Experiencing a coffee spill on your lovely, fair-hued carpet can be quite discouraging, especially as you watch a disagreeable brown blotch expand and also have to mourn the loss of a splendid coffee! But don’t lose heart, methods exist to eliminate that unsightly blemish.
If you spill coffee the best thing you can do is react quickly to remove as much of the spilled drink as possible, so mop it up quickly with a clean dishcloth or tea towel to get as much of the liquid as you can, away from the carpet fibers.
The Equipment You will Need
Then, once you have got rid of the excess liquid, it’s time to tackle the stain left behind, before it has a chance to take hold, and you will need some key equipment to make this possible:
- Carpet stain remover
- Coldwater
- Clean cloths
- Your vacuum cleaner
If your carpet is shag pile, it may take a little longer to clean up the stain and you need to try to keep the carpet as dry as you can during the whole process. Try using a fan or a hair dryer to thoroughly dry the area afterward.
Make sure the stain remover you are planning to use is appropriate for your particular carpet as you don’t want to use a product that might strip out the color or damage the carpet in any way. Avoid ammonia-based products if your carpet is made of natural fibers.
The Steps to Follow
As mentioned, the first step is to use a clean cloth to soak up all the excess coffee. Don’t rub or scrub the carpet at this stage as that will spread the stain. Just pat the carpet until all the coffee has been soaked up into the cloth.
Next, pour some cold water onto the stained area and start the blotting process again, to further remove more of the coffee. Use another clean cloth for this and you can keep doing this as long as you don’t leave the carpet soaked. The aim is to dilute the coffee.
Once you have finished this second level of blotting it’s time to apply the stain remover to the carpet by following the instructions carefully. Again, don’t saturate the carpet and then you need to let it completely dry. Once dried, use your vacuum cleaner on the area to get it looking pristine.
Tackling Persistent Staining
If the stain comes back, it might be that some coffee had remained in the area so you will need to repeat the process again to remove the liquid which was lower down in the carpet fibers. If the coffee contained milk or cream, you might need to use a carpet cleaner with enzymes such as those designed for pet stains, to avoid any unpleasant smells developing.
Trying to Remove an Old Coffee Stain
The advice is slightly different if you are trying to remove an old coffee stain, or if you weren’t able to immediately mop up the spill at the time. In this case, the coffee will be dried out so the first stage is to use some warm water to wet the area.
Once the area is wet again, you can then start the blotting process, trying to soak up as much of the coffee as you can from the carpet. The next stage is to apply the carpet stain remover to the area but if you don’t have any there are some home remedies you can try.
For example, liquid soap, combined with warm water and a spoonful of white vinegar can work well for removing old coffee stains. Just apply the stain remover to the area gently with a cloth and blot again.
Once this process has been completed, rinse the area with some cold water before soaking up all the liquid with a clean cloth and then letting it dry completely before walking on it or hoovering it. This way, your old coffee stain should be completely gone.
Conclusion
While spilling coffee onto a carpet can feel devastating, particularly if it’s a brand new, or very expensive carpet, it doesn’t mean you will have to live with an unsightly stain or have to invest in a rug to cover it up.
As long as the stain removal product you choose is appropriate for the type of carpet you have, there is no reason why even the most stubborn of old coffee stains can’t be fully removed from the carpet fibers.
By taking action quickly, you can reduce the amount of area that is stained potentially but importantly, not scrubbing at the carpet and not soaking the carpet in liquid, will help to make sure the stain is contained and the carpet remains completely undamaged at the same time.
