Emergency Floor Care

Emergency Carpet Stain Removal Guide

If you have a stain emergency and do not have the Mohawk Floorcare Essentials Carpet Spot Remover available, see the stain category below for an alternative solution.

For Water-Based Stains See Below Alcohol Grape Juice Baby Formula Graphite Beer Ice Cream Blood Jelly Candy Latex Paint Catsup Liquor Chocolate Milk Milk Clay Soil Spots Cola Soft Drinks Cologne Syrup Cranberry Juice Tomato Juice Felt Tip Marker Water Colors Food Stains (general) Watermelon Fruit Juice Whiskey Fruit Punch Wine Furniture Polish (water-based) Vomit For Special Water-Based Stains See Below Coffee Tea Urine

For Greasy, Oil-Based Stains See Below Butter Margarine Chocolate Mascara Cooking Oil Mayonnaise Cosmetics Nail Polish Crayon Oil Furniture Dye Oil Paint Furniture Polish (oil-based) Ointment Glue* Peanut Butter Gravy Rouge Grease (black) Salad Dressing Gum* Spaghetti Hand Cream Wax* Ink Varnish Lipstick   *Freeze and remove solid materials before using cleaning fluid.

Water-based Stains

Step 1

• Use a spoon or dull knife to remove solid materials.
• For large stains, work from the outside of stain to the center to prevent spreading.
• Blot up liquid spills with a white towel or paper towel.
• Mix a solution of 1/4 teaspoon of clear hand dishwashing detergent with 1 cup of water. Stir gently.
• Apply detergent solution directly to a white cloth. Dampen the carpet fibers in the stained area with the cloth. Avoid saturating the carpet.
• Wipe gently. Turn cloth frequently. Never rub, scrub or use a brush. This may damage carpet fibers.
• If necessary, use your fingertips to work the solution to the base of the stain.
• Wet the stained carpet fibers with clear, lukewarm water to rinse.
• Cover the spot with an absorbent white towel or paper towel and apply pressure to blot.
• Repeat the rinsing and blotting procedures until you are sure all traces of the detergent have been removed.
• If the stain is gone, place an absorbent white towel or paper towel over the area cleaned, and weigh towels down with a heavy, color-fast object, such as a weighted plastic wastebasket.
• Change towels or paper towels until carpet dries.
• If stain remains, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2

Do NOT use on coffee, tea or urine stains.

• Mix 2 tablespoons of non-bleaching, non-sudsing household ammonia with 1 cup of lukewarm water.
• Apply ammonia solution, rinse and blot as outlined in Step 1.
• Do not dry with paper towels. Proceed to Step 3 to neutralize the ammonia solution.

Step 3

• Mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 2 cups of water.
• Apply vinegar solution, rinse and blot as outlined in Step 1.

Greasy, Oil-based Stains

Step 1

• Use a spoon or dull knife to remove solid materials.
• For these stains, use a citrus solvent applied directly to a white cloth. Dampen the carpet fibers in the stained area with the cloth. Avoid saturating the carpet.

Step 2

• For large stains, work from the outside of stain to the center to prevent spreading.
• Blot up liquid spills with a white towel or paper towel.
• Mix a solution of 1/4 teaspoon of clear hand dishwashing detergent with 1 cup of water. Stir gently.
• Apply detergent solution directly to a white cloth. Dampen the carpet fibers in the stained area with the cloth. Avoid saturating the carpet.
• Wipe gently. Turn cloth frequently. Never rub, scrub or use a brush. This may damage carpet fibers.
• If necessary, use your fingertips to work the solution to the base of the stain.
• Wet the stained carpet fibers with clear, lukewarm water to rinse.
• Cover the spot with an absorbent white towel or paper towel and apply pressure to blot.
• Repeat the rinsing and blotting procedures until you are sure all traces of the detergent have been removed.
• If the stain is gone, place an absorbent white towel or paper towel over the area cleaned, and weigh towels down with a heavy, color-fast object, such as a weighted plastic wastebasket.
• Change towels or paper towels until carpet dries.
• If stain remains, proceed to Step 3.

Step 3

Do NOT use on coffee, tea or urine stains.

• Mix 2 tablespoons of non-bleaching, non-sudsing household ammonia with 1 cup of lukewarm water.
• Apply ammonia solution, rinse and blot as outlined in Step 1.
• Do not dry with paper towels. Proceed to Step 4 to neutralize the ammonia solution.

Step 4

• Mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 2 cups of water.
• Apply vinegar solution, rinse and blot as outlined in Step 1.

Special Water-based Stains

Step 1

• For large stains, work from the outside of stain to the center to prevent spreading.
• Blot up liquid spills with a white towel or paper towel.
• Mix a solution of 1/4 teaspoon of clear hand dishwashing detergent with 1 cup of water. Stir gently.
• Apply detergent solution directly to a white cloth. Dampen the carpet fibers in the stained area with the cloth. Avoid saturating the carpet.
• Wipe gently. Turn cloth frequently. Never rub, scrub or use a brush. This may damage carpet fibers.
• If necessary, use your fingertips to work the solution to the base of the stain.
• Wet the stained carpet fibers with clear, lukewarm water to rinse.
• Cover the spot with an absorbent white towel or paper towel and apply pressure to blot.
• Repeat the rinsing and blotting procedures until you are sure all traces of the detergent have been removed.
• If the stain is gone, place an absorbent white towel or paper towel over the area cleaned, and weigh towels down with a heavy, color-fast object, such as a weighted plastic wastebasket.
• Change towels or paper towels until carpet dries.
• If stain remains, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2

• Mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 2 cups of water.
• Apply vinegar solution, rinse and blot as outlined in Step 1.