How to Remove Stubborn Stains from Office Carpet
We’ve all been there. You’re chatting by the water cooler with a fresh cup of coffee when a co-worker walks by and bumps your arm. You’re mid-sip, but because the coffee is so hot, you quickly move the cup away from your mouth and out spills that warm, delicious bean juice…onto the office carpet tiles.
It’s a big stain.
You run to the break room to grab some paper towels…but we all know about office paper towels and their absorbency abilities…they’re about as effective as a screen door on a submarine.
Anyways…
You try to dab, rub, and remove it, but the stain has soaked into the carpet fibers…deep into the unknown. So, now what?
There’s nothing more frustrating than a stubborn stain on office carpet. But fret not! There are several tricks you can try to remove all sorts of stains, and we’re here to help.
So gear up with your microfiber cloths and vinegar (or one of the five products listed below), and read on to learn how to remove all sorts of stains from office carpet.
Common Office Carpet Stains
When co-workers spend most of their time together in the same building, all week long, accidents will inevitably happen.
A few common carpet stains in the office include:
Coffee - because office work cannot commence without a good ole cup of Joe!
Mud or dirt tracked in from shoes
Dried chewing gum
Food spills - because you and your employees need to eat…but those flimsy paper plates don’t hold up for nothing!
Printer ink and toner
Water or moisture stains from pipe leaks
Blood
These are, at least, the common carpet stains that we see throughout our work at The Go-To Janitor. Luckily, there are a few tricks you can try when it comes to removing these types of stains. We’ll share more on those later.
But first…
Why Clean Carpet Matters in the Office
Clean carpet is a statement, believe it or not. I mean, think about it…you walk into an office, store, or other commercial building and you notice the tile carpeting is caked in mud at the front entrance. Your first thought? “GROSS! They really don’t take good care of their building.”
As a business owner, you know that first impressions are everything. The aesthetic of your building, including your office carpet, can make or break the way a client or potential customer perceives your business. So, it’s best to keep it clean and free from common carpet stains.
So, if you spot a stain, don’t fret! There are a few things you can try to get most carpet stains out. Let’s take a look at them!
5 Ways to Remove Stubborn Stains from Office Carpet
Now let’s take a look at some of our favorite methods for removing stains from office carpet including dish soap and vinegar, baking soda and vinegar, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and even ice cubes!
1. Dawn and Vinegar
Vinegar is a natural cleaning product that we love! At The Go-To Janitor, we use it regularly to clean windows and office spaces. But did you know you can also use it to remove carpet stains? You sure can! And it works on so many different types of stains — food spills, coffee stains, mud and dirt, and so much more.
Here’s how to use Dawn (or any other kind of dish soap) and vinegar to remove stains from office carpet:
In a large bowl or bucket, combine equal parts dish soap and vinegar. Mix well.
Vacuum up any excess or loose dirt and debris from the carpet stain.
Dip a microfiber cloth into the soap and vinegar mixture. Dab the stain working from the outer edge to the center.
When the stain is fully saturated with the mixture, let dwell for about 20 minutes.
Wet the cloth with water and dab the stain again until it lifts.
Repeat as necessary.
2. Baking Soda and Vinegar
You can combine baking soda with a liquid, like water or vinegar, to make a stain-removing paste to use on all sorts of different stains. This method is especially useful on food spills and even urine (another stain to add to the list!).
Here’s how to use a baking soda and vinegar cleaning paste to remove carpet stains:
Make your paste! In a bowl, combine equal parts baking soda and vinegar. Mix well and watch as the mixture fizzes and bubbles. When that dies down, and a paste forms, you’re ready to clean!
Vacuum over the stain to remove any excess dirt or debris.
Apply the cleaning paste directly to the stain.
Using a clean cloth, agitate the paste into the stain. Let this sit for 10 to 20 minutes.
Rinse with clean water and wipe away any excess paste. You can also vacuum the paste away.
Repeat if necessary until the stain lifts.
*Helpful tip: Did you know that you can use baking soda regularly to deodorize office carpet? If a room starts to smell musty, or you just want to freshen up the space, try sprinkling a generous amount of baking soda on the carpet (after giving it a quick vacuum first). Let sit overnight and vacuum it up in the morning. The baking soda absorbs moisture and odors trapped in the carpet fibers. We recommend doing this at least once a month to freshen up your office carpets!
3. Rubbing Alcohol
With so much printing going on, ink and toner spills are bound to happen in an office environment. So, if you happen to have ink stains on your office carpet, head to the store and grab a generic brand of rubbing alcohol!
Here’s how to get ink out of office carpet using rubbing alcohol:
If the stain is fresh, use a microfiber cloth or paper towel to blot the stain. Do your best to remove as much of the ink as possible. Do not rub or agitate! This will further drive the ink into the carpet fibers making it much more difficult to remove.
Saturate a cotton ball with the rubbing alcohol (if the stain is large, you might want to use several cotton balls).
Dab the stain with the cotton ball, working from the outer edge of the stain towards the center.
Repeat this until the ink or toner stain has lifted.
Gently dab with a clean microfiber cloth or paper towel, then let the area air dry.
4. Hydrogen Peroxide
If you’re dealing with food, coffee, or blood carpet stains, then 3% hydrogen peroxide (the kind you can find at just about any store in the brown bottle) should do the trick.
Here’s how to get stains out of carpet using hydrogen peroxide:
For small spots, wet a microfiber cloth with hydrogen peroxide and dab the stain directly. Let it dwell for about 10 minutes, then blot again with a dry microfiber cloth until the stain lifts. Repeat as necessary.
For larger stains, like food or coffee, remove as much debris as possible first. Then, pour hydrogen peroxide directly onto the stain. Dab, then let sit for at least 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water, then dab the stain up with a clean microfiber cloth.
5. Ice
Yep! You read right — ice for carpet stains!
Interestingly, ice can be used to remove all sorts of carpet stains, especially those that are ooey, gooey, and sticky. You can use ice to freeze and then remove gum, wax, hard candy, and silly putty from office carpet. The key is to actually freeze the stain first, then chip away at it with a dull metal butter knife or spoon.
In this case, we’re talking about getting dried chewing gum out of office carpet.
Here’s how:
Vacuum the area to remove any excess dirt, dust, and grime. This will help prep the stained area, making the process much more effective.
Place two ice cubes on top of the chewing gum*. The gum should be completely covered, so add more ice cubes if needed.
Let sit until the ice cubes melt or begin to — about 5 to 15 minutes.
Using a butter knife or a metal spoon, begin scraping away at the gum. For best results, start at the outer edges working your way towards the center.
Repeat the process as needed.
When the gum is removed, vacuum up any excess pieces.
*Helpful note: To keep the carpet free from moisture, put the ice cubes in a plastic bag. They will melt inside the bag, containing the water, while still “freezing” the gum for easeful removal. Alternatively, you can use a frozen cold pack, just like the ones you’d put in a lunchbox to keep food cold.
What Do Professional Cleaners Use To Clean Carpets?
Honestly, we use the above tricks and commercial cleaning products. Whichever works best for the carpet stain we’re working on.
With the use of commercial carpet cleaning equipment, The Go-To Janitor has the ability to wipe out and remove just about any carpet stain found in the office. We can tackle food spills, coffee stains, stuck-on gum, and much more!
We’d love to share more and help you with all of your carpet cleaning needs.
Check out our Janitorial & Commercial Cleaning Services and shoot us a message if you’re interested in hiring a local janitorial company in Western North Carolina.
We look forward to hearing from you!
