We all have had that unexpected spill, whether it was a glass of wine, a bowl of gravy, or perhaps you forgot to let the dog out so he left you a surprise. Time is important when an accident happens but doing the wrong thing can be worse.

First, we will break this down into two categories. A liquid spill and a spill of more substance that is say more the consistency of pudding. The liquid spill should always be blotted first with dry paper towels. The plain white ones are preferred, the ones without that pretty colored design that you don’t want transferring onto your nice white carpet. Blot lightly at first, so you do not push the liquid in deeper into the rug fibers. Next, with more clean paper towels, blot again. This time using more pressure. Finally, blot one last time again with clean paper towels only using lots of pressure, perhaps even standing on the paper towels. This will remove the majority of the spill. 

Just like washing a paintbrush with latex paint with water or an oil-based paintbrush with turpentine or other petroleum base solutions, you want to do the same thing. Staying in that same base. So, considering most liquids spilled are acidic by nature such as wine, coffee, tea, juices, tonic and so many more, it will help to both rinse and lighten any color remaining by applying club soda to the stain. You want to get the fibers that were originally stained by the spill all wet with the club soda. Just as wet but no wetter.  I usually suggest using a sprayer put into a small bottle of club soda. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes then blot this also as dry as possible. Remember never rub, just blot. From this point, if the stain remains, the best approach is to do m nothing else but call your favorite carpet cleaner. When he arrives, he can determine the type of fiber, whether it is wool, nylon, linen, or something else and he should know what products to use to remove any remaining staining substance that is safe to use on that particular fiber. 

Now if the stain was of the category with more substance to it. I would recommend that you use a spoon or dull knife to try to scrape off as much of the excess as you can. Next, start with a white cotton cloth that is wet with just warm water, not hot and not cold. Blot the stained area, turning the cloth to always expose the stain to a clean section of the cloth. Once you have removed any solid substance involved, follow the procedure listed above for a liquid spill.

You may wonder why to call a professional carpet cleaner. When I have some carpet cleaning stuff I bought at a rug store. Well, is the product safe for wool, silk, linen, cotton, nylon, or polyester? I kind of doubt it, or is an enzyme designed to attack a protein stain. What if it is a tannin stain? If there is any color involved, is it an organic or synthetic dye?  Does the rug have any jute either mixed in with the face yarns or perhaps in the primary or secondary backing of the carpet? These are all very important considerations when cleaning a stain. Not taking these factors into play, could cause you to create permanent damage from fugitive fibers bleeding, rippling off a carpet, or even chemical burns to natural fiber.  Then, after it is cleaned, you want to rinse any residual out, both the staining substance as well as any cleaners you might have used. This is why you would call a professional carpet cleaner. 

With over 50 years of experience in the carpet cleaning business, Alec Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning has the experience and knowledge on how to deal with every possible type of stain to ensure you the best possible outcome in any situation.