A clean carpet is a great start to a healthy home, but when it comes to maintaining the cleanliness of carpets, one thing’s for certain – stains happen. While some spills are relatively easy to get out, there are some that just won’t budge, no matter how hard you try. Here are five of the worst carpet stains that are best left to the professionals to handle.
Red Wine
Difficulty Rating: 3.5 / 5
Many of us have felt the dread of accidently dropping or knocking over a glass of red wine. The dark colour, combined with its ability to seep and soak deep into the carpet fibres very quickly – often causing permanent damage to the carpet.
Act quick: As soon as the spill happens, it’s important to treat the stain immediately using an upholstery spray, soda water, salt (to rub into the carpet and absorb the stain), or a mixture of water and vinegar. Dab, blot and rinse the area thoroughly and let dry.
Ink
Difficulty Rating: 4.5 / 5
One not-so-lovely quality of pens is their tendency to go haywire at seemingly random times, leaving you (or the floor) with ink everywhere. Another in the list of hard to remove carpet stains, ink stains can destroy carpet if they are not cleaned thoroughly.
Act quick: Dab dish soap solution on to the stain and blot (never rub), rinse and let dry.
Pet Stains
Difficulty Rating: 3 / 5
Pet stains on carpets are more than just an eyesore. The unpleasant smell can permeate the fibres of the carpet, leaving behind a lingering odour that can be difficult to get rid of and gets worse the longer it gets left.
Act quick: Clean up the excess mess first, spray with a water and dish soap mixture, and dab rinse and blot until the mess is gone. You can also sprinkle with baking soda and vacuum to get rid of the odour.
Nail Polish
Difficulty rating: 5 / 5
The award for the toughest stain goes to nail polish. The quick dry ingredients and the chemical makeup of many nail polish brands make for a dramatic and irreversible-looking stain when a bottle’s contents meet the floor – and when it dries, it can be extremely difficult to remove.
Act quick: Scrape the excess nail polish off, pour some nail polish remover onto a cloth or towel and gently rub or blot the spot. Once the spot is gone, use a mixture of dish soap and water to wipe away the nail polish remover. Rinse with water and soak up moisture until dry.
Candle Wax
Difficulty rating: 4.5 / 5
Wax bonds to the fibers of your carpet and can be very difficult to remove with plain water and cleaning solution. It might be a little less difficult to remove when freshly spilled, but within a few seconds, the candle wax hardens and sticks to your carpet, enhancing the staining effect. Specific measures must be taken in order to remove wax stains completely from carpet.
Act quick: Once the wax has dried, scrape the hardened wax off as much as possible. Spray the area with cleaner, blot with a clean rag and then vacuum the area. Place a brown paper bag or damp cotton towel folded in half and iron over the covered area to absorb the wax. Blot the area with cleaner to remove any remaining residue.
Got some tough carpet stains you just can’t get rid of? Contact The Specialists to enquire about our professional carpet cleaning services 
