How to Remove Fruit Juice Stains from Carpet

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posted on 17 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Fruit juice may be delicious, but it can be hazardous for your carpets. If you lose your grip on your grape juice, or have a cranberry catastrophe, don't panic. Treat the stain as quickly as you can because the longer juice sits on the fibers, the harder it will be to get out. In most cases, applying a simple solution of dishwashing detergent and water is enough to get the stain out. If your juice stain is more stubborn, though, you may need to follow up with an ammonia solution to remove it for good.

Steps

Removing the Excess Juice

Blot the carpet with paper towel. As soon as you noticed the spill, soak up the excess juice. Gently press a white paper towel over the affected area in a downward motion. Continue blotting the carpet with a fresh paper towel until you no longer see any juice transferring to the paper. You can use a cloth or rag to blot the juice, but make sure that it's white. Dyes from colored fabric can transfer to the carpet. If a large amount of juice has spilled, you may want to soak up the excess with a wet vacuum before blotting the stain.

Spray the area with water. After you've blotted the juice from the surface of the carpet, it's important to remove any liquid that may have seeped into the fibers. Fill a spray bottle with water, and lightly mist the stained area to moisten it again. Use bottled or distilled water to spray the area to avoid any additional staining.

Re-blot the carpet. Once you've moistened the stained area of the carpet again, use fresh towel paper to blot the stain again. Continue blotting with fresh paper towel until you no longer see any juice transferring to the paper. If the stained area is particularly large, you may need to repeat the blotting process several times.

Treating the Stain

Combine dishwashing detergent with water. To make a detergent solution for the stain, mix 1 tablespoon (20 ml) liquid hand dishwashing detergent with 2 cups (473 ml) of warm water. Stir the mixture well to ensure that the ingredients are fully combined. Be sure to choose a dishwashing detergent that does not contain bleach or lanolin.

Apply the detergent solution to the stain and blot. Dip a clean white sponge into the detergent solution, and use a pressing motion to work it into the carpet. Next, blot the area with a clean paper towel until the excess liquid is removed. Wring out the sponge before applying it to the carpet to ensure that you don't use too much of the detergent solution.

Repeat the process until the stain is lifted. You may not be able to remove all of the stain with just one application of the detergent solution. Continue wetting the sponge, applying it to the stain, and blotting away the excess liquid until the spot is removed. Depending on the type of juice and how long the stain has set, it may take three or more applications of the detergent solution to remove it completely.

Spray the area with water and blot again. When the stain is removed, you need to rinse out the detergent mixture. Use the spray bottle to moisten the carpet again, and blot away the excess liquid with clean towel paper. If there still appears to be some detergent in the carpet, repeat the process.

Mist the area with water and set a stack of paper towels on top to dry. After you've rinsed the carpet, spray the area with water once again. Do not blot it this time, though. Place a wad of paper towels or a few clean rags over it, and set a heavy item, such as a book or brick, over it to absorb the excess moisture and help the area to dry.

Dealing with Stubborn Stains

Mix ammonia with water. If the stain doesn't lift when you use the detergent, you may need to use a stronger solution. Combine 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of ammonia with 2 cups (473 ml) of warm water and mix to ensure that they're fully incorporated. As an alternative, mix ⁄2 cup (120 mL) of white vinegar into ⁄3 cup (160 mL) of water. Put the solution into a clean spray bottle, then spritz it onto your stain. Do not use an ammonia mixture on your carpet if it is wool or a wool-blend. If you're not sure what type of fiber your carpet is, check with the manufacturer. Mixing ammonia and chlorine bleach will create hazardous fumes, so make sure that the detergent you used on the carpet did not contain bleach before applying the ammonia.

Sponge the ammonia mixture onto the stain. Dip a clean, white sponge into the ammonia solution. Next, press it into the stained area to work it into the fibers. If you're using diluted vinegar, you can spray it onto the stain or dab it onto the stain. Wring the sponge out before blotting it into the carpet so you don't apply too much.

Blot the area until the stain is removed. After you've applied the ammonia mixture, blot the area with white paper towel. Continue blotting the area with fresh paper until the stain has lifted completely.

Rinse the area with cold water. Once the stain has been removed, wet a fresh white sponge with cold water. Press it into the carpet to rinse it, and blot the area with paper towel. Keep blotting the area with fresh paper towel until it is mostly dry. You can place a stack of paper towel or clean white towel over the area and weigh it down with a heavy object to help the carpet dry more quickly.