Stain guide
The first five minutes matter most.
Eight common spills, what to do straight away, what never to do and when it is worth ringing us. Blot, never rub, and test anything on a hidden patch first.
Eight spills
Blot from the outside in. Never rub.
Red wine
- Do now
- Blot with kitchen roll from the outside in, then dab with cold water and blot again. Repeat until nothing more transfers.
- Never
- Salt, white wine or rubbing. Salt sets the colour; rubbing spreads it and frays the pile.
- Ring us if
- If a pink shadow is left once dry. A tannin spotter usually shifts it.
Coffee and tea
- Do now
- Blot, then dab with cold water with a drop of washing-up liquid in it, and rinse with plain water.
- Never
- Hot water. It cooks the milk proteins into the fibre.
- Ring us if
- If it was milky and has been left more than a day, or there is a brown ring after drying.
Pet urine
- Do now
- Blot hard with a thick towel, standing on it. Then dab with cold water and blot again.
- Never
- Ammonia, bleach or anything that smells strongly. To a dog it smells like a place to go again.
- Ring us if
- Always, if it has soaked in. It is in the underlay, and only an enzyme and sub-surface extraction reach it.
Mud
- Do now
- Leave it to dry completely, then break it up with a spoon and vacuum it out.
- Never
- Scrubbing it wet. You push it into the backing.
- Ring us if
- If a brown mark is left after vacuuming.
Blood
- Do now
- Cold water only, dabbed and blotted, as soon as you can.
- Never
- Warm water or a steam cleaner. Heat fixes blood permanently.
- Ring us if
- If it has dried. Enzyme spotters work on dried blood with time.
Candle wax
- Do now
- Let it harden, scrape the lump off with a blunt knife, then iron through brown paper on a low heat to lift the rest.
- Never
- Picking at it while soft, or a hot iron straight on the pile.
- Ring us if
- If there is a coloured mark left from a dyed candle.
Chewing gum
- Do now
- Freeze it with ice cubes in a bag, then shatter and pick it out piece by piece.
- Never
- Pulling it while soft. It strings through the pile.
- Ring us if
- If there is a dark grease mark left.
Nail varnish
- Do now
- Blot the wet varnish at once. Test non-acetone remover on a hidden patch first.
- Never
- Acetone on an unknown carpet. It dissolves some synthetic fibres outright.
- Ring us if
- Usually. Ring before you try anything if the carpet is acrylic or viscose.
What we use
Everything that goes on your carpet.
Six products cover nearly every clean. All are safe for children and pets once dry; the safety sheets are in the van if you want to read them.
- Pre-sprayA mild alkaline detergent for synthetic carpets, and a neutral wool-safe one for wool. Loosens oily soil before the rinse.
- RinseHot water with a slightly acidic rinse agent, so no sticky detergent is left in the pile to attract dirt.
- Enzyme treatmentBreaks down urine, sickness and other protein stains. Needs fifteen minutes to work.
- Tannin spotterFor wine, tea, coffee and fruit juice. Used on the stain only, then rinsed.
- Solvent spotterFor grease, pen, make-up and the residue of wax and gum. Tested first on synthetics.
- Encapsulation crystalsFor commercial carpets: dries to a powder that the next vacuum takes away.
Questions about stains
Should I use a carpet cleaner from the supermarket?
For a fresh spill, plain cold water and kitchen roll do more good and less harm. Many shop sprays leave a sticky residue that turns into a grey patch a month later.
Will a steam cleaner help?
Not on protein stains like blood, milk and urine: heat sets them. Hire machines also tend to leave too much water in the carpet.
Can you get out a stain someone else could not?
Sometimes. Tell us what it was and what has been tried on it; bleach and some sprays leave a permanent mark that no one can reverse.
Spilled something you cannot shift?
Tell us what it was and what has been put on it so far. A stain-only visit is £60 for up to an hour, or nothing extra if we are already cleaning the room.