While water is essential for all types of cleaning, including carpet cleaning, it can also give you cause to have to clean up stains. Water stains can affect all sorts of items such as clothing, furniture, and of course, carpets.
The ways that water can get onto a carpet are almost limitless, with some examples being spillages from drinks tumblers, puppies urinating, drips from raincoats or umbrellas when you come in from the rain, and more seriously, from flooding.
You might think that it would be impossible for water to stain a carpet given that it is a clear liquid, but it can, albeit indirectly. What happens is that any dirt which is already hiding in the carpet is absorbed by moisture, including water, and this then appears on the surface of the carpets as a stain.
As with any stain, you will obviously want to remove it, but the question is how? Well, here are some tips to remove water stains from your carpets.
Make Sure You Have the Correct Cleaning Materials / Solutions
No matter what you are cleaning, and the type of stain you wish to remove, it is imperative that you use the correct cleaning materials or cleaning solutions. Countless items have been ruined or destroyed, including carpets, due to their owners simply not reading the manufacturer’s instructions and then using something which they shouldn’t have.
If you are unsure, speak to a local carpet cleaning company who will be happy to give you advice and may even be able to offer to clean your carpets for a reasonable fee.
The Simple Solution
One of the simplest yet most effective cleaning solutions you can use is to add one-quarter of a teaspoon of mild detergent to a cup of water in a spray bottle. Ensure the detergent is well mixed in before using the spray bottle.
The next step is to spray some of the solution onto a dry cloth. Allow the solution to form a type of mist across the fibres of the entire cloth but do not overdo it to the extent that the clothing is saturated.
Next, gently dab the cloth onto each area where there is a water stain. What should happen is that the carpet will absorb the solution from the cloth, and in turn, the solution should start to break the stain up. It is important that you do not rub at the stain.
Once you see the stain start to loosen, you can then start to dab the area with a dry cloth this time. Finally, to remove the detergent from the carpet, use a cloth that has been dampened with water and dab on the affected area until you are satisfied all the detergent has been removed.
Drying Your Carpet
Once you have removed the stain your carpet will still be damp, and it is vital that you remove any remaining moisture, otherwise the risk of another water stain will exist.
A highly effective way to do this is to place several sheets of absorbent paper towel over the area and then place something small but heavy on the towels to keep them there. Keep this in place overnight, and then lift it in the morning.
As a final drying technique to remove any residual moisture, you can sprinkle a small amount of baking soda over the area and vacuum it up after a couple of hours.
