The Stains of Fall

Summer is unfortunately coming to an end as September is almost upon us. With Fall, comes new stains and spots to worry about on your carpets. If you are one that enjoys everything that is Fall in New England, odds are you will run into one of these stains.

Pumpkin– Not only will pumpkin be in your spiced latte, a pumpkin stain may make its way into your home décor. A classic fall time activity is to carve pumpkins to make jack-o-lanterns. It is advised to do this outside on a driveway or porch but sometimes, in the living room with a scary movie can put anyone in the Halloween spirit. The best way to clean a stain is to avoid the stain altogether. If you are doing this project indoors, lay down an old towel or newspaper to collect all the guts. Even with the proper preparation, sometimes the entrails of the pumpkin can make their way onto and in your carpet.

If you find yourself with a pumpkin stain, do the following. Remove all the pumpkin material you can by hand. Try your best not to press the stain further into the carpet. Next, use cold water and liquid detergent and let sit for 15 minutes. Then gently press, lifting the stain out of the carpet. You will need to repeat this process a few times and if the stain persists, it is probably beneficial to take it to a professional.

Carmel– With Halloween and the Apple season in full fledge, Carmel is a stain culprit for the Fall season. With its sticky and elastic consistency, this can be a particularly difficult stain to address when in a carpet. First, don’t rub the stain at all. Try and pull or scrape out all the excess Carmel you can by hand. Next, you will want to mix warm to hot water, a 1/2 tsp of detergent and 1 tbsp of vinegar. This concoction will loosen the candy to a removable state. Take out as much as you can and depending on the amount of candy, you may need to repeat.

Chocolate- Chocolate and Halloween are basically partners in crime. If you’re the house where all the kids in the neighbor congregate to dump Halloween’s night’s purse, then odds are the forgotten Hershey kiss may melt and find its way into the carpet. To remove a chocolate stain, take the following actions. Apply lemon juice or vinegar and let sit for 15 minutes or so. Soak generously with water and blot to lift the stain. Do this a few times and it should remove the stain all together!

These are good guidelines to go to when the stain first happens, but they are not full proof. If you have a stain the persists, give Roy’s Carpet Cleaning a call today at 617-224-7118 ! We have the equipment and know-how to lift any stain your carpet may encounter! We look forward to hearing from you and earning your business!