Soon trick-or-treaters will be going door to door filling their bags with candy that can stain carpets and rugs and sometimes cause permanent damage if deeply embedded in the carpet or rug fibers. Use the following do-it-yourself tips for candy stained carpet and rugs at Halloween.
Warning: Do not forcefully pull stuck candy from carpet or rugs. Doing so can rip and damage the fibers leading to more repair efforts that can only be performed by an experienced professional carpet technician. Ace Rug Cleaning has top notch carpet and rug repair men that have seen it all. Visit our repair page for examples of some of their work and services offered.
IMPORTANT – Always test fibers for colorfastness!!!! Click here to learn how to test your fibers.
Steps for Removing Candy Stains from Carpet and Rugs
1. Use a butter knife to scrape as much of the candy off the carpet fibers as you can. Work slowly and diligently to remove as much as possible. The thinner the residue of the candy the easier it will be to dissolve and remove using the next few steps.
2. Using a wet rag or sponge, apply warm water to the remaining candy residue. Working inward and as many times as needed to dissolve the candy residue. This will soften most candies.
3. Dampen the remaining candy using distilled white vinegar and a clean cloth. You may let the white vinegar sit a few minutes to dissolve even more of the residue. Â Apply pressure to the cloth to lift the stain up onto the cloth. Repeat as needed. Rinse the area treated.
IMPORTANT – Use only cloths or sponges that have been previously washed and that do not have loose dyes. New cloths or sponges often have loose dyes and using them for the first time can cause color to transfer to your carpet or rug.
4. If the stain is still present use a fiber safe spotter working inward with a clean cloth blotting, not scrubbing. Some over-the-counter spotters are not safe for all carpet and rug fibers. Contact us or visit our store at 2426 Atlantic Ave., Raleigh, NC for a variety of fiber safe spot cleaners.
Candy dyes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some will be more stubborn than others. If you are not completely comfortable trying the recommendations mentioned above, please do not hesitate to contact our Raleigh, NC professional carpet cleaners. We have seen it all!! Call us 919-832-2275.
