How to Get Organic-Based Stains Out of Your Carpet
Ok. Full disclosure. The reason for this post is a blood-stained carpet but I thought “How to Get Blood Out of Your Carpet” sounded a bit too Sopranos for my family-oriented blog. Believe me, the guy at the carpet cleaning place was rattled, judging from how our phone conversation started out:
Me: “Hi. I need someone to come and get the blood stains out of my carpet.”
Awkward silence.
Even more awkward silence.
Ok. Really? No one has ever asked this guy this question before????
Me (giving in): “My daughter had a nosebleed.”
Guy (sounding a little too relieved): “Oh, yes! I can have someone out for you this morning.”
I wondered for a beat if he really believed my explanation or was still thinking about calling the police.
My poor daughter. When she gets a nosebleed starts, right out of the gate it’s a gusher. So it’s scary and always seems to flow when there are no tissues within reach. Thus the panicked trek from bedroom to bathroom at 2:00 am, a bloody trail following her.
And then my desperate phone call for help, the likes of which even a B-level horror movie leaves on the cutting room floor.
By the time the technician arrived, I had already tried scrubbing the scarlet polka dots out of the carpet (out, damn spot!!!), and my failure is what prompted my SOS in the first place. I’ll never learn: panicked attempts to self-treat my carpet always fail, and this time was no different. But the next time? I’ll be totally prepared.
You know your carpet guy is honest when he gives you advice intended to keep him outta your home (or maybe he’s just terrified of me and my bloody mess…). Because he gave me step-by-step directions for getting not only blood out of the carpet, but for removing most any tough organic-based stains. So I’m going to share his tips with you…and believe me, these steps will save you a ton of money in professional carpet-cleaning:
- First off, for this advice to work, know your stain. It must be of the organic, plant-or-animal based variety, like grass or blood.
- Blot the spot. This is worth repeating. Blot the spot. How many times in panic have I scrubbed vigorously at a carpet stain? Way too many to mention. Don’t repeat my mistake. Rubbing a stain drives the offending substance deeper into the carpet, making it tougher to remove. So gently blot with a clean, white cloth to remove as much of it as possible.
- Hydrogen peroxide. This is also worth repeating. Hydrogen peroxide. Really. Nothing stronger than 3%, however. Place a small amount on a second clean, white cloth (test on a hidden area of carpet first) and then with gentle pressure blot your stain. Repeat as needed. No rinsing required, as hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen when combined with organic matter. (Note: never pour hydrogen peroxide, or any other carpet cleaner, onto a carpet stain. This will also drive the stain deeper and make it harder to remove.)
Ta-Dah!
Turns out, I got to use this handy dandy method at my parents’ house a couple weeks ago. This time, my daughter’s leg was bleeding and she tracked blood in their basement. (Oh, oh, I know how to deal with this!!!!!) My mom, scrubbing the stain vigorously (not blotting!), was skeptical when I asked for the hydrogen peroxide but when the stain disappeared (viola!) with a few brief blots, she was sold.
This stain-removal hack will save your carpeting, save you stress, and of course, save you fees on professional carpet cleaning. A huge shout-out goes to the carpet geek at our local Ultrasteam for his friendly advice and his courage by showing up at our house despite the blood stains.
Oh, and are your kids getting ansy as summer vacation wears on? Try this at-home science experiment (with hydrogen peroxide!) courtesy of kitchenchemistry.eu.
