best method. Again, do not rub but blot the stain from the outside in. Sometimes general dirt (water soluble) will also be engrained in this stain type and should be removed in a secondary process with water based detergent (fairy liquid + warm water). Apply alcohol treatment again if necessary.
• Red wine - Blot the wet stain initially and then add just water to dilute the stain. After thoroughly blotting the stain again mix up a paste of water and baking soda and apply with gentle rubbing motion. Once dry, vacuum the remainder away.
• Furniture stains (wood varnish) - The best solution for this type of stain is often liberal application of WD40 then blotting. This can cause discoloration so always test a coloured carpet first. If however, this does not remove the entire stain give Resolve spot carpet cleaner dual power with oxi stain a try.
• Urine - For fresh urine stains apply wet paper towels to an area larger than the stain itself, use as heavy a weight as possible and leave for 30 minutes. Next apply an enzymatic cleaner found in most pet stores and use in accordance to the directions, finally, dry using paper towels and heavy weight method. Dry urine stains are more tricky, start by using above method for wet stains, next mix a teaspoon of bleach with a litre of distilled water and execute the same method with this solution. (An ultra-violet torch in a dark room will pinpoint any urine stain).

If in doubt consult a professional Cleanbright the Dublin carpet cleaner www.cleanbrightcarpet.eu