‘Tis the season to be jolly, but all that fa la la la la could end up on your favorite rug. No matter how bad the stain is (yes, even red wine and coffee), there are natural, DIY solutions to dirty carpets. There is no need to spend a fortune on chemicals on surfaces that your children and pets come into close contact with. Here are some cheap, easy and effective solutions.
Beer
Everything in life is better with beer and stains are no exception. If you spill tea or coffee on your rug, just rub a little beer into it with a wet rag and the stain will disappear.
Vinegar
This is the super hero of stain removal. Here are some vinegar solutions to common spills:
- Combine 2 tablespoons of salt and ½ cup vinegar and rub onto light stains. Leave to dry and then vacuum.
- For more serious stains, make a paste of equal parts corn starch and vinegar and rub into stain. Leave for 24 hours and vacuum.
- Equal parts laundry detergent and vinegar will remove paint from a rug. Use a sponge to apply this solution and then rinse with cold water. Only works with wet paint.
Corn Starch
Mix equal parts of corn starch and milk and apply the paste to stains, ink spills and grease spills. Leave to dry and vacuum up.
Salt
This is a great stain remover on carpet and fabric. For red wine spills and grease stains, sprinkle salt over the affected area and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water and repeat. Leave to dry and vacuum up.
Baking Soda
Great for spills that smell, like urine and vomit. Use paper towels to clean and soak up as much moisture as you can. Sprinkle baking soda over the are and leave to dry. Vacuum up the residue.
Meat Tenderizer
Best solution for blood stains. Mix equal parts meat tenderizer and water and rub over blood stain. Leave for 30 minutes then use a sponge and cold water to clean up.