Carpet stain removal in Riga

What decides the outcome of a stain

The same coffee stain on a synthetic rug and on a wool rug is two different jobs. The outcome is decided by four things: what was spilled, how long ago, what fibre the rug is made of, and whether the liquid has soaked down to the backing. What was already done to the stain at home also matters a lot. A rubbed stain spreads and goes deeper, hot water sets some stains, and a strong product can change the colour.

So in the request, write what it is and what you have already tried. That helps to say before the job what usually comes out and what may stay.

At home or with pick-up: the rug decides, not the stain

A fitted carpet (carpeting) cannot be lifted, so we clean it and large synthetic rugs at your home. Wool, cotton, silk, viscose, hide, hand-made and Persian rugs are cleaned with pick-up in a workshop, because delicate fibres need controlled wet cleaning and full drying, which a living room floor does not give. If you do not know what you have, choose “Not sure” at “Where to clean?” in the form: a specialist will recommend from the photos.

More on both ways of cleaning: rug cleaning at home and rug cleaning with pick-up and return.

Stains by type: first aid and what may stay

Coffee and tea stain on a rug

First blot coffee and tea with a clean cloth or paper, pressing lightly rather than rubbing. The University of Georgia extension service advises treating the stain with detergent suds and blotting again, after reading the care label first. What else to do at home is described on the page coffee and wine stains on a rug.

Wine stain on a rug

Blot red wine and treat it lightly with cool water, but do not soak the rug. Before using any product, test it on a hidden spot, because the product can dissolve the dyes of the rug. On a wool or hand-made rug, colourfastness must be tested even more carefully before the rug is wetted, because the dyes can bleed.

Blood stain on a rug

For blood and other protein stains use cold water only. Hot water sets the stain, and it is harder to remove afterwards. Do not rub, and do not use a hair dryer to dry the stain faster. If the blood is on a light wool rug, after first aid it is better to leave it alone and send a photo.

Paint and bleach stains

Paint, hair dye and bleach marks often stay. Bleach changes the colour of the fibre itself, and cleaning does not restore it. Solvents can damage the backing of the rug, so do not use them on the rug at home. If the paint is still wet, do not spread it wider, and send a close-up photo of the stain.

Wax stain and chewing gum on a rug

First let the wax harden and scrape off the excess with a blunt knife. There is a method with a warm iron and paper, but it can drive the wax deeper, and heat is a risk for wool and for synthetics that can melt. Harden chewing gum with ice in a plastic bag and then scrape it off. Both methods are described on the page wax and chewing gum in a rug.

Grease and oil stain

Blot the grease as much as you can, then cover the stain with clean, absorbent material and weight it down with something heavy until it dries. Rubbing pushes grease deeper into the pile.

Vomit and mud

Blot vomit with a clean cloth, do not rub, and do not use hot water. If a smell remains afterwards, write that in the request: odour treatment is a separate line in the price.

Do not rub wet mud, because rubbing pushes dirt deeper into the fibre. In winter, sand and de-icing salt from the street get onto the rug together with mud. For office and stairwell carpets see commercial and institutional carpet cleaning.

Old stains and stains after home cleaning attempts

An old stain usually comes out less well than a fresh one. Often the rug contains not only the stain itself but also the product that was used to try to clean it. Conservators warn that after shop-bought carpet shampoos are used, dirt sticks to the fibres faster, so they do not advise them for valuable rugs. In the request write what you used, even if it was only water.

What not to do with a stain

• Do not rub: rubbing pushes the stain deeper and spreads it.
• Do not pour hot water on blood or on wool: blood sets, and wool can felt and shrink.
• Do not use chlorine bleach or strong cleaning products: they change the colour.
• Do not soak the rug with water: moisture can reach the backing and the floor.
• Do not use a product until you have tested it on a hidden spot.

How much carpet stain removal costs

There is no separate price for a stain: you pay for the rug cleaning, and stains are one of the price factors. The price depends on the size in m², the fibre, the pile length and thickness, the dirt and stains, smell or urine, access and distance.

• Synthetic rug with a short pile, cleaned at home: from €6/m².
• Fitted carpet (soft floor covering) up to 100 m²: from €4/m².
• Rug with pick-up, workshop cleaning and return (synthetics): from €10/m².
• Wool or cotton rug (with pick-up): from €10/m².
• Silk, viscose, hide, hand-made and Persian rugs (with pick-up): from €15/m², the price is given from a photo.
• Urine or odour treatment, extra: from €3/m².

Example: a 2 × 3 m synthetic rug at home with urine treatment costs 6 m² × €6 = €36 and 6 m² × €3 = €18, from €54 in total. 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. 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 lines: prices.

What to write in the request

• The size of the rug in m² (length × width in metres, without the fringe).
• The fibre, if you know it, or photos from the top and from the underside.
• What was spilled, how long ago and what you have already done to the stain.
• Whether there is a smell, urine or pets.
• Floor, whether there is a lift and where a car can stop.

Before cleaning at home, remove chairs, small tables and flower pots from the rug. Write about heavy furniture on the rug in the request.

What usually comes out and what may stay