It is a fact that commercial carpets such as those found in offices, meeting rooms, staff rooms, and along the corridors of business premises, take a lot more abuse than those in domestic environments. Apart from the increased level of footfall that many commercial carpets have to endure, there is also a greater chance that a commercial carpet will be stained.
When people are at home they tend to take care of their belongings, including their furnishings and carpeting. For this reason, they may have rules forbidding the eating of food in the living room, or insisting shoes are removed before any of the family enter. Conversely, commercial properties tend not to have these rules in place, thus the likelihood of carpets being stained is far greater.
Should any of your commercial carpets become stained, you may be able to remove the stain, especially if you act quickly. If not, you may need to call in professional carpet cleaners to remove it. Sticking with the former scenario and you getting to the stain on time, here are 7 of the most common stains you are likely to encounter and a simple method to remove each of them.
Ink: To remove you need a bowl in which you mix some warm water and a teaspoon of laundry powder. Using a clean and absorbent cloth, dab the stain, and the ink will slowly but surely transfer to the cloth. Important…DO NOT RUB. Dab!
Chewing Gum: The key is speed because the longer gum remains in a carpet the more difficult it is to remove. Sit a bag containing some ice cubes on the gum to harden it. Then, using a scraper, gently scrape the gum from the carpet. Finally, use soapy water to remove any residual staining before drying with a towel.
Food: An old favourite that can help remove food stains is ironically vinegar which you could use whilst cooking food. Use warm water to dilute the vinegar, spray the solution onto the stain and wait for 5 minutes. Then, working from the outside edge of the stain, blot up the solution which should take the stain with it.
Coffee/Tea: Another common problem for office carpets, spilt coffee and tea needs to be blotted up quickly using an absorbent cloth or towel. Beyond that, use water to further dilute the stain. A stain remover suitable for the carpet type can get rid of any residue or dried in coffee or tea stains.
Fruit Juice: The danger is if the juice dries, it becomes sticky. First, blot up as much as you can. Then dilute it using warm water. Next, mix ¼ teaspoon of carpet cleaner with 1 ¾ pint of warm water and apply this to the stain. Thereafter. blot up the solution and rinse the area using warm water before drying with a towel.
Mud: Most likely found near entrances and reception areas. Here, rather than acting quickly, instead, allow the mud to dry. Once dry, vacuum the area slowly. For any remaining mud stains, mix 1 teaspoon of dishwasher soap with one cup of warm water, and blot this repeatedly on the stain using a cloth until it is gone.
Blood: Paper cuts, scissors and accidents can all cause bloodstains. First, blot up as much blood as possible. Then, apply cold water to prevent the remaining blood from congealing. Thereafter, carpet cleaner and warm water blotting will remove what remains.
