How To Remove Soot Stains From Your Carpet
Soot is a black powdery substance that consists of amorphous carbon. It is produced after a fire, and if you have a fireplace in your home, you have probably already dealt with soot on numerous occasions. Sure the fire keeps you warm and toasty, but what happens when soot gets on your carpets? Soot can stain carpets; however, if you find yourself with a sooty mess, don’t fret. Pause before you get out that soap and water and start scrubbing—you’ll just make it worse! Instead, follow these four steps to remove soot stains from your carpet, for good.
You will need:
Baking soda or cornstarch.
Dry cleaning solvent. (You can purchase this at most pharmacies and big box stores.)
Clean, white cloths. (The cloths have to be white, otherwise you risk transferring colour onto your carpet. If possible, buy new cloths for this soot removal job.)
Vacuum with attachments. (A dustbuster can work in a pinch, but a vacuum is best.)
Step 1: Sprinkle the baking soda or cornstarch over the area of the carpet that is stained with soot. You will need to let it set for an hour before you can move on to the second step.
Step 2: After an hour, the baking soda or cornstarch has had time to set and work its magic. Use your vacuum to get rid of the powder. If the stain is along baseboards, use the vacuum’s attachments to better target the area. If the stain is on the floor, use the vacuum as is.
Step 3: Take one of your clean white cloths and moisten it with the dry cleaning solvent. Don’t over do it—a little dry cleaning solvent goes a long way. You don’t have to drench the cloth, just dampen it. Now, blot the stained area with the moistened cloth. You will need to blot a few times in order to completely remove the soot stains, but this should do the trick.
Step 4: Once the stains have been removed, let the area air dry.
Although it may seem unmanageable at first, soot is easily removed from carpets. For more complicated stains, we can help. There’s no mess or stain we can’t handle. Contact us today!