Red Wine Removal There are numerous suggestions and rumors on how to remove red wine stains, but many of them are simply not effective. Here s the standard procedure. Find a neutral detergent (these are detergents containing no alkalis or bleaches) and mix one teaspoon of it into a cup of lukewarm water. Don t rub the stain, though: blot, using a clean cloth and the detergent solution. You won t be finished by this point. Now, add one third of a cup of white vinegar (nothing special) to two thirds of a cup of water. Using a clean cloth, blot the stain again with this new mixture. Repeat the first step again with the detergent, then sponge the location with clean water until everything has been removed. There are a couple things we need to note before you attempt to remove the stain. -Don t use any cleaning agents that will damage the color of your carpet in another way, like bleach. You ll be even worse off than when you started, because bleach stains are irreversible, and will probably cover more surface area than the wine did. -Red wine is easiest to remove while it is still wet. Don t wait to remove the stain, if it is within your power not to.
Bubble Gum Removal Bubble gum can be removed by a couple of different methods, but they should be attempted in sequence for best results and lowest risks. The three methods can be referred to as the cold method, the hot method, and the chemical method (we ll also be using them in this order). It may sound like a lot of work, but each part is fairly simple. If the gum is still fresh, pull out whatever you can immediately. Don t spread the gum into the carpet or squeeze it when you re working it out. If the gum is dry but not completely in the carpet, it is still safe to pull away as much of it as possible. Whether you only removed part of the problem while the gum was soft, or you didn t have an opportunity to remove it earlier, the next phase is the cold method. Fill a plastic bag with ice (best if you seal the bag so it doesn t leak water). Press the bag against the gum and rub until the gum is frozen. Using a spoon or spatula, break and scrape the frozen gum away from the carpet. Blunt objects are preferred for chipping and scraping, so as not to further damage the carpet. Vacuum the pieces. If there is still gum left in the carpet, use the hot method. Take a blow drier, and put it on a setting that will not burn or melt your carpeting. Melt the bubble gum, then use a plastic bag or plastic wrap to stick to the gum and pull it away. The chemical method requires the use of a dye-free, muscle rub containing methyl salicylate. Extra Strength Bengay should work fine. Apply the rub, then use a rag to pull the gum away. After cleaning out the gum, use a mild detergent and lukewarm water to clean any remaining stains out of the carpet.
Red Clay Removal To remove red clay stains from carpeting, you will probably want to let the stain dry and then brush away as much of the dust as you can. If there is an abundance of red clay, it will make sense to dab or pick up as much of it as possible so that it does not begin spreading while still wet. Letting the clay dry is done mostly to prevent spreading the clay further when the damage could be isolated where it currently exists. Next, rub the stain with Murphy s Oil Soap. Let the soap sit for about 15-20 minutes, then remove it with a clean cloth and cold water. This should remove most of the red clay from your carpeting. You can follow up by creating a mixture of 1 part ammonia to 8 parts water, and using a clean cloth to scrub the carpet further. If you carpet is white, bleach is fine, but never mix bleach and ammonia. The toxic gases released can be fatal. If you are not sure that you can remove the stain, please call a professional cleaner because it is possible to damage the carpet using some cleaning methods.
Permanent Marker Stain Removal Permanent marker in carpeting almost never comes out completely, but if the stain is light or recent, your chances of success are greatly increased. Attempting to remove the stain is fairly simple. First, find a clean white cloth and moisten it with rubbing alcohol (don t try to use any other form of alcohol). Blot or dab at the marker stain, and allow the ink from the stain to transfer into the new cloth. Repeat this as many times as necessary. Sometimes multiple applications lead to better results, depending on the degree of the stain, your carpet, and other factors. Sometimes only a few strands of carpeting were damaged by the stain, but the stain is still noticeable because of how dark the permanent marker is. In these instances, individual fibers can be pulled out of the carpet with a pair of tweezers. Although it is not highly recommended, one could even use a small pair of scissors to remove a tiny cluster of carpet fibers as well. Vacuum afterwards.
Wax or Crayon Removal If candle wax or crayon has been melted or ground into your carpet, it is still possible to remove the problem, and potentially even to return you carpet to its prior state. Before doing anything else, you ll need to chip or pull away any large or broken pieces of wax or crayon. Use a vacuum cleaner to suck up any tiny particles that can easily be removed from the site as well. Fold either a white towel or a brown paper bag and place it on top of the wax or crayon stain. use a warm iron and run it over the paper bag or towel several times until the crayon or wax would have started melting. The towel or paper bag should have absorbed whatever melted stain was directly underneath the heat. Change your towel or bag whenever you have transferred some of the stain, as melting the same wax would expose it to your carpet once more. Don t overheat or over-use the same absorbent. This could cause the wax to melt deeper into the carpet, making further removal more difficult. If you are not sure that you can remove the stain, please call a professional cleaner because it is possible to damage the carpet using some cleaning methods.
Blood Stain Removal For blood stains, the longer they have had time to dry or set, the more permanent they become. When a blood stain is still wet, the first thing to do is to blot the area with a clean rag and cold water. If this doesn t absorb most or all of the blood, a commercial carpet-stain spray can be applied. Follow the instructions for each product specifically. If you don t have a commercial carpet-stain remover available, prefer not to use them, or are in a hurry, follow-up with this procedure. Obtain a neutral detergent (=detergents containing no alkalis or bleaches) and mix one teaspoon of detergent into a cup of lukewarm water. Do not rub the stain further into the carpet fibers: blot, with a clean cloth and the detergent solution. Sometimes even this much effort is insufficient. In the event that the stain persists, add 1 tablespoon ammonia to 1 cup water, sponge the stain, and blot the solution into the carpet. Continue, and stop only when you are no longer removing any of the stain. Now, put something over the stain to absorb the ammonia-water and last traces of stain. Once the absorbent cover has taken in all the moisture it can, allow the carpet to air-dry thoroughly.