When you spill something that has the potential to stain your carpet, figuring out how to remove the offending liquid can cause your anxiety levels to rise! Especially when you’re dealing with paint stains, nail varnish stains or the subject of this article – shoe polish stains. If you find yourself in this situation your best bet is to get on the phone to your local carpet cleaners in Bedford. But if money is a bit tight you can try the methods below to remove shoe polish stains from your carpet.
Method One: Brush away the excess
Grab yourself a brush or any blunt object that has a side you can use to scrape away the excess shoe polish that you have dropped on your carpet. You could use an old toothbrush end of a broom or a butter knife for this process. You must gently begin scraping away the polish on the carpet, but make sure not to press the top hard as that will only push the polish further into the carpet. This should remove the larger chunk of polish, however, the stain might not be completely cleaned out of the carpet.
Method two: Dishwashing detergent saves the day
Sometimes the answer to your problems is a dishwashing detergent that’s most likely lying in your cleaning supplies cupboard. It is also one of the least harmful methods to use as you are not using any bleach or other solution. Yeah, bleach might get rid of your shoe polish stain, but it most likely will leave you a small discolored patch on your carpet making it look worn out. Hence, try to stick to a detergent that does not contain any bleach for this method.
Combine one tablespoon of detergent with two cups of warm water in any container you’ve got; preferably a spraying bottle. Spray this solution on the stain and use a white cloth or towel to blot away the mark. Repeat the process if necessary to fully remove the stain.
TIP: Do not scrub as that will only spread the polish more. Make sure you blot using the towel.
Make sure to take another wet towel and clean out the detergent as well, because if you leave the detergent in and let it dry, that will only end up collecting dirt and dust quicker leaving another stain that you’ll have to deal with.
Method three: Did someone say vinegar?
Yup, that’s right. Vinegar can also be used as a cleaning liquid to help remove stains from your carpets. White vinegar has natural stain fighting agents that get rid of any unwanted mark. Make a solution by mixing up ¼ cup of white vinegar and ¼ cup of warm water in a spray bottle. Spray the area with the shoe polish stain and let it set in for around 15 to 30 minutes. Once the time is over, grab yourself a white cloth and blot at the mark. Keep blotting until the mark is completely gone.
Remember to use a white towel or cloth rather than a colored one as there are high chances that the color of the cloth might react with the vinegar and leak onto the carpet.
Method four: Ammonia
You might be thinking about how ammonia will work to get rid of stains, therefore, keep reading to figure out how it will work its magic. You must combine one tablespoon of ammonia, one tablespoon of bleach-free detergent, and two cups of warm water into a bottle. Spray the solution on the stain and let it sit for a while before using a white cloth to blot away the shoe polish mark.
Tip: Do not use ammonia on the carpet if you have already applied bleach as that will react and produce harmful fumes.
Method five: Nail polish remover
Another really good method to consider is using a non-acetone nail polish remover. Add this with water to create a diluted solution and use a white cloth to blot away the stain. Make sure to keep changing the side of the cloth to a clean one when blotting or else you could just rub off the polish on the carpet again.
Getting stains of any sort on your carpet is inevitable, especially if it is a carpet that’s in your common room. However, never freak out from shoe polish stains as you can always get rid of these stains using the methods mentioned above.