The most common problem with carpets is the inevitable spill. A particularly bad spill can do some major damage to your carpet’s looks, giving it some bad stains that will bother you every time you go into the room. We’ve listed out some information to help you next time you have a spill on your carpets below.
Cleaning up a Spill on Carpets
The first thing you need to know about spills is that they need to be attended to immediately. Do not give spills time to set, the longer they sit, the more work you’ll be doing latter. If your spill is a liquid, grab something to soak up the excess fluid. You want to remove as much liquid from the spill as possible, this will reduce the amount of potential staining. Gently apply the absorbent cloth (whether it is a cloth or a paper towel) to the spill, using a non-colored cloth is best as some colored materials can bleed on the spilled area and make the stain worse. Keep pressing the cloth into the spill until you cannot get any more liquid out, refraining from scrubbing or rubbing the spill.
Next, you want to treat the area with a professional spotting agent or solution. Do not use spot removers that you can get from a local grocery or hardware store, as most of these leave residue behind, and this residue will attract dirt and cause damage to your carpet over a period of time. If the accident is pet urine, you should opt to use professional spotting agents that are labeled specifically for pet use (also see our article that focuses on cleaning pet accidents on carpets). Pet urine will become alkaline when exposed to oxygen, discoloring your carpets, leaving a horrible smell, and causing bacteria to grow.
If your spill was oil based (like olive oil or coconut oil), you can put some laundry detergent on the spill and allow it to rest for a few minutes. After it has had time to set with the spill, you can continue with the steps listed above.
Be careful when using home remedies to clean spills from your rugs or carpets. There are a variety of carpets and rugs with different fibers and dyes used, so what works well for one carpet can damage another. Make sure to do your research on how the ingredients in the home remedy will impact your carpet or rug, you don’t want to get rid of the spill but leave your floors discolored.
If you are not comfortable handling the spill yourself, try to remove as much liquid from the area with a cloth and then call a professional carpet cleaning service. At Clean Earth Restorations we have all the experience (over 20 years of it!) and tools to get your carpets back to their beautiful selves! Take the pressure off yourself, book an appointment with us, and have your carpets looking better than ever. You can call us at 619-284-4239 or visit us on the web at cleanearthrestorations.com.
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