DIY Carpet Spot and Odor Removal Guide
Are you overwhelmed and confused when it comes to choosing a spot removal product?
It’s no wonder! Big box stores and the internet are chock full of thousands of products – some that may help, but many that can cause permanent damage. It can be hard to know what to look for or even where to start!
The Household Cleaning Product Aisle in a Big Box Store
In the past, our clients have tried to remove spots & spills on their own, only to damage their carpet in the following ways:
Using The Wrong Solution
If a cleaning solution with harsh chemicals, bleach, optical brighteners or a high pH is used, the color of the carpet may be permanently changed or the carpet dye can be removed. This can leave a permanent, white, bleach spot on your carpet. Some products may even set the stain, making it impossible to remove.
After bleach was applied to pet spots on carpet, causing color loss to fibers
Residue
If a cleaning solution is over-applied or not completely rinsed from your carpet or furniture, a sticky residue can be left behind in the carpet that attracts dirt, which makes the spot worse than before.
After too much spot remover (dish soap!) was applied to spots, causing a sticky, soapy residue
Over-Wetting
In your efforts to remove a spot, you may over-wet the carpet or dry it too slowly, which causes browning or the wicking of the spot back to the surface.
After spot removal attempted on upholstery, causing color loss as well as browning
Incorrect Procedures
Pile or yarn distortion can result by harsh scrubbing or rubbing of the carpet.
After spot removal was attempted on a rug, causing pile distortion of the natural fibers
D-I-Y Spot Removal Steps
Act quickly!
Most carpet available today has been treated with a stain-resistant application, so many spills can be removed if immediate action is taken. The longer the delay, the higher the probability of a spill becoming a permanent stain or requiring professional cleaning.
- Liquids: Blot with a dry, white, absorbent cloth or white (no printing) paper towels.
- Semi-Solids: Scrape up with a rounded spoon.
- Solids: Break up and vacuum up as much as possible when dry before applying moisture.
Use a Safe Cleaning Solution.
The best cleaning solution will be different based on what caused the spot. Consult the Carpet and Rug Institute Spot Solver for specific spot removal instructions. However the majority of spots that a homeowner can safely remove generally falls into one of the following 3 categories. 1- General 2- Oil Based 3- Organic
General Spots
You would be surprised at what warm water on a towel may remove from carpet or fabric made of synthetic fibers. You can also try a general purpose spot cleaner. There are hundreds of them available. We offer a safe general purpose spotter, Spot Pro which you can contact us to purchase.
Oil Based Spots
Spots caused by grease, gum, paint, markers, adhesive, etc are oil based and a solvent is needed to remove them. A good general purpose solvent is Goof Off. The key is not to allow it to contact your bare skin and do not over apply it because it can break down the glue in the backing of the carpet causing delmaination. That’s why I prefer this specific product and applicator bottle. A little bit goes a long way.
Organic Based Spots
Examples of Organic Spots include urine, blood, vomit, feeces, wine, coffee, tea. Depending on the fiber, these spots may or may not clean out. Or they may improve with cleaning but a yellow or brown stain remains. Apply 3% hydrogen peroxcide to the remaining yellow or brown stains. Do not rinse it out or absorb it. Don’t overwet, saturate or pout it on. 3% hydrogen perxocide will not damage or bleach synethic fibers. It’s easiest to apply using a trigger sprayer and just generously spray the spot. Allow 24 hours for it to dry on its own and for the oxygen to work. The spot will not disappear immeditely, but over several hours as it dries it may improve or totally disappear! Multiple applications may be needed to remove the stain completely.
Rinse, Extract and Dry.
Rinse and extract with a machine.
A small DIY Carpet cleaning extractor like the Bissell Little Green Machine allows you to rinse and extract spots on carpet or furniture and will help you achieve a better result when used properly. It will also help you avoid leaving soap residue behind since you can rinse it. It will help it dry faster since you can extract.
DIY Carpet cleaning machines don’t have the power to properly clean areas or rooms of carpet, but they are useful for individual spot removal. When traffic areas develop and an area or room of carpet needs cleaned, its best to contact a trained professional with powerful truckmount equipment.
Blot by hand with a towel.
If you don’t have a machine to rinse and extract, your results may be limited. But you can still try applying the cleaning solution to a white towel, then blotting by hand. Do not scrub! Scrubbing can cause permanent pile or yarn distortion in the affected area.
If removing a oil based spot a blunt edge may be helpful like from a spoon or a coin to agitate the spot. Work from the edges of the spill to the center to prevent the spot from spreading. Using a white towel can be helpful because you can see if the stain is transfering to the towel. Continue using the first cleaning solution as long as there is a transfer of the spill to the cloth. Be patient! Complete removal of the spill may require repeating the same step several times. Avoid overapplying product which may leave behind a soap residue. Avoid pouring spotter directly onto carpet as this could overwet the spot.
Dry
Increase airflow with a box fan or ceiling fan to dry the area as soon as possible. Don’t be anxious to turn the fan off, the carpet surface may feel dry but the base of the carpet may still be moist. If the carpet is overwet or takes to long to dry, it may turn brown.
What if a light yellow or brown stain remains?
Apply 3% hydrogen peroxide by heavily misting the brown or yellow spot. Do not blot, extract or speed dry the 3% hydrogen peroxide. As it dries over 24 -48 hours the oxygen in the peroxide may make the stain disappear. It may need additional treatments over several days to remove it 100%.
What if a stain reappears after drying?
Some spotters may leave a alkaline residue behind that attracts soil. To neutralize this, mix a solution of 1 part white vinegar and 1 part water, and use this as your cleaning solution, apply to spot by spraying or applying to a towel and blotting.
If a spot continues to reappear and trick is after applying the 50/50 white vinegar and water is to cover the spot with 10-15 layers of white paper towels and weigh them down with a flat heavy object such as a cookie sheet with books on top or a plastic tote. (Ensure heavy objects won’t be damaged by moisture or transfer color) The white vinegar is acidic and will help neutralize the soap residue and the paper towels absorb the stain as it dries to prevent it from wicking back to the surface as a yellow or brown stain. If you see improvement, repeat this process until the stain no longer appears.
DIY Pet Urine Odor Removal
Find Pet Urine with a Blacklight
A challenge with removing pet urine odor, is finding the exact spots so they can be treated. A black light will illuminate pet urine, even if the visible stains have been cleaned away. This UV Beast V3 365nm black light is just a consumer version of the same powerful professional model. The good news is if you have your own and can inspect at night when it is dark, this smaller version will be more than enough! The 365 nm is the best wavelength for detecting pet urine in carpet.
If you find a lot of spots using the black light, contact Distinctive Cleaning for professional pet urine odor removal and deodorizing, learn about our process here.
Apply Nature’s Miracle Enzymatic Odor Control
Many deodorizers try to cover up the bad smell with a better smell. To actually remove the bad smell trained professionals use a powerful oxidizer or an enzyme to remove the cause of the odor.
Since urine soaked into the carpet, you will also need to apply a deodorizer heavily so it soaks down just as deep as the urine did if you want to remove the odor. Read and follow the directions carefully.
Contact a Professional.
If you do not have success in removing the stain yourself and you live in or near Fort Wayne, IN call or text the professionals at Distinctive Cleaning & Restoration at 260-250-4664 to schedule an appointment. We can remove just about any stain you can imagine, see before and after examples on our spotting page.
Follow these recommendations at your own risk!
Pretest any product in an inconspicuous area to make sure the solution will not damage the carpet or fabric. While this information is offered in good faith and appropriate to the best of our knowledge, we accept no responsibility for claims arising from the treatments, products, or procedures suggested herein.
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