How to Spot Clean Carpet

Co-authored by Michelle Driscoll, MPH

Last Updated: October 5, 2021 References

Spot cleaning is an inevitable part of living with carpet. Various companies manufacture cleaners that are formulated specifically for stain treatments, but you may not have these or want to use them. If you want to avoid harsh chemicals and utilize supplies that you have on hand, spot clean with water, dish soap, vinegar, and baking soda. Always use a clean, white cloth to dab stains, and avoid scrubbing which can make stains even worse.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Soaking up Fresh Spills

1
Use a clean, white cloth. When you clean up stains on carpet, always use a white cloth to avoid transferring any color from the cloth to the carpet. A white paper towel also works well for blotting stains, but make sure the paper towel does not have any printed designs.
- The “clean” aspect is important, too, because a rag with old residue might transfer that to the carpet and make the stain worse.
2
Blot at the stain from the outside in. Always gently blot at a stain rather than rubbing at it, as this causes the stain to spread farther and may damage the fibers of the carpet. Start at the outside of the stain and dab toward the center of the stain, which also controls spreading.^{[1]
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- Use a portion of the cloth to blot the stain once and a second portion to blot it again. This way, you pull up as much as possible without pushing anything back into the carpet.
- This is the simplest method to spot clean carpet and often works without the use of stronger approaches or chemical cleaners.
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3
Rinse the stain with clean water. Use a spray bottle filled with clean, cold water, to spritz the stain. Soak the spotted area of the carpet thoroughly. Alternatively, if you don’t have a spray bottle, slowly pour water on the stain. Be sure not to over-saturate it.^{[2]
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- Cold water, rather than hot, is best because hot water may cause stains to loosen and spread more. Keeping the stain centralized is important.
- This method is good for water-based liquids such as soda, some juices, lemonade, and tea. It may also work on food stains like chocolate, fruit juice, gravy, milk, jelly, and syrup.
- Water is least likely to cause damage to your carpet, so it’s best to try cleaning with water before you try anything else.
4
Blot the stain again with a second clean, white cloth. Set the cloth you used the first time aside and grab a new, clean cloth or paper towel. Dab at the spot until all of the water is soaked up. It may be necessary to use a third cloth if the stain is large enough.
- If you blot the stain, rinse it with water, and blot it some more with little or no results, move on to a method that uses a stronger cleaner than water.
5
Block off the cleaned area to allow it time to dry. After you are satisfied that the stain has been removed, place something over or around the wet area to give it time to dry. Walking on damp carpet can press the moisture deeper. Damp carpet is also more likely to pick up new stains from shoes.
- Set up a dinner-table chair or a step stool over the stain to keep people from walking on it.
- Place a fan or blower on the spot to help it dry faster.

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Using Vinegar on Tough Stains

1
Pour vinegar into a spray bottle. Find an empty spritzer bottle, or empty one and rinse it out completely. Fill the bottle with vinegar, or dilute it halfway with water.^{[3]
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- Some stains that vinegar will typically remove are soda, juice, milk, jelly, mud and various food-based stains.
2
Spray the spot with the vinegar. Test the vinegar in a hidden spot to make sure it won’t fade or damage the carpet. Then spray the spot so that it is totally soaked with vinegar. Allow the vinegar to sit for 10 minutes so that it has time to work.^{[4]
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3
Dab at the stain with a clean, white cloth. After the vinegar loosens the stain, apply pressure to the cloth with the palm of your hand. Rinse the cloth and repeat this process until the stain is completely removed from the carpet.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Using Baking Soda on Old or Stubborn Stains

1
Blot and use water on the spot first. Just as you would with other stains, blot up the majority of the stain with a clean, white cloth. Rinse the stain with water and blot it some more. This process will get the majority of the stain up before you do anything else.
- Baking soda is great for cleaning up fat-based stains, such as butter, margarine, and gravy.
2
Soak the spot with white vinegar. Pour some vinegar into a spray bottle, or stick a spray nozzle directly into the vinegar bottle. If you don’t have a spray bottle, pour the vinegar directly from the bottle onto the stain. Use enough vinegar to cover the stain, but don’t saturate the carpet.^{[5]
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- Before you use vinegar on a visible spot on your carpet, test it on a hidden spot to check the colorfastness of the carpet. Vinegar will occasionally discolor carpet.
3
Sprinkle baking soda over the spot. Take the container of baking soda and use a spoon to scoop the powder out, or dump the baking soda directly from the container. Use enough to fully cover the area of the stain.^{[6]
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- Don’t be afraid to let the baking soda pile up a little bit, as it won’t hurt anything to use more than you need.
- This vinegar and baking soda mix is effective on dried stains as well as fresh stains. It also works especially well for pet urine stains.
4
Let the mixture sit for one or two days. Especially for tough stains like pet urine, let the mixture sit on the carpet for a day or two. This gives the vinegar and baking soda plenty of time to absorb the stain and any resulting smell. If you’re in a hurry, clean it up sooner, but know that it may be less effective.
- Let it sit for a minimum of one hour so it has enough time to work.
5
Place a plate or bowl over the spot. While the mixture sits for a couple of days, it presents an obstacle for anyone walking in your house. To avoid tracking baking soda all over the house, place a plate or bowl over the stain to keep people from walking on the spot.^{[7]
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- Another option is to place a chair or footstool over the spot to force people to walk around it.
6
Vacuum up the dried out baking soda. After you have allowed the mixture to sit awhile and absorb the stain, use a vacuum cleaner to suck up the mess. It may require a few good passes to pull it all up out of the carpet fibers.^{[8]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Removing Blood Stains

1
Spray club soda on the stain for an easy fix. Put the club soda in a spray bottle, then dampen the stain. Wait 1-2 minutes for the soda to soak into the stain. Then, blot the stain with a clean cloth until the stain lifts.
- As an alternative, you can put your club soda in a dish, then dip your rag in the dish. Blot the stain with your damp rag. Continue to blot the stain until it lifts.
2
Mix one tbsp of grease-fighting dish soap into two cups of cold water. In a bowl or bucket, add the soap and swirl it around in the water until it dissolves. It’s important to use cold water to prevent the blood from spreading further into the carpet.^{[9]
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- Dawn is known for its grease-fighting formula.
3
Pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Use a spray bottle that is completely clean so you don’t transfer anything from it to the carpet. Pour the soapy water into the spray bottle. If you use a spray bottle that previously had another liquid in it, be sure to rinse it thoroughly.
4
Spray the stain with the water so it is totally covered. Using the spritzer bottle, soak the blood stain with the soapy water. Dried blood is likely to need more spraying than fresh blood will need. Don’t over-saturate the carpet, but make sure the stain is soaked.^{[10]
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5
Dab at the stain with a clean, white cloth. Take a cloth and put pressure on the stain, allowing the cloth to soak up as much of the blood as possible. It’s important to use a white cloth so that no color from the cloth transfers to the carpet.
- A paper towel with no printing works great and allows you to toss it in the trash after the clean up.
- If the first round of spraying and dabbing does not fully remove the stain, get a clean cloth and repeat the process as necessary.
6
Mix one tablespoon of ammonia with ½ cup warm water. If the stain does not come up completely with dish soap and water, try the harsher cleaning power of ammonia. Mix the liquids in a cup that you can easily dip a cloth into.^{[11]
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7
Use a clean, white cloth to dab at the stain until it is removed. Make sure to use a different cloth than you used before so it is free of blood. Wet the cloth with the mixture and press it into the stain until it comes up completely.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Using Commercial Spot Cleaners

1
Clean up as much of the mess as you can. Anytime you spill on carpet, speed is the most important factor. The longer a mess sits, the more it soaks in. Lay a towel over a fresh spill and let the towel soak up the liquid. For solid messes, scoop or vacuum up as much as you can before you use a cleaner.
2
Spray or sprinkle a spot cleaning product on the mess. Most manufactured spot cleaners come in a convenient spritzer bottle or aerosol spray can. You may also have a powder cleaner which you’d sprinkle on the stain. Cover the stain completely but don’t saturate the carpet.
- Be very careful not to over-saturate your carpet with the cleaner. If you spray too much product on the carpet, the suds can be hard to remove and may damage your carpet. It's better to use less soap and then do another application if necessary.
- Follow the specific instructions on the container anytime you use these products.
- Look for spot cleaning products at most big-box stores, home improvement stores, and many grocery or dollar stores.
3
Let the cleaner sit for as long as directed. Some cleaners may only need to sit for 10 seconds, but others may need 10 minutes or more to do their work effectively. Don’t be too eager to wipe them up. Give them time to work.
4
Soak up the cleaner with a dry, white towel. Using either a clean rag or paper towel, gently apply pressure to the stain so the rag or towel can soak it up. Press a dry portion of the rag into the spot at least twice to pull up as much as possible.
5
Spray the stain a second time if the first time does not remove it completely. Some bad stains may need to be treated more than once, and this is up to your judgment. If you are not satisfied with how the spot looks after you clean it, repeat the above process as needed.