Here’s How To Remove The Most Dreaded Holiday Carpet Stains

This post is sponsored by Stanley Steemer. As always, all opinions and ideas are entirely my own.

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Carpet stains caused by accidental spills are as much a Thanksgiving tradition as the dinner itself! But there’s no use in crying over spilled milk—or any other kind of spill, for that matter! Because today I’m sharing some of my most useful tips for removing holiday-related stains from your carpet!

Today I’m teaming up with Stanley Steemer to give you all the tools you might need in the fight against holiday carpet stains. They’re the carpet experts, and when it comes to stains, they’ve seen and removed it all! If somehow none of the stain removal techniques below can get the job done, I would definitely recommend giving Stanley Steemer a call! There’s no shame in admitting you could use some professional help! :-)

Let’s start by going over some general tips for tackling carpet stains. Following that, we’ll talk about how to handle specific kinds of stains (especially the ones that frequently occur around the holidays). By the end of this post, you’ll be able to head into the holidays with confidence that you can handle any of the spills and stains to come!

8 Important Tips For Removing Carpet Stains

1. Act Fast! The sooner you treat the stain, the better chance you have of being able to remove it completely.

2. Clean Up. Whether the spill was solid or liquid, it’s important to remove any excess material right away. For solids, use a butter knife to scrape up any remaining gunk. For liquids, sop up the excess liquid with a cloth or paper towel.

3. Try Water. Before grabbing a cleaning product, always try using water first. Simply blot the stain with a clean, damp cloth. You’ll be surprised at how much you can remove with water alone! Club soda is also great for blotting stain (just like grandma used to do!)

4. Don’t Scrub. When it comes to removing stains, always blot them. Don’t scrub at it, because you can easily spread the stain around instead of lifting it out.

5. Don’t Over-Wet. Be careful with the amount of liquid you use when removing a stain. Over-wetting your carpet can damage the carpet backing.

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6. Absorb Grease. To help remove a greasy stain, sprinkle it with an absorbent powder like baking soda or chalk. This will draw out the bulk of the grease and make the remaining stain easier to remove.

7. Follow Instructions. Be sure to follow any instructions included on the label when cleaning garments, linens, and rugs.

8. Test First. Before using a cleaning solution, be sure to test your colorfastness. Start by applying several drops of the cleaning solution to an inconspicuous area of the material. Then hold a damp, white cloth against the area for about one minute. Check the cloth for color transfer, change, or damage. If there isn’t any, proceed to cleaning.

How To Remove The Most Dreaded Holiday Stains

Candle Wax

Flickering candlelight can create a festive and cosy ambiance during any holiday dinner! Unfortunately, anything on your dinner table is a spill risk, including that candle full of melted wax! But as intimidating as a candle wax stain can appear, it’s not impossible to remove. All you need is your clothes iron and a few newspapers!

Read a detailed explanation of how to remove candle wax from carpet at the link below. (Check out the pictures to see how well it works!)

Related: How To Get Candle Wax Out Of Carpet

Butter, Gravy, & Other Greasy Stains

Greasy and oily stains can be particularly tricky to remove. The key is to be able to cut through the oil so it can be absorbed away from the material. One of the best homemade approaches I’ve tried was using a combination of rubbing alcohol and table salt. The alcohol cuts through the grease while the salt draws it out.

This approach probably won’t remove the stain completely, but it will get most of the oil out! Then you can use your preferred cleaner to remove the rest of the stain. Get the full details on how to get rid of greasy stains by reading the post below!

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Wine, Cranberry Sauce, Punch, Chocolate, & Other Colorful Stains

There are so many colorful foods and drinks on a holiday dinner table, and they can all leave behind highly visible stains on your carpet! But I’ve successfully removed even the most colorful stains using my iron-and-ammonia stain removal method!

All you need for this method is your clothes iron, some ammonia, and a stack of towels you don’t mind staining. (It’s better to buy a few new hand towels than to live with a permanent carpet stain, right?) ;-) Follow the link below to read the full post about this method, including step-by-step instructions and before-and-after photos!

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Vomit

This particular stain could likely be the work of a pet, but not always. (About 20 years ago, one particularly memorable Thanksgiving culminated in a child vomiting on the dining room floor after overeating at dinner. Whether or not it was one of my children is neither here nor there!) ;-)

But regardless of who’s responsible for the vomit, someone needs to clean it up to avoid a really unfortunate carpet stain! I suggest trying a combination of vinegar and baking soda. The bubbly reaction they create is very effective at breaking up and lifting organic stains. Get the full instructions on how to use the vinegar and baking soda method by reading the post below!

Related: The Best Way To Remove Pet Stains From Carpet

Can’t Remove A Stain? Here’s What To Do

Sometimes, despite your very best efforts, a carpet stain just won’t budge. But there’s no shame in admitting that it’s time to call in the stain removal experts at Stanley Steemer! Their helpful cleaning professionals will make short work of those holiday dinner stains, and then some!

The best thing about bringing in Stanley Steemer to clean your carpets is how easy they make it. You don’t even have to more your bulky furniture—they’ll do it for you! And once your carpets are clean, they’ll put everything back too. Your carpets will look brand new, and they’ll dry out quickly. You might even be a little bit grateful for that stain that made you call Stanley Steemer in the first place! :-)

And for a super simple holiday gift, give someone you love the gift of clean carpets! You can buy a Stanley Steemer gift card here!

Have you ever dealt with a really tricky holiday-related carpet stain?