Annette's Carpet Corner: How To Remove Grease On Carpet

In reviewing some of the Wear-Dated website stats, I noticed that one carpet stain type comes up repeatedly: How To Remove Grease On Carpet. Definitely a topic for Annette's Carpet Corner!

Imagine the following scenario... [this one comes from the Cleaning Tips Forum from iVillage GardenWeb]: your major appliance has stopped working. You call in a repair person who solves all of your immediate problems, but leaves... a grease stain on your carpet. Yikes! What to do?

[And, this could just as easily be your exuberant 10 year old who comes in after fixing the greasy bicycle chain or...]

Calling Annette Smith to the rescue with the solution for grease on carpet! You can also find it on the Wear-Dated Stain Removal Guide.

First, attend immediately to the stain. Don't procrastinate.

Second, get all of your tools assembled before getting started.

Third, attend to the grease stain as follows:

Remove as much foreign material as possible by blotting with a white paper towel or scraping with a dull knife. Apply isopropyl rubbing alcohol to a clean white cloth, white paper towel or cotton ball. If the spot extends deep into the pile, blot until it is removed or no color transfers to the cloth. Do not allow the alcohol to penetrate the backing, as it will destroy the latex bond.

If the spot is on the surface only, rub in one direction at a time. If rubbing removes the spot, blot dry and stack several white paper towels over the damp area. Place a brick or similarly weighted object on the towels to keep them in contact with the carpet. The towels will absorb any stain wicking up from the backing to the carpet surface. Allow carpet to dry, remove the brick and towels, and brush up the pile.

NOTE: Never use a circular motion to remove a spot as this may destroy the texture. If you are even tempted, watch A Foot's Perspective - Episode 15: How To Remove A Carpet Stain.

Annette cautions that no carpet is immune to some types of stains. If your stain persists, definitely contact a professional carpet cleaner.

And, for particularly difficult carpet maintenance questions, Annette strongly recommends that you contact a company that specializes in repairs to determine all of the options available: step #1 is to visit the IICRC for a certified carpet repair resource.

NOTE: For expert advice on how to go about removing a carpet stain, do read and watch A Foot's Perspective - Episode 15: How To Remove A Carpet Stain. In fact, you might want to bookmark this one.






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