INTRODUCTION
Last night, you had a great party. Today, however, things are not quite as rosy because you notice some of that great vintage red wine entrenched in your brand new white wool carpet. "What now?" you say.
The following pages show charts that contain seven stain removers which can be used individually or in combination to remove specific stains. When applying a treatment, don't rub into the soiled area as this will only increase the size of the stain. Cleaning agents should be applied by either blotting or dabbing. (The trick is to try to work from the outside of the stain and gradually move into the center of it.)
If the carpet type you have is not specified, call a professional cleaner and state the pile type along with the kind of stain you're up against so he or she can recommend the right cleaning procedure.
Type of Carpet or Rug
Stains |
Wool |
Acrylic |
Nylon |
Olefin |
Polyester |
Animal Glue |
F |
F |
A,G |
F |
F |
Argyrol |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Ball Point Ink |
B,C then A,G |
B,C then A,G |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C |
Beer |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Catsup |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Carbon Black |
Vacuum,A,G |
Vacuum,A,G |
Vacuum,B,C |
Vacuum,B,C |
Vacuum,B,C |
Chewing Gum |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C |
Clay |
Vacuum,A,G |
Vacuum,A,G |
Vacuum,A,G |
Vacuum,A,G |
Vacuum,A,G |
Cola |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Coffee (B,C&S) |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Coloured Paper |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Crayon |
B,G |
B,G |
B,G |
B,G |
B,G,A,G |
Duco Cement |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C |
Egg |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Enamel |
B,F,A,G |
B,F,A,G |
B,F,A,G |
B,F,A,G |
B,F,A,G |
Food Dye |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Fruit Juice |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Furniture Dye |
B,C,F,A,G |
B,C,F,A,G |
A,B,C |
B,C |
B,C,A,G |
Furniture Polish |
B,C,F,A,G |
B,C,F,A,G |
A,G,C |
B,C |
B,C,A,G |
Grape Drink |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G,C |
Gravy |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G,C |
Grease (Car) |
C |
C |
C |
C |
B,C |
Ice Cream |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
India Ink |
B,C,A,G |
B,C,A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
B,C,A,G |
Iron Rust |
Vacuum, D,G |
Vacuum, D,G |
Vacuum, D,G |
Vacuum, D,G |
Vacuum, D,G |
Latex Paint |
B,F,A,G |
B,C |
A,G |
B,C |
B,C,A,G |
Linseed Oil |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C |
Lipstick |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C,A,G |
B,C,A,G |
Merthiolate |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
B,C,A,G |
B,C,A,G |
Milk |
B,C,A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Mustard |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Nail Polish |
- |
- |
E |
F,B,C |
F,C |
Oil (car) |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C |
Oil, Paint |
B,F,A,G |
B,F,A,G |
B,C |
B,C, |
B,C,A,G |
Permanent Ink |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Plaster |
Vacuum,A,G |
Vacuum,A,G |
Vacuum,A,G |
Vacuum,A,G |
Vacuum,A,G |
Rouge |
- |
- |
- |
- |
A,G |
Rubber Cement |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C |
B,C |
Shoe Dye |
- |
- |
- |
B,C |
C |
Shoe Polish (Liquid) |
B,C,A,G |
B,C,A,G |
A,G,C |
B,C |
C |
Shoe Polish (Wax) |
B,A,G |
B,A,G |
C |
B,C,A,G |
C |
Tar |
C |
C |
C |
C |
C |
Tea |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Tobacco |
- |
- |
- |
A,G |
A,G |
Urine |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Washable Ink |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Water Colours |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
A,G |
Wax (Candle) |
Steam, C |
Steam, C |
Steam, C |
Steam, C |
Steam, C |
LEGEND A = Detergent solution - I teaspoon of a neutral detergent (a brand used for washing lingerie) and I teaspoon of white vinegar in a quart of warm water. B = Paint Remover - should not contain any oil. Lacquer thinner may also be used. C = Dry Cleaning Fluid - any common brand used according to manufacturer's instructions. D == Rust Remover - brands such as "Erusticator" or "Rust Go" are recommended. E = Acetone - common drug store brand or nail polish remover without lanolin or lacqueR thinner.
DISCLAIMER
While the treatments specified in First Aid for Carpets and Rugs have been proven to be effective in the removal of stains specified, the publisher does not provide any guarantees or warranties as to performance. Users of this guide do so at their own risk. |