18 February 2024 , 07:00
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That horrible moment something is dropped on an expensive carpet can induce sheer panic and a rush to try to lift the offending liquid before any real damage is done. However, if that liquid is something such as tea or a fizzy drink like Irn Bru, it is likely the stain is already in place – but fear not as the experts from online rug store The Rugs have revealed five quick DIY hacks you can deliver at home to eliminate those nasty stains.
While spilling beer on your carpet can cause havoc, the beverage also happens to have surprising stain-removal properties itself. Do you have ugly coffee and tea stains – well, a bottle of beer might be all you need to freshen up the surface. Simply pour a small drop of beer onto the stain and rub it lightly into the carpet with a cloth to see almost immediate results. For larger, more challenging stains, you may need to scrub a little harder. Once the stains are gone, just rinse the carpet with some water and pat it dry to make it look as good as new.
If there's a fresh spill on your carpet, salt could be the perfect solution. Pouring a generous amount of salt on the newly stained area and leaving it for an hour or so will allow the salt to absorb most of the liquid. Once the carpet dries, you can hoover or sweep away the salt to reveal a clean, stain-free area. This hack works effectively on wet carpets with new spills. But, if the stain has already dried in you're going to have to try other methods.
A multi-use product commonly associated with protecting metal from rust and corrosion, WD-40 can be found in many homes across the UK. What many people don’t know is WD-40 is also an incredibly quick, effective solution to carpet stains. As well as handling all types of small stains, WD-40 can remove tougher marks from makeup, wine, candle wax and more. On average, it takes less than three minutes to remove a carpet stain using WD-40. You start by applying the solution to the stained area for 20-30 seconds to allow for absorption, followed by a thorough wash with a damp sponge for around a minute and a quick clean with a dry towel or cloth. This allows the WD-40 to work underneath the stain to loosen its bonds and enable easy removal.
Combining a homemade cleaning solution with your household iron is the perfect trick to getting rid of carpet stains like wine, juice, and more. To create your cleaning solution, just add two cups of warm water into a bucket with five drops of washing up liquid. Once this is completed, just add a clean towel or cloth into the bucket, soaking it in your solution and wringing it out. All you need to do is place the towel over the stained area on a low steam setting and iron the surface until you begin to see the stain soaking into the cloth or towel.
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Chewing gum is a nightmare to get rid of, but using ice cubes to freeze the sticky menace may be the best chance you have of getting rid of it without causing irreversible damage. This proven method involves freezing the gum with an ice cube or a small bag of ice and placing this over the area for a few minutes. Once the gum is hardened, you can remove it simply by pulling it from the carpet gently or using a blunt knife to scrape the gum off. You can then wash the area with warm water to leave your carpet looking fresh.
Emre Eser, Director of The Rugs, said: “If you follow these quick household hacks, you will keep your carpets in better shape and avoid spending extra money on professional carpet cleaning services or even brand-new carpets. When it comes to tacking your spills and stains, acting as quickly as possible is vital in helping you remove the stain with minimal hassle. Making the most of the solutions you have at home and trying these useful DIY tricks will allow you to respond to spillages immediately and prolong the lifespan of your carpets.”