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Be prepared for quick action to save your carpet from a spill:
Attack the spill right away. Don't delay or it may stay.
Step #2
Before applying a cleaner, scrape off or soak up as much of the spill as possible. If you have a wet/dry vac use it. Otherwise, learn to blot. Lay absorbent white cloths over the stain — avoid colored cloths because they may bleed color — then stand on them. This will remove by absorption most of the spill.
Step #3
Test first and apply a cleaner to the spill in harmony with its base. This is really the key — attack the base or main substance of the stain. Use the least potent cleaner that will remove the spill. For example, for innocuous spills, apply a gentle cleaning solution (e.g., 1/4 teaspoon of a liquid dish detergent per one cup of lukewarm water) and blot. Don't flood it but work carefully from the outside of the spill toward center. By working to center, you tend to contain the spot to one area rather than spreading it. Get up as much as possible with a clean white cloth. Be careful not to rub the carpet which tends to damage the fibers, but focus on blotting.
After blotting and rinsing a few times with your cleaner and fresh water, apply a thick pile of clean white cloths, then put something heavy on top overnight. This is to prevent the stain reappearing by wicking up from the base of the carpet fibers; a staining substance hiding at the bottom of each carpet fiber can reappear the next day, even if the surface of the carpet looked clean. If you didn't leave something to absorb it as it wicked up that fiber, it would show up the next day at the surface.
What to Buy
There are so many spot and stain removal products, how do you know which ones to buy?
In some cases, if you have a combination spill consisting of several staining agents, a combination spot-remover is effective. Manufacturers have formulas that address most spot-removal problems. Products like Stain-X, OxiClean Carpet Spot & Stain Remover, Shout, Simple Green Carpet Cleaner, etc., are all designed with the shotgun approach in mind. Most of these work pretty well, as long as your spill isn't especially difficult or set in.
At times, you'll want to apply a mild non-chlorine oxygen-type bleaching agent such as diluted hydrogen peroxide from your medicine cabinet or a product like OxiClean. Always work with the least powerful agent you can to get the job done, otherwise you risk bleaching the color out of your carpet or garment.
Specialized spot removers such as those made by Carbona are designed to target the specific cause of the stain; very useful when the spot consists mostly of one type of staining agent. For example, a solvent-based cleaner works best on grease, oil or adhesive. An enzyme-based product is often effective on protein-based stains such as blood, feces, or gelatin.
Assemble a Stain Attack Kit
Lastly, it's a good idea to have a Stain Attack Kit on hand for quick cleanups. A roll of paper towels and a large spoon for removing debris should be there. Your kit should also contain substances that attack all the major stain bases — a mild cleaning solution like dish detergent and water in a spray bottle, a combination cleaner, an oxygen-type bleaching product, an enzyme cleaner, solvent type cleaner, and clean white cotton cloths to use as blotters/absorbents.
Remember always to attack the spills right away, test first, attack the dominant base of the stain, avoid mixing cleaners, avoid getting cleaners on your skin, and you'll be a stain removal specialist — valuable at any party!
