Most homeowners know the dreaded feeling of witnessing a stain occurring on their carpet right before their eyes. Even if you rush to prevent it or to clean it up right away, some stains are stubborn and too difficult to get out without professional carpet cleaning. Here are four types of carpet stains that will likely be too hard for you to get out on your own.
Mustard
While it is one of the less common stains you’ll encounter, mustard is also one of the most difficult to remove from carpets. If you’ve ever spilled mustard on your shirt you’ll know that just that is a difficult stain to get out, and that’s with the added power of detergents and a washing machine. But why is mustard such a tricky stain? Mustard has vinegar in it, which is an acid. When the vinegar encounters carpet fibers it opens them up, making it easy for the yellow color to penetrate deeper into the carpet.
Cat Urine
If you have pets you are surely no stranger to the occasional pet accident on the carpet or a rug. Sometimes if you act fast you can prevent the spot from staining, but this is not always the case. Any type of pet urine can soak through the carpet and into the padding. This is problematic because the padding will hold the odor and signal to your pets, particularly your cat, that this is the spot where they should “go” again. Additionally, cat urine is acidic and can potentially bleach your carpet if it is not taken care of immediately.
Juices
Once again, if you have children in your home there have likely been a few drinks spilled over the years. Unfortunately, most juices are dark which automatically makes them more difficult to remove with household cleaners. Luckily, most juices aren’t as powerfully acidic as other stains on this list, which means that with the tools that a carpet cleaning professional uses, juice stains can be removed.
Chewing Gum
While not technically a stain, chewing gum gets stuck in carpet and then darkens, causing an unsightly spot. If you don’t notice the gum right away and get it out, it will definitely harden and be more difficult to remove.
Some household carpet stains are more difficult to remove than others, typically because of the chemical makeup of whatever the staining item is. If you act fast you can sometimes lessen the effects of these type of stains. However, most of them will require the help of a professional service.