Carpets add aesthetic value to your space be it at home or at the office. Apart from the usual routine cleaning and vacuuming, there comes a time when you need to do more than that. For instance, stains are bound to occur and have to be removed. There are many types of stains but we are going to talk about how to get blood stains out of your precious carpet. Here are simple pointers to help you with that.
Removing fresh blood
Fresh bloodstains come out faster than dry stains. The simplest thing to do is use water and a towel. Dip the towel in water, squeeze out the water leaving in some to help you remove the stain. Try scrubbing the stain with the towel but be careful not to spread the blood to unaffected areas of the carpet. Do this repeatedly until the stain fades. Every time you dip the towel in water, rinse it so that you do not spread the blood on the carpet.
If a towel and plain water is not working, use a liquid detergent. The one in your kitchen will do. The liquid should not contain any dyes. Such will actually make the stain worse as it will remove the blood but replace it with another stain caused by the dye in the detergent. Now, mix the detergent with some water, ensuring you do not over dilute it. Use the mixture on the stain as you bloat it out repeatedly.
The other thing that could help is using hydrogen peroxide. However, ensure you do not use this component on dark colored carpets. It tends to lighten the shades making the carpet unsightly. The first reaction you see when you pour it on the stain is foaming. After that, start rubbing the stain continuously to get it out. Use a wet towel dipped in cold water. When light hits the peroxide, it turns into water that is why you do not have to clean the area after removing the stain.
Now that peroxide can ruin your dark colored carpets, use foaming shaving cream instead. Apply it on the stain and wait for five minutes. Use a damp cloth to get the stain out.
Removing dry blood stains
As mentioned earlier, dry bloodstains are harder to remove than fresh, wet, bloodstains. This means you will need stronger liquids than detergent, hydrogen peroxide, and shaving cream. Consider mixing salt and unflavored meat tenderizer in equal portions. Apply this on the stain and let it stay in for 12 hours. The mixture disintegrates the stain. Vacuum the area then blot the area with a wet cloth.
Meat tenderizer ruins silk and woolen carpets. Therefore, simply use salt paste. Rub it on the stain repeatedly. Wash off the salt afterwards then vacuum.
The other way to remove dry bloodstains is to use a mixture of warm water and ammonia. A tablespoon of ammonia and half cup of water will do the job. Using a piece of cloth, apply the mixture on the stain to remove it. In case you used bleach on the carpet, do not use the ammonia solution. If you do, you will create a dangerous gas.
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