Carpet stains are a part of life. You are going about your day and someone accidentally spills something on the floor. What do you do if a stain happens and you have no carpet spot cleaner in your cupboard?

There are actually many items you already have in your home that can aid in cleaning up carpet spills and stains.

1.    Hand Dishwashing Soap is a Great All-Purpose Cleaner

Instead of using harsh chemical spot treatments you find at the store, most of the time some gentle hand dishwashing soap and water mixed together will do the trick on fresh and relatively new stains. Just gently dab onto the spot with a clean white cloth or paper towel working from the outside toward the center. Once the stain is clean rinse any soap with clean water.

2.    You Can Remove Nail Polish from Carpet with Hairspray and Rubbing Alcohol

Don’t fret if nail polish spills on the carpet, just wet the stain with cold water and spray with a small amount of hairspray. Dab the spot with rubbing alcohol and repeat all steps until the nail polish is gone.

3.    Get Gum Out of the Carpet with Ice Cubes

A spot of sticky gooey gum on the carpet can lead you to think you will be patching the floor. Grab an ice cube from the freezer and place it on the gum, let it freeze and harden then gently peel it off the carpet.

4.    Your Iron is Great for Removing Hot Glue and Candle Wax

Simply grab a white cloth and set your iron on a low heat. Place the cloth over the spot and then lay the iron on top. The glue or wax will should into the cloth. Repeat with clean areas of cloth unit all of the soil is melted into the cloth and out of the carpet.

5.    Use Windex on Old Mysterious Spots

For old dingy mystery spots in the carpet, grab the Windex. Spray Windex right on the stain and rub vigorously but gently with a clean cloth.

6.    Salt and Baking Soda Help Absorb Wet Items

Salt and Baking Soda are great for absorbing liquids. Simply sprinkle some on the wet area and give it time to absorb the moisture then vacuum away.

7.    Use Hydrogen Peroxide on Tough Stains

A tough opponent for stubborn spots. Do use this with caution as it can be a bleaching agent on some fabrics. Test it on an unseen area of carpet before using it to remove stubborn stains.

If a spot is not coming out of your carpet despite your best efforts you can give a professional carpet cleaner a call. If you plan on selling, staging and a good cleaning will really help attract more buyers to your front door and beyond. Ready to list? Give me a call today!