One of the best things about the holiday season is the parties, and the worst thing about those parties is the carpet stains. Entertaining in the home is almost always fun and worth it, but after all the guests have gone home more often than not they left behind a few stains on your carpeting. With another party coming up — and the prospect of your kids sitting and playing on that very carpet — you’re going to want to get those stains out, and quick. Here are some of the most common holiday party stains, how to get them out, and when to hire home carpet cleaners.
Mud
Since the weather around the holidays is usually wet with snow or rain, mud is one of the most common carpet stains. The best thing to do with mud is to just let it dry, and chances are you’re not going to be able to get to it right away to begin with. After it has dried, make a few passes over it with the vacuum to remove most of the dirt. Then use a solution of 1/4 teaspoon of dish soap per quart of water to spray over the stain. Rinse, blot, and repeat.
Vomit
Another common stain that comes from holiday parties is vomit. This is a stain that you really can’t wait to treat, and your guests probably won’t want you too. The sooner you treat the stain, the better your chances are of getting the smell and the stain out. The first thing you should do is blot any liquid up with a clean and absorbent towel. Once you’ve done that, carefully pick up any debris. Then try using standard carpet cleaning products or if you don’t have any on hand, use baking soda — this will also help deal with the unpleasant smell. Apply liberally over the stain and allow it to sit before vacuuming.
After the holidays are over, it’s probably worth your while to have home carpet cleaners come in and give everything a once over. Experts recommend hiring professional carpet cleaning services at least once every year to year and a half anyway, and right after the holidays is a good time to do it. Find more on this topic here.