Category: General Cleaning Tips

The following question was submitted by Mike…

I am moving into a home that has wall to wall carpeting. There are a lot of marks (indentations) in the carpet from the furniture that was there. How can I remove them and how long will it take.
Thank you

In many cases the mark will just disappear with time, however if the carpeting or the under pad is a lower quality, then it may not come up completely. There are a couple of thing to do, first rake the pile up with a fork or hair pick, then use a spray bottle filled with only water and spray the marks. The moisture will help loosen the fibers, and they should dry with a less pronounced indent.

This process may need to be repeated half a dozen times over several weeks to remove the marks completely. Some pro’s advocate using a steam cleaner, or an iron to blast the area with steam. You can try this if plain old water is proving unsuccessful, however use caution and NEVER actually set the sole of the iron on the carpet.  All you want is a blast of steam, which most newer irons can produce at the touch of a button.

Depending on the furniture and how it was used, the carpet may also be damaged. For example an office chair with wheels rolling on carpet in the same spot, will destroy the fibers themselves. Nothing short of replacement can remedy this problem.

Rust should be cleaned using the Water Based Stains Cleaning Method. This type of stain can be removed with excellent success by a professional.

Tools & Technique:
Using a neutral pH low residue spotter, apply a small amount to cover the stain , blot and repeat blotting until the stain is removed. The idea here is to transfer the stain to the terry towel by applying the spotting agent and removing the stain by blotting with a dry terry towel.
An alternative spotting chemical is to mix 1 tsp. of neutral pH liquid detergent (dish washing or fine fabric detergent that does not contain any bleach ) into 1 cup of warm water. Tamp, do not scrub as this may distort the texture of of the pile. Cover with a white terry towel and press down repeatedly blotting up the stain as described earlier.
If the spot or stain turns brownish when dry, mix 1:2 white vinegar and water. Apply a small amount and blot. Repeat only once.

Tools & Technique:

In all cases remove all excess dried material before attempting to clean. Remove by gently blotting or scraping off the excess stain. Blotting is the act of using a terry towel or an absorbant towel, and applying pressure to the stain with the dry towel in effect transfering the stain to the towel. It is important to use a clean preferably white towel.

Using a neutral pH low residue spotter, apply a small amount, blot with a terry towel and repeat blotting until the stain is removed. An alternative spotting chemical is 1 tsp. of neutral pH liquid detergent (dish washing or fine fabric detergent that does not contain any bleach ) into 1 cup of warm water. Tamp, do not scrub as this may distort the texture of of the pile. Cover with a white terry towel and press down repeatedly(blot). If the spot or stain turns brownish when dry, mix 1:2 white vinegar and water. Apply a small amount and blot. Repeat only once.

• In all cases remove all excess dried material before attempting to clean.
• Remove by gently blotting or scraping off the excess stain. Blotting is the act of using a terry towel or an absorbant towel and applying pressure to the stain with the dry towel, in effect transfering the stain to the towel. It is important to use a clean preferably white towel.
• Apply a small amount of a volatile solvent and blot with a white terry towel.
• Repeat this until the stain is removed or until no more of the stain will transfer onto the towel. Do not use solvents such as: gasoline or paint thinner.
• Volatile solvents, such as acetone, nail polish remover or dry cleaning solvent, are available at some grocery stores or at your carpet cleaning supply retailer. A volatile solvent will dissipate at room temperature and will leave no residue. If you are using non-volatile solvents they must be completely rinsed with a volatile solvent. Non-volatile solvents (if left in the carpet) can cause delamination in synthetic carpets either immediately or over a period of time.

Saturate the carpet with cleaning compounds.

Apply heat to the stain.

Vigorously scrub the stain.

Leave stain until later.

Not remove the dry excess stain proir to cleaning.

Not pretesting the carpet or stain.

General Info:
Be sure to check the helpful hints for the Do’s and Don’ts of Stain Removal and Six Sure Ways to Set Stains.

Tools & Chemicals:

• dish washing or fine fabric detergent
• white terry towels
• white vinegar
• warm water
• measuring cup
• spoon
• vacuum

Technique:

• Work on removing the stain as soon as you notice it.  The longer the stain is left on the carpet the greater the chances are of the stain setting.
• In every case remove all excess wet or dry material before attempting to clean. Blot wet materials using a white terry towel (check helpful hints for a detailed description of blotting).
• Vacuum excess dry materials or gently scrape up materials with a spoon.
• Mix 1/2 tsp. of dish washing soap or fine fabric detergent into 1 (8 oz.)cup of warm water.
• Apply a small amount, blot or tamp and repeat until the stain is removed.
• Be patient. Complete removal may reqiure repeating the same step several times. Tamp down on the carpet, do not scrub as this may disort the texture of the pile.
• Cover the stain with the towel and press down repeatedly to absorb the stain material and detergent.
• Once the stain is completely removed, rinse the area with cold water; blot with a dry white terry towel until all moisture is removed.
• Repeat this process several times to remove cleaning solution residue. (Residue can attract soils).
• If the spot or stain turns brownish when dry, mix 1 part white vinegar and two parts water. Apply a small amount and blot. Repeat only once.

Precautions:
Never use a stronger concentration than is recommended. Never laundry detergent or automatic dish washing detergents because they may destroy or dye some fibers.

General Info:
Be sure to check the helpful hints for the Do’s and Don’ts of Stain Removal and Six Sure Ways to Set Stains.

Tools & Chemicals:

• dish washing or fine fabric detergent
• white terry towels
• white vinegar
• warm water
• measuring cup
• spoon
• vacuum.

Technique:

• Work on removing the stain as soon as you notice it. The longer the stain is left on the carpet the greater the chances are of the stain setting.
• In every case remove all excess wet or dry material before attempting to clean. Blot wet materials using a white terry towel (check helpful hints for a detailed description of blotting).
• Vacuum excess dry materials or gently scrape up materials with a spoon.
• Mix 1/2 tsp. of dish washing soap or fine fabric detergent into 1 (8 oz.)cup of warm water.
• Apply a small amount, blot or tamp and repeat until the stain is removed.
• Be patient. Complete removal may reqiure repeating the same step several times. Tamp down on the carpet, do not scrub as this may disort the texture of the pile.
• Cover the stain with the towel and press down repeatedly to absorb the stain material and detergent.
• Once the stain is completely removed, rinse the area with cold water; blot with a dry white terry towel until all moisture is removed.
• Repeat this process several times to remove cleaning solution residue. (Residue can attract soils).
• If the spot or stain turns brownish when dry, mix 1 part white vinegar and two parts water. Apply a small amount and blot. Repeat only once.

Precautions:
Never use a stronger concentration than is recommended. Never laundry detergent or automatic dish washing detergents because they may destroy or dye some fibers.