If you have spilled some water on your carpets, you might have been surprised to see that it actually left a stain behind, and not one that can easily be removed either!
The reason why water stains a carpet is for a couple of different reasons. The first is that water isn’t just water most of the time. It contains Minerals, chlorine, pesticides, and even radon! These contaminants can stain your carpets.
The other reason is that you have probably spilled a large amount of water without removing it and it hasn’t managed to evaporate fully, so it stays in the carpet.
In this blog post, we will walk you through how exactly you can get these water stains out.
Steps for removing water stains in your carpet
Create a mixture of warm water, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, and some dish soap
Spray onto the water-stained area
Lightly scrub your mixture into the carpets to break down those Minerals
Apply baking soda or corn-starch to dry out the area
Once dried, use your vacuum cleaner to pick up the corn-starch or baking soda
Finish off by applying enzyme cleaner to the area. Allow this to air dry naturally
Can remove water stains on wool the same way?
You can use the exact same method except do not use corn starch. Baking soda should be used on wool with your white vinegar mixture to break down those contaminants. Make sure that you dry wool as quickly as possible, use fans and dehumidifiers If it’s taking a while.
Can old water stains be removed from carpet?
You can remove older water stains with the same method but with a lot more white vinegar. Spray it onto the affected area without diluting it.
Scrub deep into the carpet fibres and then immediately follow up with a generous amount of baking soda to soak up all that water and vinegar. Then, simply vacuum the baking soda up.
Can water stains become permanent?
Sadly, water stains have the potential to become permanent if they have been left for years. This is due to the fact that they contain metallic properties, if these are left to fester on your carpets, they will become a permanent fixture.
There is no set time when a water stain becomes permanent on your carpets and it may never happen, but it does have the potential to happen especially if you live in a part of the world that produces hard water.
Do carpet water stains go away on their own?
Water stains will not go away on their own if they have been set on the carpet. They are here to stay if you let them, so don’t let them! Having said that, if you have only just spilled water and it's still damp, this may not stain and you won’t have to clean it if it hasn’t.
To be sure that it doesn’t stain, help it dry out. Place a fan or dehumidifier to draw the water out of the carpet before it gets a chance to set.
Can steam clean to remove water stains from carpet?
If the limescale deposits are not particularly high then steam cleaning alone can get rid of water stains. However, if a water stain does have high limescale content then you can still use steam but combine it with white vinegar for superior results.
Either way, steam cleaning is a great tool in your carpet cleaning arsenal and most of us would benefit greatly from purchasing one of these machines for our carpets and upholstery.
Does coca-cola remove hard water stains?
While Coca-Cola can break down limescale deposits found in hard water, the product itself can cause staining which is why we wouldn’t recommend Coca-Cola for hard water stain removal.
The stuff inside Coca-Cola (citric acid, tartaric acid, and phosphoric acid) can be found in many other products that won’t potentially just add another stain onto your carpets while removing another.
If you are set on using a home remedy, try lemon juice diluted slightly. This product contains the same properties but without the potential for discoloring your carpets.
Tried everything but the water stain won't budge?
If you have tried all of these methods but the water stain remains then you either have a permanent water stain, or something else is lurking within your carpets.
Either way, it’s time to ask for some professional assistance. There are a number of options from here. A professional can dye the carpet back to its original color if it has been permanently stained.
They will also be able to try a number of professional products that might have greater results than the home remedies tried already.
How to remove water stains from upholstery
For the most part, the methods used for carpets are safe for upholstery too. White vinegar, baking soda, steam, and lemon juice all work in breaking down those hard water stains and flushing them out from your couches and other upholstery items.
You may want to think twice about what you use on water stains when dealing with the more delicate materials.
These include;
Velvet
Suede
Persian rugs
Leather
For these kinds of materials, we never recommend any kind of homemade recipe because they are very prone to error. You may discolor them, or strip out some natural waxes designed to protect the material from harm.
Always use a product-specific solution to any kind of stain with these kinds of upholstery if you care about them!
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read our blog. We hope that you learned how to deal with those pesky water stains on your own, without the need for professional assistance.
We do not believe in keeping such things a secret. While some carpet cleaning companies would prefer to come out and charge you for everything, we know that sometimes a customer is perfectly capable of cleaning the stain themselves without us.
We have a lot of different ‘how to’ guides and other handy articles for you to have a look at. If you have another stain that needs removing, type it in the search bar at the top. Chances are that we have covered the topic already.