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cleaning carpet - collage: hand holding an iron on a white terrycloth rag on the floor, woman's hands sprinkling baking soda on a rug, carpet cleaning machine being used on a striped rug
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How To Remove Tough, Old Carpet Stains (Step by Step)

Carpet stains are no fun at all, but in just a few easy steps you can clean carpet so it looks like new!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 clean carpet
Author Jill Nystul

Equipment

  • Clothes iron
  • spray bottle
  • clean towels

Ingredients

  • 1 cup ammonia
  • 1 cup hot water

Instructions

  • Plug your iron into the closest outlet to the stained area (or use an extension cord, if necessary) and allow it to heat up for a minute or two.
    Carpet Stain Remover
  • Fill a spray bottle with a mixture of equal parts ammonia and hot water, then replace the spray top and shake to combine.
  • Spray the ammonia mixture liberally over the carpet stain, then spread a clean towel over the top of it.
    Carpet Stain Remover
  • Place your iron onto the towel, moving it around slowly to avoid singeing the carpet. After a few seconds, pull back one edge of the towel and have a look. You should see that quite a bit of the stain has transferred to the cloth.
    Carpet Stain Remover
  • Spray more of the diluted ammonia onto the stain to keep it moist, then continue ironing, switching to a clean towel as needed. (You may have to use a few towels depending on the severity of the stain.)
    Carpet Stain Remover
  • When the stain is gone, let your carpet dry completely before walking on it again.

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