Creativity Stains: Removing Stains from your Carpet
We call them “Creativity stains”, these stains are those uncommon stains lingering deep within your carpets, usually present in a child's room or common area.
These are stains caused by somewhat unconventional things such as paints, inks, henna dyes, and substances on the more creative side. Unfortunately, these stains are hard to remove from fabric or fiber like carpeting. However, there are a few tips and tricks that can aid in their removal.
Removing acrylic paint from carpet
Paint can be one of the most difficult substances to remove from a carpet as paints consist of many types of chemicals. For example, acrylic paint is plastic-based paint and dries into a hard, crunchy stain. Oil-based paints also dry hard, but are not easily removed without the presence of steam. Here is one way to help remove an acrylic paint stain:
- Blot fresh paint out with paper towel
- Apply acetone or nail polish remover to stain and blot
- Mix detergent and water, use sponge to rub the area
- Towel dry and vacuum
Removing ink from carpet
Because ink is more chemically washed than other substances, it has the potential to deeply stain a surface, especially one as porous as carpet. The black colour of ink is one you dread seeing ground into your off-white carpets. Ink can be transferred out of carpeting by:
- Dabbing with rubbing alcohol for thirty minutes
- Rinsing with warm water and vinegar
- Applying shaving cream for fifteen minutes to the area
- Rinsing with water
Removing henna dye from carpet
Henna stain. The words you never want to hear if you have ever experienced the nightmare of this stain. Henna, the common Indian body decorating tradition, is a plant with deep staining properties. Hence it’s ability to stain skin with patterns. But a carpet is not skin and does not regenerate on it’s own.
Once Henna is in your carpet and dried, there is no turning back. However, here is one method of improving the look of an old henna stain.
- Pour warm milk over stain and leave for thirty minutes without scrubbing
- Mix one part detergent and three parts water and wash stain, rubbing gently.
Although these tips and tricks can help you to remove a pesky stain in a once-beautiful carpet, there are some things to remember to avoid further damages or making a bad stain worse. Attempt to clean a stain the moment a spill occurs so it does not in fact turn into a stain, the longer the spill sits, the longer it settles and the harder it becomes to remove.
Always pat, dab, or blot the spill or stain. Scrubbing can cause the stain to spread depending on what it is. Ensure that you do not over-wet the carpet as this can ruin the carpet’s backing.Finally, do not let the carpet air dry. Use something heavy on top of a dry towel to absorb moisture and then vacuum the spot.
Removing stains from carpet fibers can be a daunting and difficult task, but if you follow these simple tips and tricks, you can enjoy your carpets once again. If you have a good amount of stains in your carpet and need a professional cleaning, contact us today!
