How to Wipe & Clean Any Stain From Office Carpets? [Cheat Sheet]
Carpets are an inseparable part of decoration in every office. It is unavoidable for carpets to get dirty and have various stains on them due to spills or mud. If such accidents happen to the carpet at your office, you should know how to clean it and remove stains off the carpet without professional help.
This article is a guide on how to clean common stains from the office carpet using conventional cleaning supplies.
Why Carpet Stains Should be Cleaned
First of all, we have to know the importance of cleaning office carpet when it gets dirty and stained. There are three major reasons why you should act fast when something is spilt on the carpet:
- Aesthetics: clean carpets leave a great first impression on clients when they enter the office and create a better brand image for your business.
- Bad Smells: cleaning carpets will remove unpleasant odours in the office that are emitting from dirty carpets and old stains.
- Extending Lifespan: a benefit of regularly cleaning carpets is to prolong their lifespan and reduce unnecessary replacement costs.
Read More: Benefits of Office Cleaning
Carpet Cleaning Supplies You Need
Cleaning stains off the carpet depends on the type and severity of stains. It also depends on how stubborn and persistent the stain is during and after cleaning. However, having a few carpet cleaning supplies and equipment in the office can help you get rid of stains right after spills or other accidents.
Here’s a list of common cleaning supplies you need for cleaning office carpets:
- All-purpose carpet cleaner for spot cleaning
- Baking soda & vinegar
- Paper towel
- Microfibre cloth or textured terry towel
- Carpet & upholstery bristle brush
- Scrubber & sponge
Read More: Essential Janitorial Supplies Every Office Need
Clean Office Carpet Stains in 3 Steps
Before talking about how to clean stains off the carpet, it’s better to understand spill and stain prevention for office carpets. Establish some ground rules to get employees to keep the office clean.
For example, to reduce spills and staining carpets, you can ask employees to only eat or drink in the kitchen or designated areas without a carpet. Prevention is the easiest form of cleaning and it saves time for you and your employees.
But if office carpets get stained, here’s a 3-step guide to clean it as soon as it happens.
Read More: Green Cleaning Guide for Businesses
Step 1: Remove Residues
The first step is removing the excess residues from the carpet before applying any cleaning solutions. If the residues are solid, scrape them off using the carpet brush. In case of mud, allow it to dry completely before scraping.
If the residues are wet, then blot them with paper towels or absorbent cleaning cloths to prevent more spills from penetrating carpet fibres.
Step 2: Apply Carpet Cleaning Solution
In step 2, soak the area with carpet cleaning solutions. Many carpet cleaners are foamy, making it easier to apply on the stained spot. Don’t put too much cleaner on the carpet as it is a cleaning mistake you should avoid.
If it’s not a foamy solution, make a diluted solution of carpet cleaner and warm water. Mix it around until it foams and then apply it on the carpet. Allow it to sit for at least 10 to 15 minutes before moving to step 3.
You can also mix baking soda and vinegar to create a paste and apply it on the spilt spot. This will eliminate the bad odour after cleaning. Sprinkling baking soda and allowing it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes to absorb the spillage from the carpet fibres is also an effective way to clean the carpet and eliminate unpleasant odours before applying carpet cleaning solutions.
Read More: Don’t Believe These Cleaning Myths!
Step 3: Scrub & Dry
After the cleaning solution is absorbed in the carpet fibres, it’s time to start scrubbing and cleaning the stain. Use a microfibre cloth and carpet cleaning brush to scrub gently or hard based on the severity of the spill and the thickness of the carpet.
When done and when the spill is wiped, blot the spot with a dry microfibre cloth and allow it to dry. You can also place something underneath it to reduce drying time. If the stain is still there after cleaning, you either have to repeat the 3-step process or contact commercial carpet cleaners to help you out.
Also, don’t forget to place a sign or something noticeable around the wet spot to divert foot traffic away from it.
Carpet Stain Cleaning Cheat Sheet
Here’s a cheat sheet with 9 types of common stains office carpets are prone to and their quick cleaning instruction to effectively clean the stain off the carpet.
| Type of Stain | Quick Cleaning Instruction |
|---|---|
| Tea & Coffee | This is the most common type of stain in office spaces. You can mix carpet cleaning solutions with dish soap and apply it to the stain immediately after the spill. First, remove residue by blotting the spot, then apply the cleaning solution. |
| Chocolate | Use a spoon to scrape the solid chunks first. You may need to solidify the chocolate stain with a bag of ice before scraping. Next, vacuum the spot to remove all the flakes. Then, mix carpet cleaner with liquid dish soap, apply on the stain and scrub until the stain is removed. Blot and dry afterwards. |
| Juice, Wine or Sticky Liquid | Juice and wine stains happen during office parties. To remove such stains, you can soak it with sugar-free sparkling water and club soda immediately after the spill to remove the stain. Otherwise, you can mix carpet cleaning solutions with dish soap and apply it on the spot. Then use a carpet brush or cleaning cloth to scrub. Finish with blotting to dry the spot. |
| Dirt & Mud | You can clean dirt by vacuuming the carpet. However, if mud stains are on the carpet, allow it to dry completely first. Next, scrape it with a carpet brush or spoon. Vacuum the residues. Then apply common carpet cleaners and scrub with a carpet brush. To dry, blot it with a microfibre cloth. |
| Oily Stains | Oily stains are tricky to clean. First, sprinkle lots of baking soda on the spot and allow it to sit for a few hours. Then, vacuum the excess baking soda. Next, apply some carpet cleaners and scrub with a brush or cloth. At the end, scrub the spot with rubbing alcohol and dry it off by blotting. |
| Ink | First, use paper towels to blot and remove excess ink from the carpet. Then, apply rubbing alcohol to soak the spot. Next, clean the spot carefully using a cleaning cloth or paper towel. Afterwards, use common carpet cleaners to completely wipe the stain. Dry it off by blotting at the end. |
| Gum | First, peel away as much as you can. You can place a bag of ice on the spot to harden the gum residues and then scrape it with a spoon or dull knife. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove gum bits and pieces from the carpet. You can use common dry-solvent carpet cleaners to clean gum off the carpet. Use the instructions on the product packaging for effective use. |
| Blood | Soak the spot with cold water or sugar-free sparkling water and blot with paper towels or microfibre cloth. Also, you can sparkle baking soda on the spot to absorb the remaining spills from the carpet fibre. When the stain is mostly removed, use common carpet cleaners and dry it off by blotting. |
| Urine | Urine stains on carpets are especially common in pet-friendly offices. The suggested way of cleaning urine stains is to blot the liquid as much as possible. Then apply enzymatic cleaners available on store shelves. When the stain is mostly gone, use carpet cleaners and rubbing alcohol to clean and sanitise the carpet. To finish, dry the spot by blotting using paper towels or microfibre cloths. |
Read More: Daily Office Cleaning Checklist
Conclusion
Carpets in office areas and other busy locations are prone to getting dirty and stained. That is why you should have some basic carpet cleaning supplies in the office and have the knowledge of how to remove certain stains from office carpets.
In this article, we discussed the importance of keeping office carpets clean and a 3-step cleaning guide for removing stains from office carpets using conventional cleaning supplies without the help of professionals. We also provided a cheat sheet on how to clean common carpet stains resulting from spills and other accidents.
This article can help you to clean the carpet stains immediately after spills happen in the office area which will improve your chance of ending up with stain-free carpet after it is dried.
