Removing Christmas Stains from Carpet
Carpet Cleaning Tips
If you had an amazing Christmas and now you have the stains stuck to your carpet to prove it, we can help! Please note that you should ALWAYS test cleaning solutions on a corner spot or area under furniture before applying the solution to the stain. When it doubt, contact a professional carpet cleaner.
REMOVING SAP
Apply a small amount of dish washing detergent to the sap on the carpet (make sure to test it first in a corner or an area covered by furniture). Massage with a hot, damp towel or cloth. Make sure to use a light-colored cloth if you have light-colored carpet. Continue until the sap is gone. Don’t forget to remove the detergent from the carpet so it doesn’t stiffen the fibers. Use a wet cloth, then pat dry.
REMOVING RED WINE
Mix one quarter teaspoon of dish washing detergent with four cups of warm water. Pour a little of the mixture onto the stain. Gently massage the solution into the carpet. If this doesn’t work, purchase a bottle of Wine Away. You’ll just need a little to spritz on the spill and it will disappear pretty quickly. It’s good to keep this on-hand as it works on many dark-colored stains.
REMOVING CHOCOLATE
Act quick! As with most stains, the longer you let it sit, the harder it will be to remove. First, make sure to remove the excess chocolate and try to avoid smearing or rubbing it in. Place a freezer pack on the remaining chocolate and allow it some time to get cold and harden. You should be able to chip out some of it using a clean knife or scissors. Wearing rubber gloves, apply surgical spirit to a white or very light-colored cloth and place it over the stain. Use an object with a hard surface to push down on the cloth and massage the solution into the stain. The surgical spirit should dissolve the fat in the chocolate. Once the solution has been worked into the carpet, remove the cloth. Make a new cleaning mixture using a quarter teaspoon of mild carpet shampoo with 35 fl oz of warm water and again, massage into the stained area with a white or light-colored cloth. Using a dry kitchen towel, push down onto the area to try and lift the water, residue, and any chocolate that is left.
REMOVING EGG NOG
First, extract the spilt eggnog using a clean sponge or a white cloth. Dilute the eggnog stain that is left behind. Create a cleaning mixture using one part white vinegar and four parts warm water. Pour a small amount of the vinegar-based cleaning solution onto the affected area of the carpet. Use a clean white cloth to blot the eggnog stain repeatedly until all of it is gone. Make sure to dry thoroughly.