How to Remove Stains from Carpets

1. Remove the stain from the surface of the carpet first. Use a dry white towel for liquid stains and a spoon or butter knife for solids.
2. For liquid stains, always blot—never rub. When blotting, approach the stain from its perimeter to its center, always moving in straight lines instead of circles.
3. To treat stains embedded in the pile, use a blotting motion rather than trying to scrape up the stain from the bottom of the pile. A blotting motion will lift the stain up from its origin at the base of the pile.
4. Never wet the pile excessively. Too much of any liquid (including water) can cause permanent damage to the pile or the latex webbing.
5. Don’t let cleaning agents such as detergent or rubbing alcohol contact the latex webbing. Chemicals in these cleaners can cause the latex to break down, loosening or even detaching the carpet’s pile.

How to Remove Chemical- and Oil-Based Carpet Stains

1. Use cornstarch to absorb any portion of the stain on the surface of the pile.
2. Wait a few minutes and remove the absorbed material with a white paper towel.
3. Moisten a white cloth with rubbing alcohol and gently blot the remaining stain. The stain should transfer to the white cloth and be removed entirely.
4. Check back in a few hours to see if more of the stain has resurfaced from the base of the pile.
5. If the stain has reappeared, repeat the above steps, beginning with step 3, but apply a small amount of liquid detergent instead of rubbing alcohol. Repeat until the stain vanishes completely.
6. To rinse the detergent from the pile, apply water to the stained area and blot with dry white paper towels.
7. Use a spray bottle to spray the area with water and, rather than blotting, cover it with dry white towels and let the entire area dry for a few hours.
8. If detergent also fails to remove the stain completely, try an enzymatic cleaner or a specially formulated carpet stain remover, such as Resolve Spot Magic Carpet Cleaner® or Woolite Oxy Deep Spot and Stain Remover®.

How to Remove Water-Soluble Carpet Stains

1. For fresh stains, try blotting with a white cloth moistened with tap water. The stain should transfer from the carpet to the white cloth. Make sure to shift the blotting cloth continually to a clean section to ensure that the stain transfers effectively.
2. For dry stains or liquid stains that have dried and set, apply a small amount of water to the stain by using a spray bottle. Wait a few minutes for the stain to moisten and follow the previous step.
3. If the stain does not transfer to a moistened cloth, apply a small amount of liquid detergent to a cloth moistened with water and blot the stain until it vanishes completely.
4. To rinse the detergent from the pile, apply water to the stained area and blot with dry white paper towels.
5. Spray the area again with water and, rather than blot, cover it with dry white towels and let the entire area dry for a few hours.
6. If detergent fails, try a specially formulated carpet stain remover, such as Resolve Spot Magic Carpet Cleaner® or Woolite Oxy Deep Spot and Stain Remover®.