Reference Material

There are two household methods for removing red wine from carpet. If the spill was recent we recommend a baking soda paste consisting of 3 parts baking soda to one part cold water.

For more set in stains we recommend a solution of vinegar and dish soap. Mixing approximately 1 tablespoon white vinegar with 1 table spoon of dish soap in 2 cups of water will give the most desirable result.

Blood, urine and feces are all organic matters. The most effective cleaning agent for organic matter is an enzyme solution. An enzyme cleaner will not only produce the best results but will also be safer on colors. If an enzyme cleaner is not available the second best alternative is hydrogen peroxide diluted in cold water at a 1 tablespoon H2O2 to 2 cups H2O ratio.

If this is ineffective then you can also try an ammonia warm water solution at a rate of 1 tablespoon to 2 cups warm water. Follow the treatment with a cold water rinse for best results.

Oil and grease are one of the more challenging stains to remove. Because oil and grease are not water soluble rinsing the area does little good. You should first blot the area with an absorbent cloth or paper towel. Once you have absorbed as much as possible you can move to the next step. Mix 1 quart warm water with 1/4 tsp of dishwashing detergent and apply to a clean cloth.  (NOTE Make sure your dishwashing detergent does NOT contain BLEACH.) Gently blot the carpet until the stain disappears. 

There are two different states of gum damage. There is the dry hard state and the sticky rubber like state. As with all stains promptly addressing the issue will drastically increase your chance of success. If the gum is still soft and rubbery then we recommend a heat method to remove it. Simply apply heat to the gum using a heat gun on low setting or a hair dryer. Be sure not to apply too hot of heat directly to your carpet or you could risk melting the fibers. Once the gum has been heated it will be much more sticky. Use a plastic scraping tool or old credit card to scrape the gum from the carpet fibers. Use the sticky characteristic of the gum to your advantage when scraping and try to scrape upward off the carpet rather then across to avoid spreading the gum. If the gum had coloring that has penetrated into the carpet fibers then follow up with a spot remover or treatment of 1 tablespoon vinegar to 2 cups warm water solution.

If the gum is hard and dried on then we recommend using a penetrating spray such as WD40 or PB Blaster to break the bonds between the gum and carpet fibers. follow with a spot remover or vinegar/water solution to treat the leftover spot.

Food coloring is one of the most common stains. It can also be one of the most challenging to remove. A general solution of 1 tablespoon white vinegar to 2 cups water will usually work for most food coloring stains, but for some food coloring stains it may be necessary to use an ammonia water solution mixed at the same ratio.

Grass stains are another very common type of stain. Luckily grass stains are one of the less challenging stains to remove. A lot of research has gone into removing grass stains from clothing and this same technology can be used to treat carpet. That is why we recommend a solution of 1 tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent (without bleach) to one gallon of cold water. If stain persists you can try an ammonia solution. Follow with a vinegar solution and rinse with cold water.

Living in a cold climate can present its own set of challenges to carpet cleaning. One such challenge unique to our climate here in Columbus, Ohio is salt stains. Salt used to treat our roadways and parking lots gets tracked onto our carpets everyday in the winter months. We highly recommend a professional spring carpet cleaning every year to help protect against the corrosive acidic nature of salt. However you may want to treat the salt stains in between cleanings. To do this the most important step is to completely vacuum as much salt from the area as possible. Next saturate the area with warm water to help dissolve as much salt as possible and soak it up with a sponge or towel. After you have removed as much salt as possible from the area you can treat the stain by applying a 1 tablespoon vinegar to 2 cups warm water solution.