How To Remove Any Stain From Your Carpet Using Household Ingredients

If you own carpet, you're aware that stains sometimes seem to just magically appear -- and plague you. You might be spending your days asking yourself, especially if you have children or pets, "How did that get here? What caused that? What do I even do about that?"Sure, you could quickly cover the stain with a rug, but you eventually it will come back to haunt you. It's best to just bite the bullet and remove the stain right when you notice it, if not right after it happens.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to remove everyday stains from your carpet using household items you most likely already own. Follow these easy-to-learn steps, and you should be able to quickly repair your carpet.

Coffee Stains

You're in a hurry to get to work, and you accidentally drop your mug on the carpet as you head out the front door. It happens to everyone, but there is a simple way to remove coffee stains -- but it's important to act fast. The longer the stain sits on your carpet, the more work it will take to remove it.

Here's how to approach a coffee stain:

What You Need:

• Paper towels
• Water
• Vinegar
• Baking soda
• Liquid dish detergent
• A plastic scrub brush
• A soft cloth

What You Do:

1. Using a paper towel, immediately blot the area where the coffee was spilled. This will lift up the excess liquid in the carpet and make the stain easier to remove.
2. Add some cold water to the stain and continue to blot the area with a paper towel. Don't add too much water, because you can damage your carpet if it becomes too soaked. Add more little by little as you blot.
3. Soak a soft cloth in vinegar and blot the stain. Let it sit for about five minutes and then dry the area with paper towels.
4. If the stain is not yet gone, apply more vinegar to the affected area and then sprinkle with baking soda. Let it sit for a few minutes and then blot it up.
5. Use a mild cleaner such as dish detergent on the stain and use the plastic scrub brush to rub it out.
6. To keep the area from becoming sticky with soap, add small amounts of water and blot it up, just like you in step two.
7. The stain should be gone, so now you just have to blot the area dry with paper towels.

If by chance the coffee stain remains on your carpet, repeat this process until you can no longer see the stain.

Red Wine Stains

If you're having a party, there is always a chance that one of your guests spills red wine on your white carpet. Luckily, you can remove the stain with products that you will more than likely already have around the house. Again, it's important to act fast -- if you start removing the stain before it completely sets in your carpet, you will have a greater chance of removing it.

What You Need:

• Water
• A soft cloth or paper towels
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Vacuum
• Liquid dish detergent

What You Do:

1. Use the cloth or paper towels to blot out as much of the red wine as possible
2. Pour a small amount of cold water directly onto the stain. This step dilutes the remainder of the stain.
3. Continue blotting until you can no longer remove the stain.
4. Create a baking soda paste by mixing together a three-to-one ratio of water to baking soda.
5. Apply this mixture to the stain. Once the paste is dry, vacuum your carpet to completely remove the stain.
6. If the stain is still visible, repeat the process using a mixture of water, vinegar and dishwashing detergent instead of pure water.

Tomato Sauce Stains

Spilling tomato sauce on the carpet is a common problem when cooking or eating pasta dishes, especially if you have young children who tend to be particularly messy eaters. For tomato sauce stains, attack it immediately with one of this method:

What You Need:

• A spoon or a knife
• Club soda
• A sponge
• Paper towels
• Liquid dishwashing detergent
• A soft cloth

What You Do:

1. Use a spoon or knife to remove the excess tomato sauce from your carpet. To guarantee that the stain won't spread, start from the outside of the stain and work your way in.
2. Pour club soda onto the stain and soak it up with the sponge.
3. Use a clean paper towel to blot the stain and absorb any remaining liquid or tomato sauce residue.
4. Mix two cups of cold water with one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing detergent. Apply this mixture to a clean cloth or sponge and blot.
5. Rinse the carpet with cold water, and dry it with paper towels or a towel.

Ketchup Stains

Ketchup is one of the most common types of stains because of how popular and versatile this condiment is. Luckily, removing these stains from your carpet is easy as long as you act immediately.

What You Need:

• A spoon or a knife
• Liquid dish soap
• Water
• A soft cloth
• Paper towels

What You Do:

1. Use a spoon or knife to remove the excess ketchup from your carpet. Like with tomato sauce stains, start from the outside to avoid it from spreading.
2. Create a mixture of one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid and two cups of cool water and dip your cloth into it.
3. Using the cloth, gently blot the stain with the mixture to absorb the liquid. Repeat this until the stain has completely disappeared.
4. Add cold water to the carpet to remove any residue and blot up with paper towels.

Kool-Aid Stains

If you have kids, chances are you've faced off with one or two Kool-Aid stains in your day. This sugary drink is notoriously difficult to remove once it sets, so it's important you address the situation immediately.

What You Need:

• Vinegar
• Liquid dish soap
• Paper towels
• A soft cloth

What You Do:

1. Gently blot the stain with a dry towel to soak up any excess liquid that hasn't absorbed into the carpet.
2. Create a mixture of 1/4 cup of white vinegar, one tablespoon of dish soap and sufficient water.
3. Soak the stain with the mixture for about five to 10 minutes. Then blot the stain with a dry towel until it is completely removed.

If none of these methods completely remove whatever stain you're facing, bring out the carpet cleaner to finish the job.