Carpet Stain Removal Guide
If you have a stain emergency, click on the stain category below for an alternative solution.
| Water-Based Stains | |
| Alcohol | Grape Juice |
| Baby Formula | Graphite |
| Beer | Ice Cream |
| Blood | Jelly |
| Candy | Latex Paint |
| Catsup | Liquor |
| Chocolate Milk | Milk |
| Clay | Soil Spots |
| Cola | Soft Drinks |
| Cologne | Syrup |
| Cranberry Juice | Tomato Juice |
| Felt Tip Marker | Water Colors |
| Food Stains (general) | Watermelon |
| Fruit Juice | Whiskey |
| Fruit Punch | Wine |
| Furniture Polish (water-based) |
Vomit |
| Special Water-Based Stains | |
| Coffee | Tea |
| Urine | |
| Greasy, Oil-Based Stains | |
| Butter | Margarine |
| Chocolate | Mascara |
| Cooking Oil | Mayonnaise |
| Cosmetics | Nail Polish |
| Crayon | Oil |
| Furniture Dye | Oil Paint |
| Furniture Polish (oil-based) |
Ointment |
| Glue* | Peanut Butter |
| Gravy | Rouge |
| Grease (black) | Salad Dressing |
| Gum* | Spaghetti |
| Hand Cream | Wax* |
| Ink | Varnish |
| Lipstick | |
| *Freeze and remove solid materials before using cleaning fluid. | |
Reappearing Stains
It is not unusual for stains to sometimes reappear after spot-cleaning.
Wicking occurs when a liquid has been spilled on the carpet (usually a large
quantity) and cleaning attempts remove only the stain and liquid from the carpet
fibers. Liquid still remains in the carpet backing or padding. Through capillary
action, the stain can "wick" back up into the carpet fibers. Residual
resoiling occurs if staining substances or cleaning products are left in the
carpet and attract soil.
These stains are not permanent and typically can be removed by simply repeating these appropriate step-by-step directions listed on the above chart. Here are some additional suggestions:
- Avoid overwetting the carpet backing during spot-cleaning and rising. Blotting to remove excess moisture reduces the occurence of wiking stains.
- Use a "wet-vac" to extract liquid from the area if possible. Paper toweling placed over the cleaned area and weight with a color-fast object will help absorb resurfacing stains. Use of fans to decrease the drying time will also help.