Choosing the best carpet stain remover means carefully reading product labels. Not all carpet stain removers are created to work on the same types of stains or carpet fibers. The goal in finding the best carpet stain remover for your needs is to choose one that will remove the stain without damaging or fading your carpet.
First, figure out what kind of carpet stain you have. If it’s greasy, such as automotive or cooking oil, there are specific carpet stain removing products available for grease-based stains. If the spot is acid-based, such as a urine or coffee stain, then using a type of remover made for grease stains is likely to give you a poor result. Oil-based carpet stain removal products dissolve stains whereas acid-based ones change the chemical quality of the spots in order to remove them.
If you’re not sure what the stain is, look for an all purpose type of carpet stain remover. It’s important to test all types of carpet stain remover in a corner or other out-of-the-way place on the carpeting. Otherwise, you could create a faded spot that may look worse than the carpet stain itself.
If you try one carpet stain remover and get some, but not all of the stain out, you may want to use the same product again and apply it with a stiff brush. Remember to test the brush and remover in an out-of-the-way spot, as you may damage the fibers of the carpeting through heavy scrubbing. If the carpet fibers will be damaged by brushing in the stain remover product, don’t use a brush.
Some wool fiber carpets are delicate and shouldn’t be scrubbed hard or saturated with harsh chemicals. Blotting on the carpet stain remover may work best on wool carpeting. Some carpet stain removers specifically instruct on the label not to use the product on wool. Be sure to read all the text on product labels to avoid buying and using the wrong carpet stain remover for your carpeting.
For the best chance of successful carpet stain removal, always try to remove stains as soon as possible. The longer stains are left to soak deep into carpeting, the more difficult they are to remove. Having several carpet stain removers on hand that suit the carpeting fibers in your home can mean being able to remove stains on carpeting in a timely manner. Your supply of stain removal products should include spot removers for both acid and grease stains.