With Halloween just around the corner there is a strong chance somewhere along the way you may end up with a chocolate stain on your carpet.

However, a little melted chocolate shouldn’t be cause for a meltdown. Here are some steps you can try at home to get your carpets looking like new.

First, if the chocolate is dry, remove as much of the solid pieces as you can without damaging the carpet fiber.  Pick or scrape the chocolate off and then vacuum up the flakes that remain.  Don’t scrub at the chocolate as you’ll just push it deeper into the carpet fibers or damage the twist of your carpet fibers.

Next add a pea sized amount of dish detergent to hot water. Take a white cloth and carefully BLOT the stain with the mixture. You should test a hidden corner of the carpet for color fastness before applying the mixture to a more prominent area. Again do not rub the carpet, just blot until the cloth stops picking up the stain. After the stain is removed, leave the area to dry. You may wish to point a fan on the area to expedite the process.

Once the carpet is dry, you may choose to repeat the process with a water and vinegar mixture to remove any soap in the carpet – 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 2 cups warm water.

Once completely dry and clean, vacuum to restore nap and pile.

In addition to gum, candy, and chocolate, other “accidents” can be a nightmare to clean-up, especially on a nice white carpet.  Here is another carpet cleaning tip on getting rid of one of those other scary Halloween stains.

Halloween Carpet Cleaning Nightmares – Make-Up

Remember:  Carpets and rugs with natural fibers (wool, silk, cotton, etc.) or dyes may require special treatment, and always read and follow the care instructions and any warnings provided by the carpet manufacturer. If in doubt contact a cleaning professional for advice/service. Never use a circular motion when attempting to remove stains, as it can destroy the texture of the carpet.

Remove as much of the foreign material as possible by blotting with a white paper towel or scraping with a dull knife.

Apply isopropyl rubbing alcohol to a clean white cloth, white paper towel or cotton ball. If the spot extends deep into the pile use a blotting motion until the spot is removed or no color is transferred to the cloth. Do not allow the alcohol to penetrate into the backing as this will destroy the latex bond. If the spot is on the surface only, rub in one direction at a time. Never us a circular motion to remove spot as this may destroy the texture. Stop if spot is removed. If not, go to the next step.

Apply a small quantity of detergent solution to the spot. Use a blotting motion to work the detergent into the affected area. If spot is being removed continue applying detergent and blotting with a white paper towel until spot is removed.

Rinse with tap water using a spray bottle, blot to remove excess moisture. Spray lightly with water, do not blot this time; apply pad of paper towels and brick and allow to dry.

If there is still some stain on the carpet and blotting is not removing it, then moisten the tufts in the stained area with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Let stand for on (1) hour. Blot and repeat until carpet is stain free. Light will cause peroxide to change back to water so no rinsing is necessary. Apply pad of paper towels and weight down with brick.

Tru Clean is a family owned environmentally carpet, tile and upholstery cleaning company serving all of Cape Coral, Naples, Fort Myers, Sanibel, Bonita Springs, Estero and Lehigh Acres, FL.  Our technicians are certified by the world’s most respected certification body for textile professionals and our cleaning solutions are allergen free and safe for pets and small children.

Tru Clean is an A+ rated company with the Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List.  In addition, we are a Certified Service Provider with The Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) and a Certified Firm with the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC).

For more information about Tru Clean please visit us online at www.trucleansurfacecare.com or call us any time at 239-541-4888.

Happy Halloween!