Dirt from shoes such as mud or other unmentionable substances traipsed through the home by the kids or family pet, spillages from coffee cups or wine glasses, along with other a number of other incidents, take their toll on the household carpets. Carpets take a lot of wear and tear but there are ways to keep them looking clean and cared for, providing you deal with carpet stains as soon as possible.
Getting rid of pet stains
Even the best house-trained pet from time to time, can have a little accident and this is one health and hygiene hazard you need to get out of your carpet immediately. Professional cleaning products that contain enzymes and deodorizers that get rid of the bacteria from urine and faeces must be applied as soon as you notice the stain. Remove any dog or cat poo with a newspaper and then then spray the area affected with the cleaning product. Take a clean but damp cloth and work the product into the carpet fibres. Once you have done this then rinse out the area with another clean damp cloth and use this cloth to cover the area for at least 12 hours.
Getting rid of coffee stains
As soon as the spillage happens, blot up the excess liquid using kitchen towel to remove as much as possible from the carpet. Spray with Flotex Clean-It, leave for the required time as noted on the instructions, then using a clean damp cloth begin to blot around the area until the stain is removed. If you have not got a proprietary cleaner which works best, then make up a mixture with 2 cups of warm water, one tablespoon of white wine vinegar and a tablespoon of liquid soap. Sponge the mixture onto the stain with one cloth and blot up the mixture with another dry cloth until the stain disappears.
Getting rid of wine stains
Red wine, while delicious to drink is one of the worst things to get out of a carpet and there are a number of old wives’ tales when it comes to removing a red wine stain. Some tell you to pour over white wine and blot up the marks, another says to sprinkle salt on the stain to soak up the red colour. Forget all of this and blot as much of the spillage as possible. Put down a clean dry absorbent cloth or chamois block and press down to get up as much of the spilled wine as possible. Using a proprietary stain remover, spray the product onto the stain and using a clean absorbent block, blot up the rest of the stain. To speedily neutralise and remove traditional detergents and chemicals, use Flotex Fix-It as it works as an excellent restorative cleaning agent.
Getting rid of grease spots
Fat or grease spots can also be a problem so if you do have a spillage, place an absorbent (not greaseproof) paper towel over the spot to allow the fat to soak into the paper. For candle wax, allow the wax to dry and lift out as much as possible without damaging the carpet fibres. Then placing an absorbent kitchen towel over the area, place a clean tea towel onto of the kitchen paper and use a warm (not hot) iron to melt the remaining wax. The wax will be absorbed by the kitchen towel and the tea towel protects the carpet from burns.
Use a professional cleaning service
It is always better to stain guard proof your carpets as soon as you have them fitted. This makes it a lot easier to remove stains. Then make sure you contact the professional carpet cleaners at O’Shea’s to give your carpets a deep clean and keep them looking as good as new.