Most home carpets last between 10 and 15 years. Giving it a longer life requires proper upkeep.

Stains can happen in any household, especially where children and pets live. They create an eyesore and make the carpet appear older than it is.

However, a stained carpet does not always need immediate replacement. Read on to learn how to lift stains to make everything look new again.

Act Quickly

When something spills, clean it up quickly. If you let a stain sit too long, it will soak into the material and set.

This makes it more difficult to make it look new. This does not mean that you cannot remove old stains. It just requires more effort to do so.

Scoop Up the Excess

With a big spill, the excess liquid will pool before soaking in. Use a large spoon or another blunt object to scoop up what you can get.

Removing the extra liquid from your spill prevents it from spreading and doing more damage. It also makes the next step easier.

Blot

Use a dry and clean paper toweling or cloth to blot the carpet. Make sure the material of whatever you use does not bleed any dye. This can create a more complex stain.

Do not attempt to rub it out. Doing so will push the carpet stain deeper and potentially damage the fibers while blotting draws everything out gently.

To blot, press the cloth into the carpet and hold for a couple of seconds. Repeat until the material stops soaking up the liquid.

DIY Stain Lifter

For a light stain, mix a little Dawn dish soap into lukewarm water and let it sit on the spot for an hour or so. Do not use hot water or this will set the stain fast.

Other dish soaps may not work. Dawn contains a degreaser that breaks down oil and lifts it from the fabric. If dish soap itself doesn’t remove a stubborn stain, add a half cup of vinegar to the mix and spray it onto the stain to soak for another hour.

Rinse

Pour warm water over the spot and dab it up. Repeat this rinse cycle several times to remove all detergent from the carpet to prevent soil from sticking to it later.

Dab the carpet with a dry towel. Soak up as much moisture as possible to prevent it from molding the floor beneath your clean carpet.

Hire Professionals

If you run into a stain that you cannot tackle on your own, call carpet cleaning professionals to take care of it for you. They can clean a completely stained carpet quickly and efficiently.

This will save you time and money. After the stain is gone, get regular carpet maintenance so that your floors always look brand new.

Revamp Your Stained Carpet

Rember these cleaning tips for daily maintenance. But to revamp your stained carpet, bring in the professionals instead of tossing it to the curb.

We value our customers and work hard to make them happy. Schedule your carpet cleaning today!