How to Remove the 6 Most Common Carpet Stains
The single biggest mistake with carpet stains is rubbing them. Rubbing pushes the stain deeper into the pile and often frays the fibres. Blot from the outside in, and act within the first ten minutes wherever possible.
Red wine
Blot up as much as you can with a clean white cloth. Sprinkle a generous layer of table salt over the damp patch and leave for 10 minutes — the salt draws the wine out. Vacuum, then dab with a solution of one part washing-up liquid to two parts warm water.
Coffee and tea
Blot, then apply a mix of one tablespoon white vinegar, one tablespoon washing-up liquid and 500ml warm water. Work from the edges inward with a clean cloth, and rinse by blotting with plain water.
Pet accidents
Blot up urine straight away. Apply a diluted enzyme cleaner (available from any pet shop) — enzymes break down the proteins that cause lingering smells. Household disinfectants alone often mask the odour rather than remove it.
Ink, mud and grease
For ink, dab (never rub) with rubbing alcohol on a cotton wool ball. For mud, let it dry completely, vacuum away the loose dirt, then treat any remaining mark with washing-up-liquid solution. For grease, sprinkle bicarbonate of soda, leave 15 minutes to absorb, vacuum, then spot-clean.