FIRST AID FOR CARPET STAINS

Although no carpet is completely stain proof, most modern carpets have been treated to render them stain resistant. If you act quickly, most spills can be removed easily. A delay in taking action will in, crease the probability of the stain's becoming permanent. With some spilled substances--children's fruit drinks, for instance—you have only minutes before the stain sets permanently.
    Do not scrub the stained area. Doing so can cause pile distortion. Wherever possible, immediately blot up spills using a clean white absorbent material to avoid the possibility of dye transfer and to facilitate inspection of the stain removal process while stains transfer to the towel. When the stain has been removed, continue to blot with dry cloths or paper towels until the area is completely dry.
   If the spill remains on the carpet for a long time and becomes a dry mass, scrape off as much as possible using the side of a spoon or a blunt spatula before attempting to remove the remainder. For chewing gum or wax, freeze with an ice cube before
scraping. Be sure to vacuum up all remaining solid residue.
   If the cause of a spot can be identified, it may be possible to remove it yourself. Refer to Stain Removal, and carefully adhere to the recommended directions.
   Copious spills that penetrate through the carpet to the backing and even to the floor are a special problem. If the substance smells, the carpet may have to be lifted and cleaned. Consider hiring professional carpet cleaners rather than attempting to do the job yourself. Just blot it up and get help. (Do-it-yourself cleaning efforts might render the stain difficult for even an expert to remove.)
   Household products that contain bleach, hydrogen peroxide, or some other oxidizing agent can cause irreversible damage. A leaking container of laundry bleach is an obvious villain. Other products are more insidious. The damage caused by acne, foot, or dog
mange medications containing benzyl peroxide, for instance, often doesn't show up right away. Those medications, typically hard to wash off, have ruined many a carpet. Benzyl peroxide is activated by moisture from humidity, a spilled drink, or wet cleaning of carpets. Impossible-to-remove discolorations may show up after contact with moisture. Other products to watch out for include swimming pool chemicals, drain cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, mildew removers, liquid plant foods, and pesticides.