Clean carpets immediately after a spill – because most carpets today are “stain-resistant,” they can often be saved and look like nothing ever happened, as long as the spill is tended to right away.
If your pet has an accident on the carpet, be sure to use a cleaner that’s specially formulated for pet odors and stains; otherwise, the animal may revisit the site and do the same thing again. A protein-digesting enzyme treatment is ideal for this type of stain.
To remove cigarette and other burns, snip off the damaged fibers with scissors, then blot with a soapless cleaner such as denatured alcohol (but check first to make sure the cleaner won’t discolor the carpet!).
Remove odors from deep inside the carpet by sprinkling it liberally with baking soda, letting it stand for fifteen minutes (overnight if the odor is particularly strong), then vacuuming.
If your carpet has been indented by heavy furniture legs, hold a steam iron six inches above each spot until the carpet’s moist. Then work the fibers back and forth with the edge of a coin. For especially deep indentations, dampen a bath towel and lay it over the depression. Press the area very gently with an iron on the wool or cotton setting, then leave the towel in place until it’s dry.
When you have a spill:
Blot liquids with a dry, white cloth or paper towel. For semi-solids, remove as much as you can with a spoon. For solids, break it up as much as possible and vacuum. Don’t scrub!
Work from the edges of the spill in toward the center in order to prevent the stain from spreading.
To remove the remaining stain, work in a carpet cleaning solution (such as Resolve) that you’ve pre-tested on an inconspicuous surface to make sure that it won’t discolor your particular carpet. Blot and repeat until the stain will no longer transfer to a cloth.
Rinse with clean water to remove any remaining cleaner or stain residue.