How to Remove Carpet Stains that Keep Reappearing

If you remove a stain, only to have it reappear later after the spot has been walked on for awhile, the new stain is actually from dirt. This is caused by the residue from the cleaning solution used to remove the vomit stain being left on the carpet, which causes dirt to stick to the area. In order to remove these dirt stains, the residue must be cleaned out.

• A mild soap or detergent
• Water
• A bowl
• Two cloths
• A towel

1. Mix some mild soap in a bowl of water to make suds. Some good choices are a mild laundry detergent like Woolite or a mild dish liquid.
2. Dip a cloth in the soapy water to wet it, then wring it out so it is only damp, not dripping. You do not want to use so much water that you soak the carpet or the padding underneath, as you could end up with mold.
3. Wash the stained area with the soapy cloth. Do not scrub so hard that you damage the carpet fibers. Just gently rub with the soapy cloth to remove the dirt and old cleaner residue.
4. Wet a new cloth with only water. If you have distilled water, that would be best to use to avoid any mineral deposits if your tap water is hard.
5. Rub the area with the damp cloth to remove any remaining residue from the soap on the previous cloth.
6. Pat the area with a towel to soak up as much moisture as possible.

• This problem can occur with virtually any cleaner, including ones that don’t require rinsing from the carpet. Rinsing a cleaner is only required to remove products that could damage the carpet, not because it could attract dirt to the area.
• If you accidentally use too much water when washing the area, remove the excess with a wet vacuum or point a fan on the area to help it dry more quickly.