How to Remove Beer Stains from Carpet

Jenny said, “Ugh! Someone spilled beer on my rug and I hate how it’s smelling!!! Anyone know what I can use to clean the rug?”

You Will Need:

• Paper towels
• Water
• Club soda
• White vinegar
• Dish liquid
• Enzyme detergent

Steps to Remove the Stain:

1. If the spill is fresh, first blot up as much beer as possible with paper towels.¹
2. If you don’t want to clean the spill right away, sponge the area with water or club soda.²
3. As soon as possible, treat the stain to remove the beer residue and the beer smell. Combine 1 part white vinegar with 2 parts warm water. Sponge the solution onto the stain.³
4. If the vinegar does not remove the stain, mix some dish liquid in water and sponge the solution onto the stain.³
5. If the stain is stubborn, use enzyme detergent. Stir the detergent into some water, then sponge the solution onto the stain.³
6. Once the stain has been removed, blot up as much of the stain remover as possible. Sponge the area with water to rinse, then blot up the water and pat the carpet dry.

• Some commercial carpet stain removers could cause the beer stain to set.⁴
• If the beer has caused the color of the rug to run or fade, that is unfortunately permanent.⁵

1. Don Aslett’s Stainbuster’s Bible by Don Aslett
2. Natural Stain Removal Secrets by Deborah L. Martin
3. Field Guide to Stains by Virginia M. Friedman, Melissa Wagner, & Nancy Armstrong
4. The Queen of Clean’s Complete Cleaning Guide by Linda Cobb
5. How to Remove Spots and Stains by Prof. Herb Barndt