Removing Drink Stains From Your Carpet Or Rug

Happy 2013! Now Let’s Clean Up The Mess From Last Night’s Party! 

So it’s the first day of the New Year, you’re feeling a little worse for wear, but one thing you are sure of is that your house party was a total success last night. The music was pumping, the drinks were flowing and you had more fun than you have had in a long time. 

The problem is that you have a major post party clean up ahead of you and whilst that’s an indication that you hosted an amazing party, it’s a littler daunting to say the least, particularly whilst nursing a hangover!

But don't worry because we are here to help you! The first thing to do is check your carpet and rugs for stains. It’s always best to attack carpet and rug stains as soon as they happen with a dry, clean cloth before they can sink into the rug fibers, but if you didn’t realise it had happened it’s time to get started now!

If you have found wine & beer stains, here is what to do:

(1)  Prepare a mixture of neutral detergent with a cup of warm water (make sure the water is not too hot as this can make the stain worse). There are various professional strength carpet and upholstery spot and stain removers for different types of stains and to use on different rug and carpet materials.

(2)   If you don’t have a detergent at hand you can create your own by diluting a few drops of clear hand-dishwashing soap in water. (Don’t use laundry detergent as it is too alkaline). You can also try using white vinegar on a stain if your detergent mix is not working. Ammonia also works well on synthetic carpets and rugs.

   (3)  If you are cleaning a wool rug, never use ammonia or any other highly alkaline cleaner as it can damage wool. 

   (4)  If you have spilt red wine then cover the stain with a good amount of salt and allow the salt to soak up the red wine. Vacuum it up afterwards and continue with this process to remove the remaining stain. White wine is an effective way of getting rid of red wine stains too, but it can enlarge the stain and saturate the carpet.

   (5)  Test a small, inconspicuous area of the carpet or rug with your chosen cleaning solution before treating the stain to make sure it tolerates the solution well.

   (6)  Use a white cloth to blot this liquid onto the stain. Don't rub it in as you may drive the stain deeper into the carpet/rug. Only use cloths that are white to prevent any bleeding from the cloth into the stain. 

     (7)  When blotting with the cloth, work from the outer edges of the stain in towards the center to minimise spreading the stain.

    (8)  Repeat the process until the stain is removed or no more color is lifted off on the cloth.

    (9)  Blot the area with cold water. Be sure not to make the area too wet as this can cause the carpet or rug to shrink) 

   (10) Then absorb the liquid with clean white towels. Place a book or heavy object over the white towels in order to absorb any excess water. 

   (11)  Allow the area to air dry thoroughly, or use a hair dryer on a cool setting and then go over it with a vacuum cleaner to restore texture and remove any remaining residue.

Now you have removed the drink stains from your floor it’s time for a well earned rest…or maybe a tidy up of the empty and half empty bottles, cans and glasses to prevent any further stains from accidentally happening!

Disclaimer:  Although these tips are tried and tested, they will not remove every drink stain from every rug and carpet. If you are in any doubt then call up a professional carpet cleaner for advice.