Carpet Cleaning Methods for Common Household Spots

General Guidelines:

• Never use a circular motion to remove a spot
• Always rinse with clean water as a final step
• Blot dry and stack several white paper towels over the damp area
• Place a weighted object on the towels to keep them in contact with the carpet
• After dry, brush up the pile of the carpet
• When using solutions, check in an inconspicuous area before using
• Do not use the solution if color in the test area marks off on a white paper towel

Supplies you might need

• White paper towels or white terry towels
• Hand dishwashing detergent that doesn’t contain lanolin or bleach
• Suggested solution mix – 1/4 teaspoon of detergent with 1 qt. of water
• Spray Bottle for applying solution
• Spoon and a dull knife
• Weighted object

Specific Guidelines

Unknown and Greasy Spots

• Remove as much foreign material as possible by blotting with a paper towel or scraping with a dull knife or spoon
• Apply isopropyl-rubbing alcohol to a clean white paper towel, cotton ball, or cloth
• Do not allow the alcohol to penetrate the backing, as it will destroy the latex bond
• If the spot is on the surface, rub in one direction at a time
• When spot is removed, follow the rinsing instructions in “General Guidelines”

Water-Based Spots

• Blot up as much of the spill as possible with white paper towel
• If the spot has dried, saturate the tufts in the area with tap water (do not over wet)
• Wait about a minute and blot up the water
• When spot is removed, follow the rinsing instructions in “General Guidelines”

When Above Methods Fail Try the following:

• Apply a small amount of detergent solution to the spot (See General Guidelines)
• Blot with white paper towel to work the detergent into the area
• When spot is removed, use a spray bottle with tap water and blot to remove excess moisture
• Spray again with water and use the rinsing instructions in “General Guidelines”

Care and Maintenance

The right kind of care and treatment includes:

• Vacuuming
  • Vacuum regularly
  • Non-traffic areas at least weekly
  • Light traffic areas twice weekly
  • Moderate to Heavy traffic areas two to five times per week
• Periodic professional cleaning
  • Consider professional cleaning every 12 to 18 months
• Prompt and correct removal of spots and spills