Top methods for removing persistent rug stains

Homeowners generally tend to use carpets and rugs as part of their interior decor for the simple reason that they add aesthetic beauty to their home apart from the ‘coziness’ they bring along. The fact is that rugs and carpets alike, look good in any home irrespective of the rest of the furniture, paint, or even how shoddy the room is. And in most fashionable homes, a rug is a ‘must have’ part of styling their homes. That sounds great but did you know that rugs and carpets tend to pick up a lot of stains, over short periods. Apart from the ‘arrrgh’ pee stains, you would also have to deal with coffee stains, stew stains, wine stains, and not to mention, dirt or grease that was tracked in from outside by an ‘ever so helpful’ neighbor. Ever wonder how you plan to get rid of these persistent stains? Well, fret no more, just check out the top methods listed below.

Scrape off the excess

If one of your guests had spilled some food item, with ‘god forbid’ a heavy sauce onto the rug, scrape off the excess right away. Granted that your rug may be an Oriental rug or even an antique one and that’s all the more reason that you need to act ASAP. This is the first step, as far as rug stain removal is concerned. You need to scrape it off so that you can get most of the excess food out right away or the stain is going to set deep into the fibers. Now, use a clean blotting cloth and blot off the excess liquid, such as the sauce and try to get most of it out, right away. Keep in mind that the longer you take to act, the stain’s going to set in permanently and it will be extremely hard to remove it. And remember that when you are blotting up the excess liquid, you must ‘blot’ it gently. Try not to use any force or rub the stain off, as it would end up damaging the fibers.

Use a stain remover

The optimal solution would be to call in the professionals and let them handle it. But you should be able to do it on your own, with a few cleaning supplies and even some from your kitchen. Remember, at the end of the day, it is your antique rug and naturally, you need to take adequate care and maintenance of it. And that includes removing stains. Now, you can move on to the next step, apply the carpet stain remover immediately over the stain, and wait for a few minutes. Let it set in and follow the instructions provided. Most would tell you to blot it off gently after a few minutes and the stains should come off. Or you can also opt for a homemade stain remover; this generally consists of 1tsp of dishwashing detergent, along with 1/4th tsp of white vinegar as well as warm water. Now apply the mixture and let it sit for ten minutes, not more than that. Now you can use a blotting paper and gently press on the stained area and it should be able to remove the stain effectively.

Blot the area

Granted that you have already added water to the target area, and even used a blotting paper, the question of using more blotting paper seems to be unnecessary. But there’s a valid reason for the same; now apply cold water to the target area, use the blotting paper and gently press on the area after a few minutes. Check to see if the stain transfers onto the blotting paper. Repeat the process until the rug is dry, after which you can lay a clean sheet of blotting paper and even weigh it down. This should enable the excess moisture to transfer into the paper, which you can safely remove later on.

These are some of the essential steps that you need to take when it comes to the question of removing stains from your valuable rug.