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How to Remove Coffee Stains and Pet Stains from your Carpet

By Luke Armstrong

The carpet is more than just another furnishing or a floor covering in your home.  It has a major effect on the appearance of a room and it can also make your home more comfortable.  Of course it is susceptible to spills and stains just like the other furnishings and flooring in your home and if the carpet becomes heavily stained, it can make the entire room seem dirty or unkempt.  Two of the most common types of stains that often affect carpeting are coffee stains and pet stains.  If you experience either of these stains on the carpeting in your home, you must react quickly and take the following actions for effective carpet stain removal.

Removing Coffee Stains from the CarpetCoffee stain on carpet

Coffee stains in the carpet happen quite often and many homeowners fear coffee spills on their flooring or furniture because they cause a dark stain.  As soon as you spill coffee on the carpet, you must take action to remove the stain.  You can effectively remove coffee stains from the carpet with these household items:

  • Beer: Beer is excellent for coffee stain removal on carpeting as just a little bit of light beer can lift the stain from the carpet fibers.  Pour a small amount of beer over the stain and blot dry the beer to lift the coffee stain out.  If the stain is still there after the first application, repeat the process.
  • Baby Wipes: Baby wipes are very convenient for removing coffee stains because they are absorbent and effective for lifting the stain.
  • White Vinegar: White vinegar is an effective stain remover for water soluble stains such as coffee. Moisten a towel with white vinegar and blot the coffee stain until it is removed.

Removing Pet Stains from the Carpet

Pets such as dogs and cats are loved members of the family but their accidents are anything but pleasant as they not only cause stains in the carpet, but also leave foul odors.  It is important to clean up pet messes immediately because they can soak through the carpet and cause damage to the baseboards.  These household items are effective for removing pet stains from the carpet:

dog stain on carpet

  • Vinegar and Baking Soda: Start by covering the entire stain with white vinegar then sprinkle baking soda over the area.  The vinegar and baking soda should then be left sitting on the carpet until the area dries up completely.  The color of the stain and the odor will be absorbed by the baking soda.
  • Hydrogen Peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide can be very effective for removing pet stains when combined with baking soda. Start by using paper towels or a cloth to blot as much of the stain as possible and sprinkle baking soda over the entire stain.  Then create a mixture that contains half a cup of hydrogen peroxide and a teaspoon of liquid dish soap.  Apply this mixture to the stain and scrub it in.  After leaving the solution sit on the stain for about fifteen minutes, vacuum the area to remove the baking soda.

These are just two of the most common carpet stains that you can treat yourself with objects commonly found in your home.  For more complete information on how to remove stains from the carpet, read our previous blog posts Cleaning Carpet Stains Part 1 and Part 2.  If you cannot remove a stain from your carpet with any of the household remedies, it is best to hire a professional for carpet cleaning services.  They have the right equipment and cleaning products to effectively remove any type of stain in your carpet.