Follow these tips when dealing with a spill on a carpet

When the red wine spills everyone cringes. It is the bane of stains. When something is spilled on the rug, prompt attention may save you from having a bad spot. A stain which has dried, or has dirt ground in it, is going to be very difficult to remove. 

The sooner the spill is handled the less of an emergency it is, if you are not ready to take action when the first drop hits your carpet then we encourage you to contact a local professional; or get in touch with us. Here are the first three tips to follow:  
  1. You need to be ready for the spill before it even happens! Test out the cleaning solutions below or whichever cleaning product you are going to use on a hidden part of your rug now; today, and know that you can use it later when there is a spill without questioning if it will harm your investment in your home (you’re rug). 
  2. Never rub/scrub the stain, always blot or sponge. Rubbing or scrubbing will drive the stain in further, spread it farther & ruin the integrity of your rug.
  3. Tip 3: Never use bleach. You will end up damaging your rug in the processing of removing the stain.

Here is How to Clean a Red Wine Spill from your Carpet

You Will Need:

  • Several Sponges/Clean Cloths
  • Hand Washing Detergent &/or White Vinegar 
  • An absorbent material that will vacuum or be picked up easily
    • Examples: paper towel, clean cloth, paper torn to bits, etc

Step 1. Absorb

Cover the stain lightly with something that will absorb the liquid (paper towel, clean cloth, paper torn to shreds, cat litter etc). Make sure you can either pick up the absorbing material or can vacuum the absorbent material. Once this has absorbed the excess stain remove the absorbent material, this step should all be done very quickly, you can’t let the liquid dry!

Step 2: Splotch/Blot/Pat/Dot whatever you want to call it; just don’t rub or scrub!

Take your clean cloth or sponge and promptly blot the liquid spill. 

Step 3: Choosing the Cleaning Solution

Some spills can be completely removed with just blotting. Many will require a cleaning solution. Depending on the severity of the stain you can choose a less intensive or less chemical cleaning solution; you might be able to even use just water.

Speak to a local expert, Call RugMan.com, or try any of the solution mixtures listed at the bottom of this blog.

Step 4: Using the Cleaning Solution:

Apply the cleaning solution to a Clean Sponge/Cloth. If you feel you must apply the solution to the carpet do so lightly you do not want to damage your rug or your padding by “soaking” it. Clean/Blot with cleaning solution from the Outside Edge of the Stain to the inside of the stain; this prevents spreading. Began Blotting with the cleaning solution and using an additional clean sponge or cloth to “lift” the stain.

Step 5: Rinse

Spritz the area with water. Do not over water your carpet, this is a light spritz of water. Blot again with another clean sponge/cloth.
Cover the stain with a paper towel and weight the paper towel down; you can use a light magazine, or a few spread out coins. You do not want to “squish” the carpet but you do want a small amount of pressure on the paper towel against the carpet. This will absorb remaining liquid over time.

Step 6: Patience. 

Repeat if Necessary. Many stains take time to respond to a cleaning formula and may even need a second treatment.

You’re Done!

Now That You Know What Not To Do:

DIY Cleaning Solutions

You can buy a quality carpet cleaning product or consider one of these quick and easy to make homemade cleaning solutions by mixing:
  • 1 Quart Water with One Teaspoon mild dish detergent and 1 Teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1/4 Teaspoon of dishwashing liquid with 1 Cup of warm water (use in a spray bottle)
  • 1 Cup of white vinegar with two cups of water (use in a spray bottle)

Our Final Tip:

If you’re going to have a lot of stains (especially the red wine kind) consider purchasing a dark tone Agra rug. These rugs are very easy to maintain because of the general darker tone and dominance of darker colors in most of them, which are both stain resistant and easy to clean. Most of all Agra area rugs are relatively inexpensive, larger in size, and much cheaper than many other rugs of similar quality and durability.