Green Ways to Remove Rug and Carpet Stains.

When you have kids or pets at home, it's not unusual for your carpet to be subjected to all sorts of dirt and stains. Sure, they can be easily addressed by all those commercially-available stain removers. But more often than not, these products contain caustic substances. Not to mention chlorine and/or petroleum-bas­ed solvents that are potentially dangerous to our health, most especially to our kids.

Green carpet cleaning has become a healthier option these days; a more popular choice for the health-conscious and environment-friendly moms like me. And I'm sharing with you some simple ways to remove stains and reduce odor from your rugs and carpets - the green way.

For odor control, use baking soda. Sprinkle a generous amount on your carpet and let it set for 30 minutes to an hour before vacuuming. To further improve odor, National Geographic Green Living suggest trying a few drops of lavender oil or ground cloves to the baking soda to improve indoor odor.

Got crayon stains on the carpet? Take an old toothbrush, dip it in vinegar and then scrub the stained area. You can do the same technique for glue and bubblegum stains, too.

As for the four C's of stains - catsup, coffee, cola, and chocolate, these call for a vinegar and water solution. Of course, each culprit has its own stain removal guideline, but the principle behind each is to mix 1 cup of vinegar with 2 cups water. You can increase the quantity depending on the amount of stain you are dealing with, as long as you follow the 1:2 ratio.

Photo credit: Red Beacon.

For catsup stains, sponge the mixture into the carpet until the stain disappears. Do this liberally while rinsing and repeatedly wringing out your sponge. Chocolate stains can be treated in the same way, but it's important to blot with a clean cloth, instead of rubbing it, to avoid spreading the stain further. Remember to rinse and wring out your sponge as well.

A coffee or tea spill on the rug should come up easily if you clean it right away. Simply sponge it with clean water. However, if it's an old stain, you can use the vinegar and water solution. Sponge it in, then rinse and wring until all brown color is gone. Cola stains can be treated that way as well.

The ABC of Rug and Carpet Care.

Imagine your home - your dream home,  and finally being able to live in it and call it your own. Imagine the living room - wide, spacious, decorated with a classic style (nothing extremely modern, and not too minimalist either), with a beautiful, handcrafted Karastan rug sprawled gorgeously on the floor.

Karastan Area Rug / Select Artwork, Plum Blossom.

Now imagine your three-year-old accidentally spilling his milk on your precious Karastan. Or your husband coming home after a game of football, trudging across the living room - muddy cleats and all. Or your naughty Persian cat, scratching on the wool.

Horror of horrors, isn't it? Thankfully, there's an area rug cleaner to get you out of this nightmare.

ABC Rug and Carpet Care gives  first class cleaning and customer service from people who truly care about you, your family, and your rugs. Their team of experienced cleaning technicians can clean, repair, and restore any type of rug and carpet imaginable! Most importantly of all, they use organic cleaning solutions which prolongs the life of your carpets and rugs, and protects not only the environment but also your family's health.

And if you avail of their services today, you get a 15% discount on top of the superior cleaning service and excellent customer care that they provide. Now isn't that great news for you and your precious Karastan?