Mildew Stain Removal

How to remove mildew stain from carpets.

Step 1. Identify the stain.
Identify what type of carpet stain we are dealing with and choose the appropriate cleaning solution to remove mildew stain. A stain made from mildew will be a organic type of stain. The best stain remover for organic stains would be a detergent based spotter. A detergent spotter can be made from mixing half teaspoon of laundry detergent to 500ml of warm water. Most mildew stains are caused by the carpet being wet for too long.

Step 2. Removing mildew stain.
The detergent carpet spotter solution should be applied to a clean cloth or paper towel. Never apply cleaning solutions directly to stain areas. Use a blotting action only as rubbing will cause pile distortion and will become unsightly even when entire stain is removed. Work the cleaning solution from the outside of the stain towards the center. You may have to repeat this step until no more stain transfer to cloth is achieved. next would be to get the area dry as fast as possible. Humidity is one of the major causes of mildew so keep good airflow over the area. Salt can be used to help draw out any excess moisture.

Step 3. Rinsing the stain.
Thoroughly rinse out the stained area with either plain water or soda water. It is really important to rinse all of the cleaning solution out of the carpet as this will prevent any wicking of the stain in the carpet as it dries. One option would be to use a wet and dry vac to rinse and retrieve the rinse water out of the carpet otherwise just use a thick cloth or a pile of paper towels applied to the damp area and weighted with a heavy object (phone book) and leave overnight. This will allow any residues to wick into the paper towels or cloth as it dries thus taking it out of the carpet and into the cloth or paper towels.

If mildew stain still persists please call a professional carpet cleaner to help remove remainder of stain.

Tips on stain removal.
Scrape up excess.
Blot stain only. Do not rub stain.
Avoid harsh chemicals such as bleach.
Do not over wet carpet with stain remover.
Do a little at a time, let it dry and do a little bit more.
Use a colour fast cleaning cloth or towel so the colour of the cloth doesn’t transfer to carpet (blue chux cloths tend to do this).
Stop once the stain stops transferring to the cleaning cloth .
If in doubt call River City Carpet Cleaning for advice.