Grease Carpet Stains - How to Remove Them

There are various types of grease carpet stains, and not all will come out easily. Grease alone is not the problem, but there are other staining elements depending on whether it is a greasy meatball that fell on the rug or a dribble of salad dressing. Fortunately, the following process should get most greasy stains out, especially if you catch them before they are old and set in the fibers.

Move Fast for Grease Stains

As soon as that fried cheese stick or french fry falls, clean it up. If there is visible grease, dab it lightly with a clean white paper towel to soak as much as you can quickly. After that, follow these steps:

1. Put a drop or two of dishwashing liquid in a cup of warm water. The original Dawn Dish Detergent is probably the best choice.

2. Dampen a clean white cotton cloth or thick white paper towel with the mixture and dab at the stain, getting it wet enough that the grease can separate from the fibers.

3. Dab at the stained area with a dry clean white cotton cloth or thick white paper towel to soak up any excess moisture (and hopefully the grease and any other stain components).

4. Repeat the first three steps as necessary.

It 's important not to pour the water and detergent mixture onto the stained area or to get it too wet. Too much moisture can cause the stain to spread. Also, if you have stopped getting any transfer of the stain to the wet or dry cloth, you are done - even if some of the stain remains. If the latter is the case you may need to call a professional carpet cleaner to get out any remaining discoloration (the grease should be out in any case).

Finally, when you are done, dry the area quickly. First soak up what you can with your clean white cloths or paper towels. You may also want to leave a cloth over the area with a weight on it (a heavy bowl perhaps) for a few minutes up to an hour, to soak up more moisture. Then, if you can, place a fan where it is blowing on the area until the carpet is dry. This quick-drying process helps for grease carpet stains, and any carpet clean-ups you do.