21 Cool Homemade Carpet Stain Removers

No matter how careful you are, or how many rules you set at your home, spills still happen. If you have a carpet at home I think you can alter the quote “change is inevitable” to “stains are inevitable”. And if you have a pet at home, the frequency of carpet stains increases big time! But the great part is that no matter what the stain is, it doesn’t need to be permanent. The two main options that you have when it comes to removing a stain are to use  – a ready-made stain remover or a homemade carpet stain remover. There’s a third option, which also happens to be a more expensive one, that involves calling a carpet cleaning professional to remove the stain. Most stains come off with easy to make DIY stain removers. Why go buy a stain remover when you can make one in your kitchen? Read this blog to know some of the cool homemade carpet stain removers.

How to Remove Different Types of Carpet Stains?

The type of carpet stains that you have to deal with vary depending on whether you have children, pets, or if you are a grown adult who loves to host parties. The types of stains on your carpet vary from spillage of food, juices, tea, coffee, cocktails, the infamous red wine spills to vomit and pet urine stains.

Each carpet stain needs to be dealt with differently depending on the type and cause of the stain. Here’s what you need to do for each of the following stains:

• Fresh Liquid Stains: The best thing to do is blot up the liquid to prevent it from settling in the fabric. Absorb the water mixed with the liquid with a cloth or paper towel. Never rub a liquid stain. Use a stain remover that is particularly good for removing the specific stain.

This can be done for juice, urine, ink, or any other liquid.

• Old Stains: If it’s an old stain you can directly go to using a stain remover.

Regardless of what the cause of your carpet stain may be or how old the stain is, we have compiled a list of 18 homemade carpet stain removers and 3 DIY carpet stain removing sprays to help you make the best stain remover depending on the ingredients that you have at home.

While removing any stains remember to always work from the outside towards the middle of the stain.

Homemade Solutions to Remove 14 Common Carpet Stains

Stain Type	Homemade Stain Remover Number
Coffee/Tea	1, 4, 6, 8, 9
Red Wine	2, 6
Greasy food stains	2, 6
Ketchup	2, 6
Juices	3, 6, 8, 9
Grease/Oil	3, 6, 17
Pet Urine	4, 6, 11, Spays 1,2 & 3
Chewing gum / Bubble Gum	5, 6
Light & Dark Carpet Stains	6, 7, 8, 14, 17
Paint or Nail Polish	8, 12, 15
Blood stains	10, Spray 1
Vomit	11, 18
Ink Stains	13, 15, 17

List of 18 Homemade Carpet Stain Removers

These DIY stain removers are easy to make and are sure to help you when he need arises.

1. Beer

Pouring a little beer can lift a coffee or tea stain off your carpet.

Stains: Coffee or tea

Things you need: Beer

Directions

Rub a little beer into the stained fabric and it should begin to disappear. You may have to do this a few times to eliminate all traces of the stain.

2. Salt

Don’t panic if you spill red wine on your carpet.

Stains: Red wine and greasy food stains

Things you need: Salt and alcohol

Directions

Red Wine Stains: While the red wine is still wet, pour a little white wine over, to dilute it. Dab it with a wet sponge and cold water. Sprinkle the patch with salt, let it sit for 10 minutes, then vacuum the part after that.

Food stains: Mix 1 part of salt with 4 parts of alcohol and rub it against any greasy food stains. Take precaution to rub in the direction of the carpet’s natural nap.

Ketchup stains: Have a little ketchup spilt on your carpet? Hurry up before this becomes a permanent stain. Sprinkle salt over the wet ketchup and leave it for a few minutes, vacuum after that. Dab the residue with a damp sponge and continue till all the ketchup is off.

3. Shaving Cream

Who thought that shaving cream would come in handy while removing a stain?

Stains: Juice, grease and oil stains

What you need: Shaving cream, sponge, soft cloth

Directions

Juices: Blot the stain, pat it with a wet sponge, squirt some shaving cream on it, then wipe with a damp sponge.

Grease and Oil stains: Apply the cream into the stain and leave it to dry. Rub it off with a damp soft cloth.

4. Club Soda

Club soda works well on pet urine stains.

Stains: Pet urine, coffee/tea

What you need: Club soda, paper towels, carpet shampoo

Directions

Blot the excess urine using paper towels, pour club soda over it and let it soak, blot again. Scrub with diluted carpet shampoo.

For tea/coffee stains, do the same thing but eliminate scrubbing with carpet shampoo.

5. Ice Cubes

Does the chewing gum somehow find its way to your carpet?

Stains: Chewing gum and bubble gum

What you need: Ice cubes, plastic bag, trichloroethylene (if it just won’t come off fully)

Directions

Freeze the gum by placing a plastic bag with a few ice cubes over the chewing gum. Scrape it off using a butter knife. If fragments of the gum are still left, blot it with a dry cleaning agent called trichloroethylene.

6. Hydrogen Peroxide

Have a carpet stain but don’t know what caused it? This homemade stain remover will surely wipe that stain clean.

Stains: Unknowns carpet stains

What you need: Hydrogen Peroxide and a little non-gel toothpaste or cream of tartar and a soft cloth

Directions

Mix 1 teaspoon of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide with a little non-gel toothpaste or tartar cream, whatever you’re using. Rub the paste on the stain using a soft cloth.

7. Borax

Borax can be used for old stains on carpets.

What you need: Borax, vinegar, soapy water

Directions

Dampen the stained portion of the carpet properly, then rub in a little borax. Leave the area to dry then blot it with equal parts of soapy water and vinegar and let it dry. Repeat the process a few times, if required.

Ps. Don’t forget to test this homemade carpet stain remover on a small corner of the carpet or a fabric scrap from the carpet before you apply it on the stain. If the solution is too strong for the fabric, it could leave a stain of its own.

8. Vinegar

Vinegar works like magic when it comes to cleaning carpet stains.

Stains: Vinegar cleans a wide range of stains like light carpet stains, dark stains, coffee and tea stains, fruit juice stains, paint stains and ground-in dirt stains.

Apart from the obvious, vinegar, your requirements will vary depending on the stain that you’re cleaning.

Light Carpet Stains

What you need: White vinegar and salt

Directions: Mix 2 tablespoons of salt in ½ a cup of white vinegar and rub the solution on the stains. Let the solution dry and vacuum it later.

Dark Carpet Stains

What you need: White vinegar, borax, and salt

Directions: In ½ a cup of white vinegar, mix 2 tablespoons of salt and 2 tablespoons of borax. Repeat the same process as for light carpet stains.

Coffee & Tea stains

What you need: White vinegar and water

Directions: Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water and blot the stain.

Fruit Juice Stains

What you need: Laundry detergent, white vinegar, and water

Directions: Take 2 cups of water, add 1 tablespoon of laundry detergent and 1 ½  tablespoons of white vinegar. Rub the solution into the stain and then blot.

Paint Stains

What you need: White vinegar, laundry detergent, sponge, water (a little bit of cold water as well)

Directions: Sponge away the paint. Combine 1 tablespoon of laundry detergent, 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar and 2 cups of water and use this solution on the stained portion. Rinse with cold water.

Ground-in Dirt Stains

What you need: White vinegar, cornstarch, dry cloth

Directions: Make a paste from 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Apply the solution into the stain using a dry cloth. Leave it for 2 days, then vacuum.

9. Baby Wipes

Use a baby wipe to blot liquid. Along with the liquid, the wipe absorbs the stain as well. You can use wipes to save your clothes, sheets, and cushions as well from spillage. You can also use other solutions to remove stains from delicate fabrics like sheets and cushion cover.

10. Meat Tenderizer

If you have kids who often bruise their knees, you might occasionally even find a blood stain on your carpet.

Stains: Blood stains

What you need: Water and meat tenderizer

Directions: Cover the stain in equal parts of water and meat tenderizer and let it sit for 30 minutes. Sponge off with water.

11. Baking Soda

Baking soda not only removes stains, it also works as a deodorizer

Stains: Vomit and urine stains; grease stains

What you need: Baking soda and paper towel

Directions

Wipe off what you can, then spread baking soda over the wet area and pat it with a paper towel. Let the powder dry completely, then vacuum the residue. The area will be clean, sanitized and deodorized.

Baking soda also removes grease stains when it’s combined with equal parts of salt. Work the mixture into the stained spot and let it sit for 4 to 5 hours. Then vacuum to completely take off the stain.

12. Nail Polish Remover

If you’re someone who sits on the carpet or couch and paints your nails, this stain remover will definitely come in handy.

Stains: Nail polish and mild paint stains

What you need: Nail polish remover and cotton

Directions

Gently dab nail polish remover over the stained fabric using a cotton ball to remove the stains. Don’t rub. If the paint is very thick, you’ll need to use paint thinner.

13. WD-40

Ink stains can ruin the chic look of your carpet. This homemade stain remover works like Superman when it comes to ink stains on your carpet.

Stains: Ink stains

What you need: WD-40 and a carpet cleaner or WD-40, a sponge and warm water

Directions

Spray the stain with WD-40 and leave it for 1 or 2 minutes. Use a regular carpet cleaner to remove the mixture along with the stain. If you don’t have a carpet remover, sponge it with warm soapy water to cleanse the carpet.

14. Toothbrush

Toothbrushes are good to clean stains that have sunk deep into the fiber of your carpet. Especially those soft fluffy and furry rugs.

Stains: Ground-in dirt stains

What you need: Nylon bristled toothbrush and any stain removing agent (vinegar or beach)

Directions

Dab the toothbrush in the stain removing agent and gently scrub the stain. Keep doing this until the stain is gone. Make sure that the stained patch is damp before you work the brush.

15. Pain Remover

Stains: Paint, nail polish and ink stains

What you need: Paint remover, cotton, and a brush

Directions

Gently dab the paint remover onto the stained area of the carpet using a brush. This should liquefy the paint, dab it with a clean cotton ball to remove the paint mixed with paint remover.

16. Cornstarch

Here’s another trick for those ink stains that could turn nasty.

Stains: Ink Stains; grease and oil stains

What you need: Milk, cornstarch, and brush

Directions

Make a paste from milk and cornstarch and apply it on on the ink stain. Allow the homemade solution to dry for a few hours (maybe 4-5 hours, it depends on the size of the stain). Once the solution has dried completely, brush off the residue and vacuum it.

For grease and oil stains, sprinkle cornstarch and let it sit for many hours, maybe even a day or more, then vacuum.

17. Ammonia

Make sure that you use clear Ammonia.

Stains: Light and dark carpet stains

What you need: Ammonia and water

Directions

Mix 1 cup clear ammonia with ½ gallon warm water (2 liters). Sponge the stains using this homemade solution and let it dry. Repeat this if you still find traces of the stain.

18. Dish Soap

Test this solution on a small insignificant corner of your carpet before using it.

Stains: Vomit

What you need: Dish soap, Hydrogen Peroxide, and baking soda

Directions

Mix ½ ounce of dish soap and 2 tablespoons of baking soda in 2 ounces of Hydrogen Peroxide. Put this solution in a spray bottle and spray the stain until it’s wet and let it dry. Vacuum and done!

DIY Carpet Stain Removing Sprays + Odor Remover – For Pet Urine & Vomit

If you have new pets at home and they’re in the potty-training stage, your carpets can be in for a roller coaster ride. Making a carpet stain removing solution to remove pet urine stains every time could turn into a hassle. The stains aren’t the only thing to get rid of, you also need to get rid of the odor that accompanies it. If you don’t tackle that, your pets will continue peeing there as long as the smell persists.

You can make these stain remover sprays with a few ingredients at home and store them in a convenient location. Whenever the need arises, use them. The best part is that you won’t need to part with your carpets and put them in the attic.

Note: Don’t forget to test for color-fastness on a small insignificant part of the fabric. Blot as much liquid as you can before using these sprays.

1. Vinegar Spray

The spray removes the stain, sanitizes it and removes the stench as well.

Stains: Urine and blood stains

What you need: Baking powder, white vinegar, lukewarm water and a spray bottle

How to DIY

• Mix 2 cups of white vinegar in 2 cups of lukewarm water and put it in the spray bottle. Blot the liquid out of the rug as much as you can. Sprinkle baking powder over the stained area. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then vacuum. Then spray the solution over the stained area. Blot it with a soft cloth after some time.
• You can use this spray in another way as well. After blotting the rug, spray sufficient solution onto the stained area and sprinkle enough baking soda over the solution. This will create a mini volcano that will eat up the stain. Wipe the solution off with a damp sponge or cloth.

2. Hydrogen Peroxide Spray

Hydrogen peroxide is a great compound to break down urine crystals.

Stains: Pet stains, mainly urine.

What you need: Baking soda, Hydrogen Peroxide, paper towels, dishwashing liquid, spray bottle, scrub brush/toothbrush

How to DIY

Blot the stain using the paper towels. Sprinkle a handful of baking soda on the wet patch. Mix 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid to a ½ cup of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide. Spray the liquid over the baking soda. Work the solution into the carpet fibers with the brush and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Vacuum it, if traces of the stain remain, repeat the process a few more times.

3. Citrus-enzyme Cleaner

I know it sounds fancy, but it’s easy to make one. However, you will require a little patience for this.

Stains: Pet stains, mainly urine stains

What you need: Brown sugar, lemon and orange peels, water, spray bottle, and a bottle with a 1-liter capacity

How to DIY

Put the orange and lemon peels into the bottle and funnel 6 tablespoons of brown sugar into it. Pour 800 ml of water into it and close it. Give it good shake. Leave the cap on loosely to ensure that the excess gas can flow out easily. Make sure that the bottle doesn’t explode with the build up. After 3 months, your citrus enzyme cleaner will be ready.

Blot the liquid and spray this solution over it and leave it to sit for a while. Wipe it off with a damp sponge.

Use this spray a few times to eliminate odor. You can also add citrus essential oils and eucalyptus essential oils to give the carpet a nice smell. These oils also prevent pets from peeing in that area.

Stains and Home Warranties

While homemade solutions and DIYs are one way of reducing your household costs, you also have an option to help you reduce your costs on all the things that you can’t DIY. For example, when it comes to home maintenance, you can’t DIY that part of your A/C or microwave that needs to be replaced. Nor can you make your own tiles to replace the few tiles that have red wine stains on it. This is where a Home Warranty policy can step in and save you from costs on repairs and replacements. However, for this to be possible, you will have to invest in a home warranty first. You will also have to pay a small deductible amount for every repair/replacement. Most companies charge a deductible of $50, while few companies charge a slightly higher or lower deductible.

HomeWarrantyReviews.com has been helping customers to choose the right home warranty plan for their homes since the past 11 years by providing them with a platform to read reviews and review home warranty companies. On the basis of these reviews, we have made a list of the Best Home Warranty Companies in America. When investing in a home warranty, you must also know which companies have gone out of business, and make sure that the company that you pick has a reputation for providing good and timely services in your locality.

If you want to know more about home warranty, you can find all the information that you require in the articles section on our website. You can also use the comments section to clarify any doubts that you may have about home warranties. We are more than happy to help you out!

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