If your carpet gets stained, it will lose its original appeal. The discolouration might force you to replace the old carpet, and the costs can be significant. The alternative is concealing the stain. Unfortunately, most discolouring spills occur in prominent sections of the carpet. Fortunately, you can avoid these mishaps by preventing the stains in the first place. Most stains can be prevented through diligent maintenance of the carpet and taking the right action when an accident occurs. Here are some of the best guidelines to help you keep your residential carpeting in exceptional condition.

Prevent Setting

You should never let a spill set into the carpet fibres. Most spills that occur in the home can be cleaned out completely as long as the material is not allowed to dry. Otherwise, the spill will dye the fibres and change the carpet colour permanently. Moreover, if the underlying padding is soaked, it will be almost impossible to salvage the floor covering. Therefore, you should always clean food and beverage spills, blood stains, pet messes and ink stains immediately.

Blot Out the Spill

Your carpet can get discoloured and stained when a spill is cleaned incorrectly, even if you act immediately. The correct cleaning tools and techniques will guarantee that the spill will not soak in deeper or set faster. For instance, you must never use your household wet vacuum cleaner or similar machines to clean spills. Instead, you should use a cloth to blot out the stain. You should use a clean cloth alongside soapy water to repeatedly blot out the affected area.

Choose White Cloths

You should use the right cloth or rag when cleaning your carpet. Under ideal circumstances, you should only use white cloths for this task. Coloured towels might seem attractive when placed in the house, but they can increase the risk of carpet discolouration. In most cases, the colour from the cloth will be transferred into the carpet and a permanent change will occur. In addition, the coloured lint might have an effect on the carpet.

Test Detergents First

You must remember to test out your cleaning solution first before proceeding to the cleaning process. There are great cleaning detergents on the market, but they are not compatible with all carpets and rugs. Therefore, you should choose a small, discreet patch of your carpet and test out your chosen detergent. If it does not cause staining, you can use the product freely.

Finally, if your carpet does get discoloured, you should choose professional carpet steam cleaning for deep stain removal.