Spills happen—coffee, red wine, or pet paw prints can easily dirty your carpet. A rug pad helps protect your floors and makes cleaning easier. The good news? You can make your own carpet cleaner with simple ingredients you likely already have at home. No need for expensive sprays or chemicals!

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First, check if your carpet is synthetic or natural, then pick the right cleaner for your carpet. Use our easy guide to find the best homemade solutions for any stain. If your carpet can’t be saved, it might be time for a new one!

Custom Carpet Cleaning Solutions

Dip a white cloth into the do-it-yourself carpet cleaners and gently treat the stain to find spot clean synthetic rugs. Never straight pour the solution on the carpet. For natural fiber carpets, gently mist these cleaners—except from the solvent—into spray bottles onto the stain. In either case, always start your cleaning session with a nice vacuuming!

Carpenter's Dental Cleaner

• Combine ¼ teaspoon of clear liquid dishwashing detergent—such as Dawn or Joy—with 1 cup of lukewarm water for synthetic carpets.
• Concerning natural fiber carpets: With one cup of lukewarm water, mix one teaspoon of clear liquid dishwashing detergent—like Dawn or Joy.

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Vinegar Carpet Cleaners

• Mix one cup of white vinegar with two cups of water for synthetic carpets.
• For natural fiber carpets: Combine ½ cup water with ½ cup white vinegar.

Carpet Cleaner for Solvent

Use an oil-based solvent; alternatively, Cutex Quick & Gentle is a non-acetone nail polish remover.

Cleaner for ammonium carpets

For carpets made of natural fibers just: Stir ½ cup lukewarm water with 1 tablespoon of clear household ammonia.

How to Clean Food and Drink Stains from Carpets

Synthetic fibrous carpets and rugs

Here's how you should clean stains from products such wine, ketchup, chocolate, coffee, tea, beer, milk, tomato sauce, berries, hard candy, juice, soda, Gatorade, and Kool-Aid:

1. First, for synthetic carpets, dip a fresh white cloth—or a plain white paper towel—into your homemade detergent solution. After softly dabbing at the stain, push the cloth down for a few seconds. Let it break down the stain for roughly fifteen minutes. Then wipe any extra liquid with a dry white handkerchief.
2. For synthetic carpets, now take a cloth soaked in your vinegar solution and gently dab the stain once again, pushing the cloth onto the spot for a few seconds. Let it settle for still another fifteen minutes. This is especially important since the vinegar helps eliminate any residual detergent, which can draw dirt.
3. Rine by blotting with a cloth dipped in lukewarm water. Let it stay until the carpet dries completely, an hour or more. Should the spill be really severe, cover the stain with a thick stack of white paper towels (about half an inch) following the vinegar procedure, then cover it with a glass baking tray for 15 minutes.

Till the stain begins to diminish and finally vanishes, keep following these procedures.

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Natural carpets and rugs

These guidelines apply to treating beer, coffee, or tea stains on natural fiber carpets and rugs:

1. Spray the stain with a homemade detergent solution; then, dab it with a dry white cloth.
2. Should the stain still show, dab with a vinegar solution then wipe with a dry towel.
3. Once more the detergent solution stage, then blot once more.
4. If so, wipe and spray lukewarm water.
5. Till the stain disappears, keep going through steps 1–4.
6. Follow the same procedures for stains from hard candy, chocolate, berries, juice, wine, soda, or milk; but, before applying the vinegar solution, spritz with an ammonia solution and blot with a dry towel.

For ketchup, Gatorade, Kool-Aid, or tomato sauce stains, use steps 1–5; substitute the ammonia solution in step 2 for the vinegar solution.

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Removing Oil and Grease Stains from Carpets

With your DIY carpet stain remover, treat stains from butter, salad dressing, cheese, eggnog, cooking oil, tree sap, crayons, moisturizer, mascara, lipstick, and nail polish using these directions.

Restoring Synthetic Fiber Rugs & Carpets

1. Spoon a tiny bit of your homemade carpet cleaner onto a white cloth. After gently blotting the stain, briefly hold the cloth against the locati0n.
2. Rinse by blotting the area with a white cloth soaked in lukewarm water.

Let the carpet dry till completely, one hour or more. Should the stain be disappearing, keep going until it is totally gone.

Natural Fiber Carpenter's Rugs & Carpets

1. Spoon a tiny bit of solvent onto a white cloth, then blot the stain.
2. Spray the stain with a detergent solution; then, blot with a fresh, dry white towel.
3. Spray the area lukewarm water, then blot one more with a dry cloth.

Let the carpet dry till absolutely dry, one hour or more. Should the stain lessen, keep repeating these processes until it is completely gone.

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How to Get Dirt and Mud Out of Carpets

Synthetic fibre carpets and rugs

1. To cut as much as possible, vacuum any dry dirt.
2. For synthetic fiber carpets, soak a white cloth in the detergent solution; dab the stain repeatedly; then, press the cloth onto the spot for a few seconds. Wait fifteen minutes; then, using a dry white handkerchief, blot any extra liquid.
3. Dip another fresh white towel in lukewarm water, dab the area repeatedly, then press it briefly over the stain.

Natural fiber carpets and floor mats

• Scoop out any dry soil to eliminate as much as you can.
• For natural fiber carpets, spray the stain with the detergent solution; then, dab with a dry white cloth.
• For natural fiber carpets, lightly spray the stain with the vinegar solution; then, blot with a dry white towel.
• Once more apply the detergent solution, then blot with a dry white cloth.
• Spray the stain with lukewarm water, then blot with a dry white cloth.

How to Get Wax Stains and Chewing Gum Out of Carpets

Rugs and carpets both synthetic and natural fiber

• Until the chewing gum or wax stain sets, gently rub the afflicted region with a Ziploc bag loaded with ice cubes. Break it apart with a blunt object—such as a spatula—then sweep the bits back into the vacuum.
• Blot the spot after lightly rubbing solvent on a white cloth.
• Rinse by blotting cloth dipped in lukewarm water.

Getting Gravy and Mayonnaise Out of Carpets: Methodology

Carpets and Rugs Made of Synthetic Fiber

• Blot the stain with a white cloth after dabbing a tiny bit of solvent over it. Let it evaporate for fifteen minutes. Again if necessary.
• To rinse, dab with a white towel dipped in lukewarm water. Wait fifteen minutes; then, using a dry white handkerchief, absorb the extra liquid.

Rugs & Natural Fibers: 

Gravy Stain

• Treat the stain with a detergent solution made for natural fiber carpets; next, blot with a dry white cloth.
• Spray the stain with an ammonia solution then dab with a dry white cloth.
• Spray the stain with a vinegar solution; then, dab with a dry white cloth.
• Reapply the detergent solution then blot with a dry white cloth.
• Wet the stain with water; then, blot with a dry white cloth.

Stain of Mayonnaise:

• For natural fiber carpets, mist the stain with a detergent solution; then, blot with a dry white cloth.
• Treat the discoloration with an ammonia solution then dab with a dry white cloth.
• Spray the stain with a vinegar solution; then, dab with a dry white cloth.
• Reapply the detergent solution then blot with a dry white cloth.

Getting Marker Stains and Ink Out of Carpets

Rugs and Carpets Made Synthetic Fibers

Ballpoint Inks:

• Blot a tiny bit of solvent on a white cloth to treat a stain. Let it set for fifteen minutes; then, repeat as necessary.
• Rinish by blotting a cloth soaked in lukewarm water.

Final Felt-Tip Marker:

• Blot a tiny bit of solvent on a white cloth to stain it. Let it evaporate for fifteen minutes.
• Apply a detergent solution on a white cloth, dab the spot, then briefly press it. Let it dry for fifteen minutes; then, using a dry cloth, absorb up extra liquid.
• Rinish by blotting a cloth soaked in lukewarm water.

Rugs and natural fiber carpets

In ballpoint ink:

• Spray with a detergent solution then dab with a dry white towel.
• Spray with the ammonia solution; then, blot.
• Spray with vinegar solution; then, blot.
• Reapply the detergent solution then blot.
• Water sprayed; then blot.

Final Felt-Tip Marker:

• On a white cloth, dab a tiny bit of solvent and blot.
• Spray with a detergent solution; then, blot with a dry cloth.
• Water spray then blot.

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Eliminating Pet Stains and Odours: Techniques

Rugs & Carpets Made from Synthetic Fibers

• With a white cloth, dab detergent solution on the stain; then, press for a few seconds.
• Wait fifteen minutes then gently blot with a dry cloth.
• Proceed similarly with vinegar solution and wait another fifteen minutes.
• Spend an hour letting the carpet dry. Should the stain recede, go back through steps 1–3 until it disappears.

Rugs & Carpets Made from Natural Fibers

• Spray with a detergent solution; then, blot with a dry cloth.
• Spray with the ammonia solution; then, blot.
• Spray with vinegar solution; then, blot.
• Re-apply the detergent solution and blot.
• Spray with lukewarm water; then, blot.

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