🍷Red wine
Act nowSpeed matters. Absorb as much liquid as possible before it spreads into the backing.
Do this now
- 1Blot firmly with a clean white towel — never scrub.
- 2Add a small amount of cool water, then blot again from the outside toward the centre.
- 3Repeat with fresh sections of the towel until little colour transfers.
- 4Place a dry towel over the area and weigh it down for 10–15 minutes.
Avoid
- ×Hot water or steam
- ×Salt, coloured towels or vigorous rubbing
- ×Mixing household chemicals
When it needs a professional: The wine has dried, the carpet is wool or another natural fibre, or a pink/purple shadow remains.
☕Coffee or tea
Act nowTannins and milk leave different residues, so start gently and avoid heat.
Do this now
- 1Blot up the spill with a clean white towel.
- 2Lightly dampen with cool water and blot — do not flood the carpet.
- 3If needed, use a tiny drop of clear mild dish liquid well diluted in water; test on a hidden area first.
- 4Blot with clean water to remove residue, then press dry with a fresh towel.
Avoid
- ×Heat or aggressive scrubbing
- ×Pouring detergent directly onto carpet
- ×Over-wetting the underlay
When it needs a professional: The drink contained milk, cream or sugar and an odour remains, or the stain has already dried.
🐾Pet urine
Act nowUrine travels deeper and wider than the mark you can see. Getting the moisture out quickly is the priority.
Do this now
- 1Stand on layers of white towel to absorb as much moisture as possible.
- 2Blot with a little cool water, then absorb again — do not soak the area.
- 3Apply a carpet-safe enzyme treatment exactly as its label directs; patch-test first.
- 4Keep pets and children away until the product has been removed or has fully dried as directed.
Avoid
- ×Steam, hot water or hair dryers
- ×Ammonia-based cleaners
- ×Masking the smell with deodorising powder
When it needs a professional: The smell returns when it is humid, the spot is old or repeated, or urine may have reached the underlay or subfloor.
🩸Blood
Act nowCold water only. Heat sets this protein-based stain into the fibre.
Do this now
- 1Wear gloves and remove any solids safely.
- 2Blot with a white towel dampened with cold water.
- 3Work from the edge inward, changing to a clean part of the towel often.
- 4Press with a dry towel to remove remaining moisture and allow airflow.
Avoid
- ×Warm or hot water
- ×Rubbing or brushing
- ×Treating a large biohazard yourself
When it needs a professional: The stain is dried, extensive, from an unknown source, or needs biohazard handling.
🛢️Grease or oil
Act soonOil spreads easily. Lift and absorb it before introducing any moisture.
Do this now
- 1Gently lift thick residue with a spoon — do not push it deeper.
- 2Cover with a carpet-safe dry absorbent powder and follow its label directions.
- 3Vacuum thoroughly once dry.
- 4Blot remaining residue with a highly diluted clear mild dish liquid, then rinse-blot and dry.
Avoid
- ×Rubbing the oily area
- ×Solvents without fibre testing
- ×Leaving detergent residue behind
When it needs a professional: The spill is motor oil, paint-related or solvent-based, or the dark mark returns after drying.
🥾Mud or soil
Let it dry firstUnlike most spills, mud is easier to remove after it has dried completely.
Do this now
- 1Keep people and pets away so the mark does not spread.
- 2Allow the mud to dry — do not add water yet.
- 3Break up the dry soil gently and vacuum slowly in several directions.
- 4Blot any remaining mark with cool water, then press dry.
Avoid
- ×Scrubbing wet mud
- ×Grinding soil in with a brush
- ×Over-wetting the remaining mark
When it needs a professional: A brown or red shadow remains, the soil is oily, or it covers a large traffic area.
🍫Chocolate
Act soonChocolate combines fat, sugar and colour. Remove the solids before treating the residue.
Do this now
- 1Chill soft chocolate through a sealed bag of ice, then lift it with a spoon.
- 2Blot with a white towel lightly dampened with cool water.
- 3Use a tiny amount of well-diluted clear mild dish liquid if needed; patch-test first.
- 4Rinse-blot with clean water and press dry.
Avoid
- ×Heat
- ×Smearing softened chocolate
- ×Pouring cleaner directly on the spot
When it needs a professional: The stain is on wool, has been heat-set, or an oily brown shadow remains after drying.
🖊️Ink or marker
Act nowInk can spread dramatically when treated with the wrong product. Use a very light touch.
Do this now
- 1Blot — do not rub — with a clean dry white towel.
- 2Protect the surrounding carpet with dry towels in case the ink travels.
- 3Check the carpet manufacturer's care guidance before applying any solvent.
- 4If colour keeps transferring or spreading, stop and call a professional.
Avoid
- ×Rubbing or flooding
- ×Hairspray, bleach or random solvents
- ×Continuing if carpet colour transfers
When it needs a professional: Permanent marker, printer ink, large spills, natural fibres, or any mark that begins to spread.
🤢Vomit
Act nowRemove the acidic residue quickly, while keeping the area and your hands protected.
Do this now
- 1Wear gloves and lift solids with a spoon or disposable card.
- 2Blot moisture with a white towel, working inward.
- 3Lightly rinse-blot with cool water; do not saturate the carpet.
- 4Use a carpet-safe enzyme treatment according to its label, then ventilate the room.
Avoid
- ×Hot water
- ×Scrubbing particles deeper
- ×Mixing disinfectant, bleach or ammonia
When it needs a professional: Odour or discolouration remains, the affected person was infectious, or contamination is extensive.
🍝Food or sauce
Act soonSauces can carry oil, protein and strong colour at once, so remove solids without spreading them.
Do this now
- 1Lift food from the outside inward using a spoon.
- 2Blot with a dry white towel until no more moisture transfers.
- 3Lightly rinse-blot with cool water.
- 4For oily residue, use a tiny amount of diluted clear mild dish liquid, then rinse-blot and dry.
Avoid
- ×Rubbing tomato or curry pigment
- ×Hot water
- ×Leaving soap in the carpet
When it needs a professional: The sauce contains turmeric or another strong dye, the stain has dried, or oily colour remains.
🕯️Wax or chewing gum
Act soonHarden the material before lifting it. Heat can damage fibres or drive colour deeper.
Do this now
- 1Place ice in a sealed bag and hold it over the material until firm.
- 2Gently break or lift from the edge with a blunt spoon.
- 3Vacuum loose fragments without pulling carpet fibres.
- 4Stop if coloured wax or sticky residue remains.
Avoid
- ×Open ice that wets the carpet
- ×Irons, hair dryers or boiling water
- ×Cutting or pulling carpet fibres
When it needs a professional: Coloured wax has transferred dye, gum remains tacky, or the carpet loops begin to pull.
🔎Unknown stain
Act soonWhen you do not know what caused a mark, the safest first step is to avoid creating a chemical reaction.
Do this now
- 1Photograph the stain and note its colour, smell, texture and approximate age.
- 2Lift solids gently, then blot moisture with a white towel.
- 3Test plain cool water on a hidden area before lightly rinse-blotting.
- 4Stop if the carpet colour transfers, the stain spreads or an odour becomes stronger.
Avoid
- ×Guessing with multiple products
- ×Bleach or strong solvents
- ×Scrubbing before identifying it
When it needs a professional: The substance may be hazardous, has a strong chemical smell, or does not respond to gentle blotting.
