Summer is the season for entertaining, but every home owner dreads the moment when someone accidentally stains their otherwise flawless carpet with a glass of red wine or BBQ sauce and it’s tricky to know what product to use to remove stains when they occur.

There are many solutions available on the market to help combat stains, however it is important to act quickly when removing carpet stains to ensure the stain does not become ingrained in your carpet. So where better to start than with the items you may already have in your kitchen cupboard.

Immediately Wipe Up

The number one rule to remember when removing stains from your carpet is to wipe up any spillage as soon as possible to avoid it soaking into the carpet and staining. If for example you have spilt red wine on your cream carpet then start by lightly pressing the affected area with a paper towel to absorb any surface liquid before working on the stain.

Baking Powder

Baking powder or salt work great to remove carpet stains. Make a paste from either baking powder or salt with a little water and when rubbed into the carpet fibres it will help to clean away the stain. Baking powder also neutralises odours, so if you’ve spilt milk or even a milky coffee it can help to prevent the smell of stale milk too!

White Vinegar

White vinegar is another fantastic cleanser that can be used to lift stains from your carpet. A solution consisting of vinegar and water can be applied directly onto your carpet before the stain worked out using a cloth. Like baking powder, vinegar also helps to deodorise your carpet and it is a fantastic natural cleaning solution, fear not the smell won’t linger either!

Of course, there are a number of other methods and products that can be adopted to remove staining from your carpet, however homemade cleaning solutions made with baking powder, salt or vinegar are not only great because they can be quickly sourced from the kitchen but because they don’t leave any harmful residues, so your carpets are safe for children and pets to use once the mess has been cleared up.

For more tips on adapting your life style to be more environmentally friendly, why not check out our previous blogs for tips on How to Save Energy and Reduce Your Bills and Tips on Conserving Water at Home.