A Thorough Procedure for Preventing Carpet Stains

CONCORD — Spills on the carpet are never anticipated, but knowing what to do in the event of one can help you prevent a permanent stain. Follow this thorough stain prevention procedure:

1. With a tightly folded, 100 percent cotton towel, begin blotting the affected area. Why 100 percent cotton? Because cotton is the most absorbent material—much more so than nylon carpet. As you blot (don’t scrub, it’ll only spread the stain), rotate the towel as each section becomes inundated with liquid. Depending on how much liquid there is, you might need a second towel.

2. Once you’ve reached a point where your towel ceases to absorb liquid, take some table salt and spread a generous amount over the area. Gently rub your hand over the carpet fibers to further spread the salt. After letting the salt sit for 15 minutes, run your vacuum over the area to remove it.

3. Using a simple mixture of one part white distilled vinegar, two parts water and a splash of dishwashing liquid, wet a new towel and blot the affected area. Keep an eye out for color transfer—it’ll tell you if your towel is still picking up anything from the carpet.

4. When you see you’re no longer getting any color transfer, place a dry cotton towel over the affected area and put something heavy on top of it (equivalent to the weight of a 1-gallon water jug). A plastic container works best; don’t use wood or metal containers, as they can potentially stain the carpet themselves. Leave that to set for at least an hour, allowing it to absorb any remaining residue in the carpet. Finally, after letting the carpet sit for 24 hours, run a vacuum over the area to reinvigorate the fibers.