Tips

How to clean up red wine spills from the carpet

It’s good housekeeping to have a spot cleaning kit of some form on hand to tackle spills and stains on your carpets and upholstery. I can supply an excellent general purpose “Miracle Spotter” which will resolve most everyday and many stubborn marks but sometimes alternative specialist solutions are needed… see below.

How to clean almost anything from your carpet or upholstery

Almost all carpet and upholstery stains can be cleaned if got to quickly, otherwise they can become permanent

Home spot cleaning kit

Its a good idea to have some form of wet and dry vacuum to suck up any fluids:

Mild detergent (a teaspoon of modern wool- safe washing liquid to a litre of water)
Ammonia (dilute a table spoon to a litre of water)
Pure white Vinegar (again a table spoon to a litre of water)
some form of spirit solvent (Dry cleaning fluid is ideal)
and some form of blotting clothes, (white flannels work well as you can easily see if the mark is releasing from the carpet and they can be boil washed afterwards)

General Method

Firstly, act quickly but don’t panic, so often people start rubbing like a mad thing at spills and marks trying to make them disappear but this only helps spread the liquid around enlarging any potential stain area and can also cause permanent pile distortion. If you know what the stain is it helps (see my list below) but if your using any form of spotter it’s a good idea to first try for colour fastness in a small area of carpet where it wont be noticed .

DAB AT rather than RUB IN, DABBBING the spill or mark with a clean dry cloth, turn the cloth often working from the outside of the strain to the inside DABBING like this helps picks up the soiling with minimal chance of increasing the size of any stain.

Try after removing the mark to rinse the carpets with clean warm water, ideally using some form of wet vacuum to get any last sticky remains out, helping prevent re-soiling and reappearance of the mark.

Most of all avoid bleach in any form (including bathroom wet wipes) as it can ruin a carpet in seconds. If it doesn’t change the colour it can damage the backing leaving nasty bald patches in a couple of days. Some modern polypropylene carpets may be resistant to bleach but always play safe and test in an out of the way corner first

Here's my list of potential stains with suggestions of how to Clean them with care

This information is freely offered without any guarantees or acceptance of liability... if unsure then it is best to leave the mark alone and call an expert before you set the stain

Asphalt, Tar, Mascara, Biro’s and Felt tip pens, Nail varnish, Furniture polish, Crayon, Cooking oil and Lard

Use small amounts of dry cleaning Solvent on a cloth, blot dry then use detergent, then rinse with water and blot dry.

Soya sauce, Egg, Mayonnaise, Salad cream, Ice-cream, Cheese, Chocolate, Milk, White glue, Garden soil, Ketchup, Tooth paste, Cat and dog mess

Clean with mild detergent, blot dry, then clean with ammonia solution, then rinse with water and blot dry.

Beer, Wine, Berries, Coffee, Fruit juice, Mixed drinks, Soft drinks, Sweets

Clean with mild detergent, blot dry then clean with white vinegar solution, a second clean with mild detergent, blot dry, then finally rinse with water and blot dry.

Cough syrup, Vomit, Permanent inks

Clean with mild detergent, blot dry, then clean with ammonia solution, blot dry then white Vinegar solution, blot dry, then finally rinse with water and blot dry.

Chewing gum and Candle wax

Pulling at a lumps of chewing gum can pull the fibres of the carpet out with it leaving a nasty bald patch. Get a bag of frozen peas or ice cube and place it on the gum after a short while the gum will harden making it easy to break it up into bits and remove. Whilst solid hit it with a hard object, give it several goes if needs be. A little dry cleaning solvent can also help.

Wet Urine

Blot dry then clean with ammonia solution followed by mild detergent, blot dry then rinse with water and blot dry.

Rust, Shoe Polish, Curry, Hair dye, Solider

This is one set of carpet stains that are best left to the professionals.

Blood

Use cold ingredients. Clean with mild detergent, blot dry, then ammonia solution, blot dry, then mild detergent again, blot dry and finally rinse with water and blot dry.

Dry Urine

Clean with mild detergent, blot dry, then white vinegar solution, then blot dry, then ammonia solution, blot dry, then mild detergent again, blot dry and finally rinse with water and blot dry.