There are several things you should do if you spilled coffee on your carpet. You can check out our guide right here to learn more.
You’re having a lazy afternoon that’s much needed. You lean back in your chair while reading a good book and reach out to grab your hot cup of coffee.
Your mistake? Your eyes don’t leave the page, so instead of grabbing the cup, you knock it over.
Not only do you now have an empty cup of java, but you also have a huge mess on your beautiful carpet. This has certainly put a damper on your relaxed afternoon, but there’s no need to pull your hair out just yet.
Here’s what you need to do if you spilled coffee (or other liquids) on your carpet.
Blot the Spill
One of the first things you have to do quickly is to sop up as much of the coffee as you can. While paper towels will suffice, it’s much better if you can grab a towel since it’s much more absorbent.
What you want to do is blot the spill, pushing the towel deep into the carpet fibers. What you don’t want to do is swipe it back and forth. This will just spread the coffee stain all over the place while not absorbing it all that much.
Keep at blotting the spill until you’ve gotten the majority of the spill out.
If you’re working with an old coffee stain, then you’ll want to first wet the area with some warm water. Then, continue on with the steps from above, blotting as much of the stain as you can. You should move from the outer edges and work your way in so you don’t spread the stain.
Mix up a Cleaning Solution
Now that you’ve gotten the stain all soaked up, it’s time to get to mix up a cleaning solution. You might already have carpet cleaners in your closet, so you can use those if you do.
Otherwise, it’s very easy to make your own solution. All you need is 2 cups of warm water mixed with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Stir the solution thoroughly with a spoon to make sure everything is mixed together well.
Clean the Stain
Once you’ve mixed the cleaning solution, you can move on to removing the stains from your unfortunate coffee spill.
For this, you’ll need a clean cloth; don’t use the one you used to blot the spill. Even if you’ve thoroughly wrung out the coffee from it, it still may have traces of coffee on it, which means you might inadvertently spread more coffee onto your carpet. So to be safe, just grab a clean one from your closet.
Dip the cloth into your cleaning solution and then blot the area with the stain. Make sure you don’t use swiping motions. Even though it might seem quicker to do that, again, all it’ll do is spread the stain.
Also, start from the outside and work your way in. This will keep the coffee stain contained and will prevent it from spreading even further, which would create more work for you.
Keep dipping the cloth into the solution and blotting as needed.
Then, follow up with blotting from another clean and dry towel. This will eliminate the stains even further.
Remove the Cream and Sugar
Only 35% of coffee drinkers take their cup of java black. Chances are, you add either cream and/or sugar to your coffee. In that case, you’ll need to remove these things from your carpet so it doesn’t create future problems.
Grab the enzyme laundry detergent from the laundry room and mix 1 cap of it with 1 cup of warm water in a separate bowl. Stir it thoroughly to get a mixed solution.
You’ll need yet another clean cloth to apply this solution. Dip it into the mix and then dab it around the carpet. This should help get rid of the sticky residue from your coffee’s cream and/or sugar.
Finish off the Cleaning
At this point, you’re now done cleaning your carpet. Hopefully, the stain’s completely gone!
To finish the cleaning off, you’ll want to pour a tiny bit of cold water over the carpet. Get another clean towel to blot up this liquid and let it air dry.
Make sure your household members don’t walk over this area, as it’ll stain the carpet if they have shoes on. You can place a fan next to it to help make the process go quicker.
Consider Hiring a Professional
Maybe the coffee stain isn’t the only thing that marred your carpet. Perhaps your home gets lots of foot traffic, meaning your carpet has pet urine stains and dust, debris, mold, pollen, and other impurities trapped within it.
In that case, the coffee spill might be the straw on the camel’s back. So instead of tackling the stain yourself, you should hire a professional carpet cleaner.
They can come in and do a deep clean. Not only will this remove most stains and restore life to your carpet, but it’ll also remove all those allergens that are deep in your carpet.
Not sure when to DIY or hire a pro? Get some insight from https://www.greenchoicecarpet.net/blog/diy-carpet-cleaner-vs-professional-services-which-should-you-choose/.
Erase All Traces of Spilled Coffee on Your Carpet
Now you know exactly what to do when you have spilled coffee or other liquids on your carpet.
While it can initially stressful, just take a deep breath; accidents happen, after all. By keeping a clear head and following our advice, you’ll be able to clean your beautiful carpet so it’s not ruined. And because our tips are so efficient, you’ll have another cup of joe in your hands in no time!
Have our tips on how to clean spilled coffee on the carpet helped you out? Then read more of our articles for more pro tips!
