The most common types of carpet & rug stains

There are many different types of carpet and rug spots and stains but there are FIVE general categories of household stains on carpet and rugs.

General or Common Stains on Carpets and Rugs:

The most common stains found in the carpet in the home are water-based, combination oil and water based or protein stains. Water based carpet stains are typically food, many beverages such as beer, liquor and soft drinks, baby formula, jelly, syrup, latex paint, plain old dirt and many more. Combination oil and water-based stains such as salad dressing, oily foods of all types, chocolate, mayonnaise and many others also fall into this category. Protein stains such as milk, milk products, ice cream, blood, grass and many food items are also general or common stains on carpet.

Greasy and Oil-Based Stains:

Oil-based carpet stains can be among the most difficult to remove because few consumer carpet stain removers are designed to remove such stains. Oil-based carpet and rug stains include adhesives, butter, cooking oils, cosmetics, crayon, some furniture polish, glues, gravy, grease, gum, hand cream, inks, lipstick, margarine, oil, ointment, peanut butter, tar, wax and many others.

Juice and Dye Stains:

Carpet Stains of this type are widely varied given that there are so many different types of dyes found in juices, foods and beverages, medications and so forth. While it is important to remove all spots as soon as possible, time is of the essence even more in terms of juice and dye stains as these dyes can sometimes dye carpet fibres resulting in a permanent stain!

Coffee and Tea Stains:

Coffee and tea contain “tannins” that leave brown, tan or yellow discolourations on carpets.

Pet Stains and Odours:

This category is self-explanatory! Ireland is a nation of pet lovers and we have many pet cats or dogs and even the most well-trained pet will have an occasional accident or get sick and vomit on the carpet. And beloved older pets sometimes just can’t make it until we get home to take them outside. Carpet stains in this category are organic materials such as urine, faeces, vomit and other organic materials.

The Carpet Doctor specialises in removing all types of stains from rugs and carpets. Contact us today.