Let’s say your New Year’s Eve celebration got a little rowdy and now you’re starting 2021 with a big wine stain on your new carpet. Do you schedule the next available steam cleaning appointment, or can you clean it yourself? While it’s true that your carpet benefits from a yearly steam cleaning, it’s not a practical or affordable solution for every time a wine glass is spilled. With a handful of household cleaning items and a little bit of elbow grease, you can remove tough stains from carpet using a DIY cleaning solution–but you have to act fast. Once stains dry, they’re difficult to remove without harsh chemicals or professional service.

Here’s what you need to spot treat stains with your own DIY carpet cleaner:

• 2 x plastic spray bottles
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dish soap
• Water
• Absorbent cloth (a towel or paper towel will do)

If treated quickly, most carpet stains including coffee, wine, juice, and pet accidents will wash out using the following method:

1. Fill one plastic spray bottle with cold water.

2. In the other spray bottle, mix ¼ cup of white vinegar with 1 tablespoon of dish soap; fill to top with warm water.

3. Lightly spray the vinegar and dish soap solution onto the absorbent cloth. It should be damp, but not wet.

4. Blot the stain with the damp cloth. As the stain lifts from the carpet fibers, use the dry corners of the cloth to absorb the liquid.

5.  Spray a new cloth with cold water from the other spray bottle and use it to rinse the cleaning solution from the carpet.

6. Pat dry with a towel.

7. (Optional) Leave a stack of paper towels on the stain overnight to absorb any remaining moisture. In the morning, fluff the carpet fibers with your fingers to “air dry.”

8. If stain persists, consider using a commercial product specific to the type of stain.

The vinegar and dish soap method is useful for accidental spills, but what about when you want to freshen up the whole carpet between cleanings? Here’s everything you need to make your own homebrew carpet deodorizer:

• Baking soda
• Soft-bristle brush
• Vacuum cleaner

Keep your carpet looking clean and smelling fresh in three easy steps:

1. Evenly sprinkle baking soda across carpet.

2. Using a soft-bristle brush, work baking soda into areas with the most severe stains. Wait 15 – 30 minutes.

3.  Vacuum carpet. Use a high setting and make sure your vacuum’s collection bin is empty to guarantee the suction is strong enough to lift the baking soda from the fine carpet fibers.

Is installing new carpet in your home on your list of New Year’s resolutions? At Dan’s Wholesale Carpet and Flooring we’ve got everyday wholesale pricing on hundreds of top-quality name brand carpets that look great, hold up to high traffic, and resist stains. Give us a call or visit any of our northeast Ohio locations to schedule your free estimate in-home shopping appointment today!