A natural carpet cleaner

@dfinster (3528)
United States
March 4, 2007 4:43pm CST
My cat got sick sometime last night right on our new grey carpeting. I cleaned it up as well as I could but I now have an orangish/brownish stain left in that spot. I don't want to use any kind of harsh carpet cleaner on it and wanted to know if anyone had a suggestion for a cleaner I could throw together at home that would be an effective alternative to the harsh chemical cleaners that you buy in the store.
6 responses
@Polly1 (12645)
• United States
4 Mar 07
Try this, make up some sudsy water, you can use laundry soap if you want. Take a washcloth, get it soapy. Work the suds in the stain. Then take a clean towel and soak up the wet spot, you will have to do this several times. The dry towel will act like a wick and pull up the stain onto that. Try not to rub to much, do more blotting. If you rub to much the carpet fibers can get fuzzy. Good luck.
2 people like this
@dfinster (3528)
• United States
5 Mar 07
Thanks I'll give that a try!
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
11 Apr 07
I have used baking soda and it does well on the smell I know OxyClean is not a natural cleaner but it does great on those nasty hard to get out stains. Have you tried one of those tide pens that can help erase a stain? I heard borax will help also. Well I hope you get our problem resolved. maybe you can brush baking soda into the stain with a scrub brush and then pour white vinegar onto it and it might bubble up the stain? I would also use a little degreasing dish soap to that. then get all htat you can up then vacuum then the next day take a scrub brish and go over it and give it a good brushing where you cleaned it to get out excess dried baking soda and then vacuum again then maybe take a cloth and water and go over it again. BUt I seriously would suggest the Oxyclean or even a generic brand Oxyclean because they work also just not as potent but cheaper you can get a generic brand Oxycleaner for $1 at Food City that I know atleast where I live.
1 person likes this
@dfinster (3528)
• United States
11 Apr 07
I actually got this new Oxi multi surface cleaner and was amazed at how it worked on a kool aid stain from my daughter's friends last weekend. The baking soda thing really worked well for me a few weeks ago.
• United States
5 Mar 07
First, it must be absorbed up. Never washed into the carpet. After you absorb it with a paper towel, take a wash cloth in warm water and use either vinegar or soap. Then blot up. Does your carpeting have scotch guard? If yes, it should come out. They also sell carpet cleaners for the car that foam. That may do the trick too. Good luck.
1 person likes this
@dfinster (3528)
• United States
5 Mar 07
My carpet has scotchguard thank heaven. I had other suggestions say vinegar too. What does the vinegar do? Does it work like the peroxide? Thanks for your help.
@JashleyB (1441)
• United States
9 Apr 07
You got some great responses. I just wanted to add that anytime there is a wet spot by vomit or pee you can pour sudsy water over it and then cover it with salt. It gets rid of smells amazingly! You just vaccum the salt up later when it has dried completely.
1 person likes this
@dfinster (3528)
• United States
9 Apr 07
Thanks for the help. I'll remember that.
@Demonix (294)
• Canada
5 Mar 07
club soda, a lot of people think im nuts when I suggest this but its always worked for me, if you can catch the stain in the early stages before it sets in pour a bit club soda on it and then wipe it up, sometimes you will have to use hot water and a wet/dry vac if it has set in, ive found the carbonation in the club soda cuts through stains quite well, then theres just the issue of cleaning it up which isnt that hard
1 person likes this
@dfinster (3528)
• United States
6 Mar 07
Thanks for you help.
@eden32 (3973)
• United States
4 Mar 07
I'd try a bit of dish soap, warm water & vinegar. It should get up the stain and any smell that's lingering. If that didn't work you might try diluted hydrogen peroxide- which i would check on a corner first to make sure it doesn't bleach your carpet.
1 person likes this
@dfinster (3528)
• United States
5 Mar 07
I never thought of the peroxide thing. When we get stains on the carpet in a particular wing where I work we use that all the time and it works great. The carpet is off whte though so yeah, I'll try a little test so I don't end up with a huge bleach spot! Thanks.