Getting Stains Out Of Carpet: What Not To Do

The carpet in your home can be prone to a variety of dangers in the form of spills, messes, and accidents that can be difficult to remove based on their composition and the length of time that has been allowed for them to sink into the fibers.

Homes with high amounts of foot traffic are at greater risk, add children and pets into the equation and the potential for a ruined carpet increases dramatically.

With so many opportunities looming to mar the look and feel of your carpet, it’s important you have the do’s and don’ts down when the time comes to clean up the mess. Sometimes the way you address the problem can be just as damaging, if not more so, than leaving the substance to set in for good.

That’s not an option, of course, and cleaning up any spill or accident should be done with an eye towards eliminating any residual remnants that the mess even happened in the first place.

So in the interests of preserving the carpet in your home for as long as you own it, here are some of the most important things NOT to do when you’re trying to prevent that stain from setting in for good.

Do Not Wait

No matter what has spilled on your rug or carpet, the first thing you must do is pick it up immediately. Getting to the mess as fast as possible and cleaning it quickly cuts down on the amount of time the liquid or substance is given to penetrate the surface of the carpet and the fibers that comprise it.

Some substances can be severely more damaging than others. Blood, juice, and wine are among the most common negative impacts that can soak into the carpet and become impossible to remove.

That’s why you don’t want to wait too long, in order to prevent the stain from setting in.

Do Not Scrub

Scrubbing, wiping, drying, all of these are NOT to be done on a carpet mess. This is only going to be make things worse.

Liquids, solids, and substances left on a carpet are to be picked up in very specific actions. Always pick solids up from the carpet and discard. As for liquids and other wet or moist substances, the trick is to blot.

Blotting allows for you to absorb the excess moisture that still exists on the carpet without grounding it into the fibers of the material. Gently absorbing the liquid brings it up off the surface of the carpet and keeps any more from dripping down to the backing and becoming harder to dry.

Stains are more than just unsightly, they can also be unsanitary. It doesn’t really matter what has been spilled on your carpet, if too much moisture gets to seep underneath the backing material, it can then seep further into the pad beneath. That’s when mold, mildew, and bacteria can start to grow.

Not only will the stain forever commemorate the mess that was made in that spot, it can also serve as an indicator of the location of mold has developed. This may lead to more stains and damage.

The method to remember is to blot. You also need to be strategic about how you set about the task as well. Always begin at the edges of the stain and blot and pat thoroughly moving inwards towards the center of the spill. As you do this, make sure to wring out your cloth or towel so you don’t put that moisture back on the carpet.

Do Not Go it Alone

After you’ve blotted and absorbed you’re going to want to rinse the area with clean water but not too much or you could be inundating the carpet and the liner with excess moisture that can lead to toxic mold underneath it all.

But even after numerous attempts on your part to absorb, clean, and dry whatever was knocked over on your carpet, you may find a noticeable stain has emerged and doesn’t have any intention of leaving the premises.

So now what do you do? Sure you can try to apply powerful, albeit, store-bought chemicals and cleansers from your local supermarket or Home Depot. Virtually all of them are safe to use, if not specifically designed for use, on carpet.

But if you still find that your stain has not faded or been removed in its entirety, that’s when it’s time to seek out Carpet Cleaning South Jordan UT. A professional cleaning company has a powerful array of heavy-duty cleansers and high-powered equipment that are all designed to get at those deep stains that the other alternatives just aren’t equipped to handle.