How to remove a stain from a rug

First aid for a fresh stain

1. Remove the solid part Carefully scrape off food, soil or wax with a spoon or a blunt knife, working from the edge of the stain to the middle.
2. Blot Put a clean white cloth or paper on the stain and press lightly. Do not rub: rubbing pushes the stain deeper. Change the cloth while the stain is still transferring to it.
3. A little cold water Dampen a cloth in cold water and press the stain lightly. Do not pour water directly onto the rug.
4. Cover with absorbent material Put clean, absorbent material on the spot and weight it down until the spot dries.
5. Assess If the stain stays, do not apply other products one after another. Photograph it.

Why not to rub, and why cold water

For rugs, the Canadian Conservation Institute advises blotting a stain lightly rather than rubbing it, because rubbing pushes the dirt deeper into the fibre. For blood and protein stains, the University of Georgia advises cold water, because heat sets them. So hot water, a hair dryer and an iron are the wrong tools for a stain.

For a wool rug, heat is an even greater risk. University of Wisconsin guidance explains that in hot water the scales of the wool fibre open and, if the wool is rubbed, they catch on each other: the fibre felts and the rug can shrink. This usually cannot be reversed.

Stains by type

Oil and grease stains on a rug

Water alone helps little with a grease and oil stain. The first job is the same: blot as much as you can and cover the spot with clean, absorbent material, weighted down. The University of Georgia’s instructions for grease and oil start with blotting, not rubbing.

Do not use solvents on a rug without a test: New Mexico State University warns that solvents can damage the backing, and an unsuitable product can make the dye bleed. This applies especially to tufted rugs, whose threads are held by latex glue.

Paint and ink stains on a rug

Do not spread a paint or ink stain wider: blot from the edges to the middle and change the cloth. After that, everything depends on what exactly was spilled and on the fibre. Paint, hair dye and bleach marks often stay.

A bleach mark is not dirt but loss of colour: the University of Georgia and New Mexico State University write that chlorine bleach and strong products change the colour. Cleaning does not bring it back. With ink and paint, it is better not to wait: send a photo while the stain has not yet been treated with other products.

The fibre changes the rules

• Wool: no hot water and no rubbing, because it can felt and shrink.
• Viscose (“bamboo silk” is usually viscose): it becomes much weaker when wet, and the pile can turn brown and flatten. Do not rub or brush wet viscose.
• Jute and sisal: they can turn brown from water; makers advise cleaning them dry.
• Hand-knotted, Persian and antique rugs: natural dyes can bleed, so test the colourfastness on a hidden spot before wetting the rug.
• Tufted rugs: a lot of moisture can weaken the latex glue in the backing.
• Fitted carpet: too much water without extraction can cause wrinkles.

Many rugs have no care label. Then the fibre and the backing can be worked out from the underside of the rug, so attach photos of the top side and the underside to your request.

How to read a care label

If the rug has a label, read it before using any product. The basic care symbols belong to the GINETEX association, and care labelling is described by the ISO 3758 standard. A cross over a symbol means “do not”. Letters in a circle show the type of professional cleaning, and bars under a symbol mean gentler treatment.

What not to do with a stain

• Do not use chlorine bleach or strong products: they change the colour.
• Do not apply several products one after another.
• Do not use hot water, a hair dryer or an iron.
• Do not soak the rug and do not pour water directly onto it.
• For valuable rugs, do not use shop-bought carpet shampoos: the Canadian Conservation Institute writes that after such shampoos the fibres attract dirt.

Home tips with baking soda, vinegar or ammonia differ between sources, so here is only the common basis: blot, cold water, no heat, test first. On baking soda and vinegar in more detail: rug cleaning with baking soda and vinegar.

When to request stain cleaning and what it costs

In the request, write what was spilled, how long ago, what you have already tried, and attach photos of the top side and the underside. Send photos, and a specialist gives the price. Service: stain removal from a rug.

• Synthetic short-pile rug, cleaning at home: from €6/m².
• Silk, viscose, hide, hand-made and Persian rugs (with pick-up): from €15/m², the price is set from a photo.
• Urine or odour treatment, extra: from €3/m².

Example: a 1.6 × 2.3 m synthetic rug at home is 3.68 m² × €6 = €22.08, so below the minimum. The minimum order is €45: if the total is lower, you pay €45. Travel is included in Riga and up to about 15 km outside the Riga boundary; further out it is from €10. For wool and natural-fibre rugs: pick-up and return in Riga costs €10 (both ways together); in the Riga region up to about 15 km from the Riga boundary it is also €10, and further out another €10 is added. All prices: carpet and rug cleaning prices.