Carpet stains don't give guests the best impression and can make the décor in a room seem more dated than it actually is, but spillages are inevitable. Here are a few tips for removing common carpet stains:

Coffee

How many times have you spilled some coffee first thing in the morning when you're still trying to wake up or when you're running around after the kids? Dark coffee stains can leave your carpet looking grimy, so here's how to get rid of them:

1. Blot a fresh stain with an absorbent cloth and soak up as much liquid as possible. If the stain is old, spray lukewarm water onto it and proceed to blot it dry with a cloth. This will remove some of the surface level staining.
2. Measure out 250g of bicarbonate of soda and combine it with just enough water to form a thick paste. Bicarbonate of soda is a natural stain remover that fizzes when combined with water. The fizzing action loosens the stain and the bicarbonate of soda then absorbs it out of the carpet.
3. Immediately spread the paste over the coffee stain and leave it until it's completely dry. Vacuum over the stain to remove the bicarbonate of soda residue.

Milk

Whether you're guilty of spilling your cereal or the kids are fond of tossing their cups across the room, milk stains seem to go hand in hand with family life. The problem with dried in milk stains is the sour smell they create, but they're easy to remove. Here's how:

1. Blot the stain with an absorbent cloth to soak up as much milk as you can.
2. Spray the stain with distilled white vinegar and gently rub it with a cloth. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant, and the rubbing action will help to loosen any dried in milk.
3. Pour soda crystals over the stain and leave to dry before vacuuming the carpet. Soda crystals work in a similar way to bicarbonate of soda, but they also do a good job of neutralising odours.

Ink

Just how do kids manage to burst their pens all over the carpet? If you live in fear of a bright red ink stain destroying your carpet, rest easy in the knowledge that a little rubbing alcohol and elbow grease is all that's needed to banish ink stains. Just follow these instructions:

1. Pour a little rubbing alcohol onto an absorbent cloth and start blotting the ink stain, gradually working from the edge to the middle of the stain. Rubbing alcohol can be bought from most pharmacies, as it's used to clean cuts and grazes. It's a disinfectant, but it's also a solvent and removes ink by stripping it out of the carpet fibres.
2. As one section of your cloth becomes saturated with ink, move to a clean section. If you're dealing with a large stain, you may need to use a few cloths, but don't be tempted to rub the stain; you'll only spread it out across your carpet. Blotting may take a while, but it's the best way to contain the stain.
3. When the ink stain has been removed, spray the carpet with warm water and use a clean cloth to soak up as much of the water as you can. This will remove the solvent residue and protect your carpet fibres.

These stain removal tips will help you keep your carpets looking new for longer, so keep these cleaning products on hand and you'll be ready for the next spill. For more information, contact a business such as Kelwin Coastal Carpets.