How to Remove Wood Stains From Carpet

Whether you have a log home or simply have wood walls inside, you may end up with some stains on your carpet when you treat the wood. These stains, if not taken care of properly and immediately, can lead to lasting damage to the carpet, and in some cases you may find yourself needing to replace the carpet completely. To avoid this, make sure you're cleaning up spills before they become a huge issue.

Stain Remover

The first step when cleaning wood stains from carpet is to get some carpet stain remover. Depending on the type of stain, you may have varying results, but it's a good start and certainly better than doing nothing. Test the stain remover on a small area of the carpet, to make sure there is no discoloration. After testing the area, follow the instructions on the bottle to treat the stain. This usually requires you to let the product soak into the carpet for about 10 minutes, and then clean up the area with a warm, wet cloth.

Dry the Spot

Make sure you dry the area. A good way to do this quickly is to use an iron on low heat. Don't put the iron directly on the carpet, or you'll risk burning it. Rather, hold it an inch or so off the carpet and make sure it's on low heat, or it will cause more problems than you already have. Put a damp cloth over the stained area, and then put the iron on the cloth. This will help it dry, as well as steam it slightly at the same time. When you use an iron, you're prepping the area for a deeper steam clean.

Steam Clean

Using a steam cleaner, go over the stained area. If you don't own a steam cleaner, you can rent one from a variety of locations, including grocery or department stores, repair shops, and more. Steam cleaning the area will help loosen the particles and get them off the carpet, pulling out the stain. This is usually less effective the longer the stain has been in place. Depending on how bad the stain is and how long it sets, you may need to do several steam cleaning sessions to remove the stain completely.

Clean with Chemicals

After you have steam cleaned the area and let it dry, you may need to apply chemicals to the area. Make sure you wear gloves and goggles to protect your hands and eyes throughout this process. To get started, simply apply some acetone on a cloth and blot at the stain. You can also use lacquer thinner or WD-40. These will help loosen the stain particles. Clean the area with a clean cloth or paper towel. Once you have completed this process, you may need to do another steam clean. Depending on the type of stain, how long it has been on the carpet, and how large it is, the steps you take may vary.

For extremely persistent stains, you may need to go through all the steps listed above. In some cases, you may even have to bring in a professional carpet cleaner. However, simply using carpet cleaner and a steam clean will get rid of many wood stains on carpet.

Image via Flickr by Wanna Be Creative