Carpets and the Problem with Feet
There are a great deal of sticky, slimy, staining substances that can ruin your carpets, but the greatest threat to them is in fact you – specifically your feet. The only way that stains can get on to your carpet is by someone (or something, including furry friends) putting them there, whether through spilling, dropping, or most commonly: traipsing them in on the bottoms of feet. Luckily, these stains are not the nightmare they once were and it only takes a small amount of effort to keep your carpets looking like new, thanks to Vanish. We’ve compiled a list of five of the most common stains found on carpets, with some tips on how to get rid of them for good.
As with any carpet stain, remove as much of what caused the stain as you can – being careful not to spread it around – and then vacuum the area before attempting any stain removal.
Mud
We’ll start with the most obvious one. It’s best to allow mud to dry before attempting any stain removal, as you will be able to flake out most of it with your hands or a brush. For the stain left behind, ventilate the room fully and spritz Vanish Oxi Action Carpet and Upholstery Spray onto the affected area. Make sure not to treat an area larger than 80x80cm at a time. Blot it into the carpet thoroughly using a soft cloth. Wait as directed for the spray to break the stain, and vacuum the entire carpet thoroughly.
Dog Waste
It is very unpleasant to clean up after a dog, especially when your pet does its business on your carpet. The best thing to do (if you can stomach it) is to use a paper towel to absorb up as much moisture as possible before dabbing with Vanish 3 in 1 Carpets and Upholstery Hand Shampoo and leaving for a maximum of five minutes. Use as directed and blot with a clean absorbent cloth to remove the stain.
Food
Food stains on carpets can seem tricky, but they don’t take too much effort to lift. The best product to use would be Vanish Oxi Action Carpet and Upholstery Spray. Spray the stain from about fifteen centimeters away. Immediately blot with a clean absorbent cloth. Repeat as necessary, it may take a few sprays, but the stain should be gone in no time. Do not make the carpet overly wet.
Gum
The difficulty here is getting the actual gum out of the carpet’s fibres. The important thing is to avoid spreading the gum and allowing it to stick to any other areas. One method to remove it is to put ice cubes in a watertight plastic bag and place this over the gum to freeze it. Once it is frozen solid, you should be able to pull it up off of the carpet. For the residue left behind, use Oxi Action Carpet and Upholstery Spray as with a food stain, repeating as necessary.
Oil
Motor oil stains are often seen as the end for carpets, but with a combination of methods you should be able to remove the stain. Firstly, scrape as much off as you can with a spoon, being careful not to damage the carpet fibres. Then use Vanish 3 in 1 Carpets and Upholstery Hand Shampoo as with mud, this will absorb the oil, and after about twenty minutes you can vacuum up the carpet once it dries.