Spills Are Inevitable - Stains Are Not

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It happens to everyone. You finally find the perfect area rug for your home (at Rugs Direct, of course); you carefully position it on the floor in just the right place; your rearrange the furniture so everyone can get a good look at your new treasure - and sure enough, someone spills something really nasty right in the middle of it. Don't panic. If you know what to do, it's possible - even probable - that you'll be able to prevent a permanent stain. But you must resist that temptation to grab a towel and start scrubbing the spot. Nothing could be worse for your beautiful rug.

Here are the proper "first-response" actions you should take to treat the most common household spills that have the greatest potential for damage.

One note of caution: These instructions are primarily intended for use on typical wool rugs. For any synthetic fiber, a Resolve® or Woolite® carpet spot remover spray will work on most stains. Follow product directions closely. Do not use either of these cleaners on a natural fiber rug, including wool, cotton and sisal.

Blood

1. Add cold water and blot.
2. First solution: Mix one teaspoon of Dawn® dishwashing liquid with 1 cup of warm water.
3. Blot stain.
4. Last solution: Mix 2 tablespoons white vinegar with above cleaning solution.
5. Blot.

Please notice nowhere were you told to "rub" the stain. Blot - and continue blotting until it comes out. Do not rub. I repeat - DO NOT RUB!

Ink

1. Mix one teaspoon of Dawn® dishwashing liquid with 1 cup of warm water.
2. Blot stain.
3. If stain does not disappear, blot with isopropyl alcohol.

There are commercial ink-removers on the market that can do an excellent job, but be sure to test an area of the rug first. They sometimes also remove color from the rug as well.

Drinks - wine, coffee, soda, juice, etc.

1. Add cold water and blot.
2. Mix one teaspoon of Dawn® dishwashing liquid with 1 cup of warm water.
3. Blot stain.
4. If stain does not disappear, mix one teaspoon of white vinegar with Dawn mixture and try again.

Nail Polish

1. Blot with a cloth containing either hairspray or isopropyl alcohol.
2. If stain does not disappear, mix water and nail polish remover on cloth and blot.

Make sure you test the nail polish remover/water mixture on a small corner of the rug. Of course the best recommendation here is don't have an open bottle of nail polish anywhere near your new rug - but I guess that's pretty obvious.

Food - ketchup, mustard, chocolate, sauces, etc.

1. Mix one teaspoon of Dawn® dishwashing liquid with 1 cup of warm water.
2. Blot stain.

Again, do not rub! That is only going to work the stain deeper into the rug and you will most likely never get it to be completely invisible.

Pet Stains

Rugs and animals typically do not mix. But when your cat or dog ultimately decides your area rug looks an awful lot like a public toilet, here's what you should do.

1. Soak up as much as possible, applying pressure with many, many paper towels.
2. Mix one teaspoon of Dawn® dishwashing liquid. one teaspoon of white vinegar and one cup of warm water.
3. Blot stain.
4. Blot stain.
5. Blot stain.
6. Repeat.

There are commercial pet odor eliminators that you should consider using once you are finally able to remove the stain. The main reason is that if Fido can still smell any trace of his handiwork with his incredibly sensitive nose, that will simply signal to him that it's OK to do it again. (I suspect he secretly enjoys watching you down on your hands and knees cleaning up after him, but that's another topic for a future blog.) More rugs are ruined by pets than any other single source, so do your best to prevent the problem from ever happening in the first place.

Of course if all else fails there's a good chance most of these stains can be removed professionally, but there are no guarantees. The longer a stain is allowed to set, the harder it is to remove it. That's why quick action while the spill is still wet is critical.