There are a great deal of sticky, slimy, staining substances that can ruin your carpets, but the greatest threat to them is in fact you - specifically your feet. The only way that stains can get on to your carpet is by someone (or something, including furred friends) putting them there, whether through spilling, dropping, or most commonly: traipsing them in on the bottoms of feet. Luckily, these stains are not the nightmare they once were and it only takes a small amount of effort to keep your carpets looking like new, thanks to Vanish. We've compiled a list of five of the most common stains walked in to carpets, with some tips on how to get rid of them for good.
Carpets and the Problem With Feet
As with any carpet stain, remove as much of what caused the stain as you can - being careful not to spread it around - and then vacuum the area before attempting any stain removal.
Mud
We'll start with the most obvious one. It's best to allow mud to dry before attempting any stain removal, as you will be able to flake out most of it with your hands or a brush. For the stain left behind, ventilate the room fully, and sprinkle Vanish Powerpowder onto the affected area. Make sure not to treat an area larger than 80x80cm at a time. Brush this powder into the carpet thoroughly using a soft bristle brush. Wait twenty minutes for the powder to bind to the stain, and vacuum the entire carpet thoroughly.
Dog Waste
Very unpleasant, but something that is hopefully happening much less as stricter rules concerning picking up after dogs comes into effect. The best thing to do (if you can stomach it) is to use a paper towel to absorb up as much moisture as possible before spraying with Vanish Pet Spray and leaving for a maximum of five minutes. Blot with a clean absorbent cloth to remove the stain.
Food
Food stains on carpets can seem tricky, but don't take too much effort to lift. The best product to use would be Vanish Powershot. Shake the can well and spray the stain from about fifteen centimetres away. Immediately blot with a clean absorbent cloth. Repeat as necessary, it may take a few sprays, but the stain should be gone in no time.
Gum
The difficulty here is getting the actual gum out of the carpet's fibres. The important thing is to avoid spreading the gum and allowing it to stick to any other areas. One method to remove it is to put ice cubes in a watertight plastic bag and place this over the gum to freeze it. Once it is frozen solid, you should be able to pull it up off of the carpet. For the residue left behind, use Vanish Powershot, as with a food stain, repeating as necessary.
Oil
Motor oil stains are often seen as the end for carpets, but with a combination of methods you should be able to remove the stain. Firstly, scrape as much off as you can with a spoon, being careful not to damage the carpet fibres. Then use Vanish Powerpowder as with mud, this will absorb the oil, and after about twenty minutes you can vacuum up the powder, taking the majority of the oil with it. For any stain that remains, use Vanish Powershot, leaving it to soak in slightly longer than usual before soaking it up with a clean cloth, repeating until the stain has gone.