Whether it is red wine, your cup of coffee, or a little present from your dog or cat, it seems like anything that is not supposed to get on the carpet always does! Here are a few tips from CBC on how to clean your carpets using products you can find around your house:
What You Should Know Before You Start
To remove a spill, simply blot the spot and rinse thoroughly with clean water, then blot again. Never rub back and forth when removing a spot or you’ll risk abrading and damaging the fibers of your carpet! When it comes to most store-bought spot cleaners, they tend to leave a residue. CBC provides all its customers a free bottle of “Spot out” carpet spotter with no residue and a lifetime of refills.
For more specific advice, look at these types of spots listed below-
Blood, Red Wine, Urine and Feces: Using a white absorbent cloth or paper towels, blot with cold water and remove as much of the moisture and matter as possible. Agitate the carpet with a plastic spoon or Popsicle stick and apply 3% household hydrogen peroxide and water to extract the spotting. Let sit and dwell for about 30 seconds. After blotting up that solution, you can use a dish soap solution (1/2 teas dish soap with 3 cups water) to clean the rest of the spot. Rinse with water and blot.
Lipstick: First pinch and lift as much lipstick up as possible. Use a clean white cloth and change the position on the cloth each time so you don’t transfer any lipstick back. The best way to remove a lipstick spot is to use a dry cleaning solvent (Energine, K2R, or POG), agitate with a spoon, and blot until it is dry. If there is still a visible spot, apply a vinegar solution (1/3 cup white vinegar with 2/3rd cup water), blot then rinse with water and blot once again.
Nail Polish: Never, ever rub nail polish into your carpet! Pinch the nail polish and lift as much as you can while changing out the position on a clean cloth so you don’t transfer any nail polish back. Next, apply a small amount of nail polish remover and continue to pinch until you have very little nail polish left on the carpet fiber. Apply a vinegar solution (1/3 cup white vinegar with 2/3rd cup water) to remove the last of the spot. Lastly, rinse with water and blot.