How to Remove Chocolate Stains
By Steve Gillman
Before we get into the details on removing chocolate stains
from carpet, let me point out that there are "spills"
and "spots," which might only become stains if they're
not cleaned up quickly. In other words, pick up that chocolate
before it is melted or rubbed into the carpet! But if it is too
late for that, here are the steps to take...
Put an ice cube on the spot to harden any remaining chocolate.
Then scrape out the chunks to the extent possible using a dull
knife or the edge of a teaspoon. Now, to remove the rest of the
stain...
Wet the area with water a little at a time and use a wet/dry
shop-vac to remove the water between applications. This will
usually not be enough to get the stain out, so we move on...
Make a mixture of clear ammonia (1 tablespoon) and water (4
ounces). Using a spray bottle if you have one, apply this to
the stain without soaking it too heavily (don't let it soak through
to the carpet pad). Using a clean white cotton cloth or plain
white paper towels, blot up the moisture between applications.
Repeat this process until you see no more stain transferring
to the cloth as you dab at the spot.
If the stain is removed, rinse and blot repeatedly with water,
then dry the area. Otherwise apply a mixture of water (six ounces)
and dish detergent (plain Dawn or Joy - a few drops) to the area
a little at a time. Blot between applications and watch to see
if the stain is still transferring to the cloth or paper towels.
This is how you can remove most chocolate stains in most cases.
If the steps above do not remove the stain completely, you can
try applying hydrogen peroxide to the stained fibers, brushing
it on using a cotton swab. Let this remain for an hour, and then
soak it up with a clean white cotton cloth or white paper towels.
You might try one more application, but after that you unlikely
to remove any more of the chocolate stain. Dry the area quickly
so it will not attract dirt.
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