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It’s inevitable that your wall-to-wall carpeting will need some spot cleaning from time to time. Spilled wine, puppy accidents, mud tracks from the backyard, and dropped food can leave unsightly marks on carpet fibers. With some cleaning know-how and prompt attention, many fresh stains can be removed without needing whole carpet cleaning. Follow these helpful spot treatment tips to keep carpets looking cleaner between professional steam cleanings.

Blot Liquids ASAP

Immediately start dabbing wet spills on carpet before they have time to set and spread deeper into the padding underneath. Use clean, absorbent white cloths or paper towels to gently lift color from the carpet fibers. Don’t vigorously scrub the area, which can spread the stain. Work from the edges inward to soak up as much liquid as possible right away, relieving stain intensity.

Use a Carpet-Safe Cleaner

Choose a specially designed liquid carpet cleaner, foam, or spray to pre-treat stains. Avoid using dish soap or other hard surface cleaners that may discolor carpet dyes. Check cleaner labels to ensure they’re safe for your specific carpet fabric. Lightly spritz the area and let sit for 2-3 minutes so cleaning agents can break down the stain’s bonding before blotting again.

Mix DIY Solutions

For organic stains, mix your own gentle, lifting solution. For example, combine one part clear dish soap with one part hydrogen peroxide for quick bubble action to draw out coffee, wine, or grease spots. Or make a baking soda paste with just enough water to form a thick solution to brush over pet messes or food spills to neutralize odors naturally.

Apply Pressure

Place layers of clean cloths, paper towels or even white paper plates directly over the treated stain area. Put weight on top, like books, cans, or other heavy items that won’t leak color either. This puts helpful pressure on damp carpet spots to draw cleaning solution through fibers for better stain extraction before rinsing.

Rinse Completely

Once stains appear lifted, rinse the area with clean cool water and blot thoroughly dry. Make sure no soap residue or cleaning solution is left behind, as this can attract more dirt. Use an old towel or white rag to gently tamp up remaining moisture. Place fresh weights on top between rinses if needed to get carpets fully dry.

Baking Soda Deodorizer

Eliminate any lingering odors from stains even after spot treating by sprinkling baking soda generously on the carpet area once fully dry. Let baking soda sit 30-60 minutes before thoroughly vacuuming up. The baking soda naturally freshens and neutralizes trapped smells in carpet fibers or padding underneath without added perfumes.

Call the Professionals

For older, stubborn stains that resist DIY treatments or reappear later, hire professional carpet cleaners. Experts have industrial suction power, high-temp water heaters, truck mount wands and proven chemical cleaners to blast out deep set stains and odors. Red wine, permanent markers, rust marks from furniture, and pet urine accidents often require professional carpet cleaner methods.

Final Words

By knowing how to identify and attack fresh stains quickly yourself using the right solutions and techniques, you can keep carpets looking cleaner day-to-day. Then schedule periodic deep steam cleaning sessions to keep carpets in great shape and extend their life in your home.

If you feel like going through these steps isn’t worth it, you can think about replacing the carpets. That’s where Pay As You Go carpets can help. We specialize in offering pay monthly flooring to our customers. With an instant credit of £600, you just need to pay £10 per week to buy the carpets we offer. Visit our website to learn more about how it works and buy new carpets today.