Dirty Tricks
Knowledge is power. Knowing what kind of stain you are dealing with will determine the best course of action. Here’s how to attack some of the most common rug and carpet stains.
Coffee, tea, cola. One of the CRI’s most recommended methods for cleaning a variety of stains begins with a combination of one-quarter teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent with 1 cup of lukewarm water. According to the experts, although you may be tempted to add more dish soap, don’t do it. The less soapy residue you have to rinse out at the end, the better.
To create the solution, use a mild dish soap, never a laundry detergent or an automatic dishwashing detergent, since those often contain optical brighteners or bleaching agents, which can harm carpet dyes and fibers.
If the stain is stubborn, follow the dish soap solution with a mixture of 1 cup of white vinegar per 2 cups of water. The CRI says that since white vinegar is a 5 percent acetic acid solution, it acts as a solvent that will work on both the stain and the dish soap residue.
Finally, when it’s time to rinse the area, the institute advises using lukewarm tap water in a spray bottle.This precaution is aimed at avoiding oversaturating the carpet and harming the layers beneath. Blot with paper towels and pat dry after each rinse. Several rinses may be necessary to thoroughly eliminate the residue.
Knowledge is power. Knowing what kind of stain you are dealing with will determine the best course of action. Here’s how to attack some of the most common rug and carpet stains.
Coffee, tea, cola. One of the CRI’s most recommended methods for cleaning a variety of stains begins with a combination of one-quarter teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent with 1 cup of lukewarm water. According to the experts, although you may be tempted to add more dish soap, don’t do it. The less soapy residue you have to rinse out at the end, the better.
To create the solution, use a mild dish soap, never a laundry detergent or an automatic dishwashing detergent, since those often contain optical brighteners or bleaching agents, which can harm carpet dyes and fibers.
If the stain is stubborn, follow the dish soap solution with a mixture of 1 cup of white vinegar per 2 cups of water. The CRI says that since white vinegar is a 5 percent acetic acid solution, it acts as a solvent that will work on both the stain and the dish soap residue.
Finally, when it’s time to rinse the area, the institute advises using lukewarm tap water in a spray bottle.This precaution is aimed at avoiding oversaturating the carpet and harming the layers beneath. Blot with paper towels and pat dry after each rinse. Several rinses may be necessary to thoroughly eliminate the residue.