You tackled that pesky stain on your carpet months ago and are basking in the glow of a stain removed when – suddenly – it reappears. What happened?
Without the proper carpet cleaning formula, a stain is only treated and removed on the surface of the carpet where it is visible for all to see. But the stain itself may have soaked through the entire carpet fiber, into the carpet backing and sometimes even into the pad below. Over time, the trapped stain can travel back up to the fiber stands and into the carpet fibers at the surface, where it reappears.
The stains stop here! Do you want to know how to get chocolate out of carpet? Or how to finally get ink out of your carpet? Here is our handy guide to clean carpet stains and stop them from happening again!
How to Choose Carpet Cleaning Formula
Not all carpet cleaning formulas are created equal. We know there are a ton of options, but it’s important to choose the correct formula when treating and cleaning carpet.
Formulas with enzymes work to break down organic stains in your carpet, like pet accidents or food. They work best when covered with a moist towel and are given time to work (12-72 hours). Enzyme action in these carpet cleaning formulas is similar to healthy probiotics found in yogurt. The enzymes help eat microscopic particles that make up the carpet stain. When they are kept moist, the enzymes will continue to multiply and remove the stain particles until they are gone.
There are formulas which contain carpet protectant, like StainProtect™, that will leave behind a protective layer around the carpet fibers. These types of carpet cleaning formulas guard against future carpet stains because after the protective layer is there, stains will bead up on, not soak into, carpet fibers.
Oxygen-boosted cleaning uses active oxygen to break up the chemistry of a stain, removing its color forever and ensuring it won’t reappear. That’s why carpet cleaner formulas with oxy can remove some of your toughest stains for good, so you can rest easy knowing they won’t magically reappear.
How to Clean Carpet Stains
1) Pre-Treat Stains
If you are trying to figure out how to clean disgusting carpet, pre-treating is the key to your answer. Before using the Big Green® carpet cleaner rental, use a trigger spray product (like Oxy Deep® Pro) to cover all the really bad stains that are in your carpet. Then, fill the clean tank of the Big Green carpet cleaner with water and one of the formulas above, and you are ready to go. We recommend using Advanced Clean & Protect. It’s our most powerful formula for removing tough, ground-in dirt and stains.
2) Deep Clean Carpet with the Bissell Big Green Semi-Annually
For stains that have been sitting for a long period of time or deeply soiled carpet, try deep cleaning the entire area. Use an oxygen-boosted formula in the Big Green carpet cleaning machine so it can reach all the way down into the carpet fibers to remove the toughest stains.
To keep your carpets looking their best, and getting rid of tough stains, we recommend cleaning carpets twice a year with the BISSELL Rental Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine®. Rent the Big Green during spring cleaning season and then again after the kids go back to school. You’ll get all those stains that come with walking on the carpet with shoes during the winter, as well as all the sand and dirt from summer and fall.
3) Spot Clean Stains When They Happen
When a fresh stain happens, treat your carpet as soon as possible with a stain remover to prevent it from soaking into carpet fibers and re-appearing in the future.
Where to Find a Carpet Cleaner Rental Near Me
Next time you think that your carpet needs to be cleaned, look for a store near you that carries BISSELL Rental. Just go to our Location Search Tool and type in your zip code (or postal code if you are in Canada). You can choose a 10-, 25-, 50- or 100-mile radius to find stores in your area.