Spills happen. We are all human, as much as we would like to pretend we are perfect, we are bound to laugh a little too hard and spill a glass of wine. A child is bound to turn around too quickly and knock over their milk. An overly excited dog might run into the room and track muddy paw prints. Life is busy and hectic, and we’re bound to need a little touch up here or there. C’est la vie. And that’s where we come in to help.
If you have a little stain or spot in the carpet, here are our tips to treating it yourself at home. Of course, do not hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions or feel like the stain just might be out of your control. Here are our do’s and don’ts for treating stains and spots in your carpet or upholstered furniture.
- Don’t Wait
Immediately pick up any solid spills and soak up any liquid with a clean white towel. NOTE: It’s important to ALWAYS use a clean white towel to insure that no dye from the towel stains the carpet. Remember, we are trying to treat a stain, not cause another. - Don’t Scrub
Gently blot carpet to avoid pushing the stain deeper into the fibers. When blotting, blot from the outside of the stain going inward, as blotting outward can spread the stain to a larger area. This is what we are looking to avoid! - Don’t Over Saturate
You don’t want to add to much water to the area, this could saturate the carpet backing, causing further damage. This also goes with any cleaner, be sure to use a small amount and never saturate. We recommend keeping water or cleaner in a spray bottle for a fine miss and to avoid over saturating the carpet or upholstery. - Be Careful With Any Cleaning Product, Use a Test Area
There is too much uncertainty with cleaners and how they might react to your carpet or upholstered furniture, you don’t want to take that risk! Be careful with any product by reading the label and using only small amounts first in a test area to make sure it’s not setting your stain and can be removed. Reach out to a carpeting professional for their cleaning agent recommendation or to purchase a professional cleaner. All Sams’ customers receive a bottle of our “Outta Sight” spot remover after a cleaning, which is perfect for those pop up, “uh oh” moments! Trust your gut and use water first to soak up the stain, and from there, use the Outta Sight cleaner to treat the area. Be sure to use any cleaner lightly, you want to use a gentle hand and touch, too much could harm rather than help. - Don’t Let The Area Air Dry
You might think it’s best to just set it and forget it, but in this case, letting the area air dry can cause rings and dimples. Take a dry cloth and place it over the wet area. Then add a non-staining, heavy object over the cloth and let it dry overnight. The weight will help keep the carpet flat and from rippling, saving you a headache down the line. - Hand brush or vacuum area post stain removal
This is an important step to plump up the carpet and help to revive the area. With a little fluffing, the carpet should be rejuvenated and thanking you for a job well done.
Of course, give us a call if you have any questions or would like us to give that stain a closer look. We would be happy to help!
For more information on Spots and Stains, be sure to check out the Spot/Stain Removal section of our website HERE.
