Cooking is a joy in the home – the scents, helping one another and of course, the eating!  But what happens when cooking leads to a mess or even a spill? 

Inevitably when we are cooking or eating with oils there are bound to be accidents. It always happens when you are wearing your favorite white sweater while you are cooking and the oil jumps off the pan right onto it. Or when children are eating a salad and the bowl is accidentally knocked off the table and right onto the beautiful new carpet.

Luckily these little life accidents can be reversed if handled in a timely manner and save the carpet from permanent damage. The most important thing to know about these kinds of stains is that acting immediately is extremely important. The longer a spill remains on carpet, the harder it will be to remove.

The first step is to use a spoon and carefully scoop up any solid food that may have also fallen in the spill.  Next, gently blot the stained area with white paper towels. Test a spot remover on a hidden area of carpet to ensure the spot remover does not discolor the area.

For spot remover, combine ¼ teaspoon of liquid dish detergent with 1-cup lukewarm water.  Do not use automatic dish detergent (the kind used in a dish washing machine) or laundry detergent.  These will not help the stain and may damage carpet. 

Once you have confirmed your spot solution is not going to stain your carpet further, spray the spot solution onto the white paper towels and gently apply moving from the outer part of the stain inward, so as not to spread the stain further. Let the solution set for a couple of minutes and then blot to remove. This step may need to be repeated several times if the spot does not lift on the first try. Don’t use more than necessary, however.  More is not better!

Once the stain has been removed rinse the area several times with lukewarm water. Spot removal solutions can leave residues that soil can be attracted to. Use a bottle that will spray the water over the affected area so as not to oversaturate and blot with white paper towels. Repeat this process several times to be sure to remove everything from the carpet.

Don’t hesitate to ask the staff at Carpets N More any questions you may have about your carpet!