Is Your Carpet Stained? Common Household Items That Can Wipe Away Carpet Stains

If your carpets are stained and unsightly, the answer may be as close as your pantry or linen closet. Common household products can be very effective against even deep-seated carpet stains. Here are a few you can try.

Shaving Cream

If you have a can of shaving cream in your medicine cabinet or linen closet, you can use it to clean your carpet too. In fact, shaving cream is one of the most effective carpet cleaners out there.

When properly applied, shaving cream is effective at treating just about every kind of carpet stain —from bloodstains from your paper cut to pet stains from your puppy. Just spray the shaving cream directly onto the stained area and let it soak in for half an hour or so. Once the shaving cream has set, simply spray the area with an equal mixture of vinegar and water and wipe it away with a clean cloth.

Ice Cubes

Chewing gum is one of the most difficult things to remove, especially from deep-pile carpet. If you step in gum on the sidewalk and inadvertently track it into your home, just head to the freezer and grab a couple of ice cubes.

Place the ice cubes directly on the gum for 30 seconds to freeze it. Once the gum is frozen, you can lift it up with a spoon. You may need to reapply the ice several times and take up the gum a little bit at a time, but the freezing method is very effective.

Dishwashing Liquid

Dishwashing liquid is particularly effective against grease stains on your carpet. If you drop a dish or spill grease on the carpet, just grab your favorite dishwashing liquid and make a cleaning solution.

Pour a cup of water in a clean spray bottle, add a couple of squirts of a grease-cutting dishwashing liquid, then shake to create lots of suds. Spray the solution directly on the stain and let it set for 10-15 minutes. Blot the carpet after the dishwashing liquid mixture has soaked in, then repeat the process until the entire stain has been removed.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a great thing to have on hand, and chances are you have some in your medicine cabinet. If you cut yourself and drip blood on the carpet, just grab that hydrogen peroxide to remove it.

If the blood has already dried, start by loosening it with a solution of dishwashing liquid and water. Spray the affected area and scrape away as much dried blood as you can, and then apply the hydrogen peroxide directly to the stain. The peroxide will immediately start foaming as it reacts with the blood. When it does, simply dab the area with paper towels to dry off the carpet and lift the stain away.

An Iron

An iron can be a useful tool if you get candle wax on your carpet. It is easy for a burning candle to drip wax onto the carpet, and once it cools it can be very hard to remove.

To remove that wax, simply plug the iron in and allow it to heat up. Then place a white cloth on the floor over the wax and sit the iron on top. Only leave the iron on the cloth for about 10 seconds at a time or it could burn the carpet. Use a putty knife to scrape the heated and now liquid wax out of the carpet fibers. Finish by cleaning the carpet with a mixture of vinegar and water and blot the remaining wax away.

It is not always easy to keep your carpets clean. If you have kids and pets, you will eventually have stains on your carpet. Keeping a supply of simply household items on hand will make dealing with those stains a lot easier.