How To Get Mud Out of Your Carpet?
Winter months are common problem months for tracking mud into the home. These months are notorious for snow and rain which make it very difficult to keep the inevitable mud from transferring from shoes to carpeting.
Add children and pets to the mix and the problem is even worse. Having to towel dry your pets every time they come into the house is inconvenient. Children forget to take their shoes off when they come in from a muddy or wet day outside. What do you get? Muddy or dirty wet prints on the carpet.
How To Get Mud Out of Your Carpet?
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to remove mud out of your carpet, if you were to find yourself in this situation:
#1 Let the Mud Dry
It's easier to remove dry mud from your carpet than rubbed in mud by trying to wipe it off while wet. DO NOT RUB IN THE WET MUD!!! Rubbing wet mud will cause the mud to go deeper into your carpet fibers. For VERY wet mud, blot gently with a towel to prevent the moisture from going into the carpet pad. Again, DO NOT RUB. It is much better to let the mud dry and then you can vacuum it out, which brings us to our next step…
#2 Vacuum the Dry Mud
Slowly vacuum the dry mud and remove the dirt. If you vacuum slowly, you will remove more dirt than if you do a quick vacuum sweep. Do several passes over the muddy area and vacuum in all directions, to avoid dirty from falling into areas that the vacuum does not touch. The more you vacuum the area, the better.
#3 Create a Mild Liquid Cleaning Solution
Once the loose dirt has been removed, you want to remove the actual grime or anything stains caused by the wet dirt. You do that by mixing 1 teaspoon of mild dishwashing detergent to 1 cup of lukewarm water. Mix.
#4 Blot, DO NOT RUB!
BLOT the solution on the affected area. Again, DO NOT RUB. Blot using a light colored cloth, white preferably so you can see the stain lifting. Continue blotting until the stain is gone. If you need to switch out the white towel, do so as necessary.
#5 Dry the Wet Area
Once the stain is gone, dry the area with a clean cloth or paper towel.
#6 Still a Stain? No Problem!
If the stains do not lift, consider using a carpet cleaning professional. Dream Steam has powerful vacuums that can remove stains that are hard to remove with home spot removal treatments. We can remove everything from paint to wine stains to Kool-aid stains.
#7 Take Precautions
Consider having a “mudroom” area by your front or back door where visitors or family members can remove their shoes and towel off muddy pets before they track mud into the home.
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