Food Stains Can Be Tough to Remove

It’s no wonder that most people don’t have carpet in the kitchen.  Food stains can be hard to remove from carpet.  But if we’re honest with ourselves, we know that the kitchen is not the only room in our house where you’ll find food.  Eating is common in dining rooms, many of which are carpeted.  Many of us also occasionally (or frequently) eat in our living rooms or family rooms, which are even more likely to have carpeting.  And where there is eating, there are bound to be some stains.  So which carpet food stains are notorious for their difficult removal? Here are a few.

Greasy Grub

You probably know how hard it is to remove grease from clothing.  It is the same with your carpet.  Any food that has grease in it will be difficult to remove.  This includes butter, some salad dressings, and any prepared food that contains oil or grease.

Troublesome Tomatoes

Tomatoes are delicious and many great-tasting foods are made with tomatoes.  Spaghetti sauce.  Pizza.  Sloppy joes.  Unfortunately, anything with tomatoes has the potential to stain your carpet.  Tomatoes are full of beta carotene, which has staining properties.

Gooey Glitches

Chocolate and peanut butter.  They go great together.  However, they also have a common bond in their ability to mess up your carpet.  Because they are not fully liquid or fully solid, they are not easily removed.  They tend to seep (or melt) into fibers, where they cause problems.  Sticky substances like syrup can also be tricky to remove for similar reasons.

Concerning Condiments

Summer is not complete without a healthy portion of hamburgers and hot dogs, cooked on the grill and piled high with all the toppings.  Some of those toppings can cause stains if they fall onto your carpet.  Ketchup stains due to its high tomato content (discussed above).  Another culprit is mustard, which contains both vinegar and tumeric.  These two ingredients work together to cause a stain that is very difficult to remove.  Tumeric is actually used to dye cloth and the acid in the vinegar cause carpet fibers to open up to this dye.

Bothersome Berries

One reason we love berries is because they are so colorful.  Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries make a simple summer fruit salad that looks beautiful with their range of striking colors.  Yet the vibrant colors of berries are also the reason that they are so likely to cause stains on your carpet.  Luckily a dropped berry can usually be picked up with little harm done unless it is stepped on or otherwise smashed into carpet fibers.

Damaging Drinks

We would be remiss if did not mention that drinks can also be enemies of your carpet.  Unfortunately, it is so easy to drop a glass or knock over a cup.  The most damaging drinks are red wine, coffee, and tea.  These liquids can easily find their way to the floor and seep through the fibers and into the padding of your carpet.

A blog like this may have you considering a hunger strike.  Relax – there’s no need for drastic action.  Just be aware of these stain creators and use care when eating over carpet.  When the inevitable stain happens, call Langenwalter at 317-876-9944.  We see these kinds of stains every day, and they really don’t faze us.  We know just what to do and we won’t quit until even the most stubborn stain is history.   Beyond carpet cleaning and stain removal, we also provide expert water remediation services.  Contact us any time 24/7 at 317-876-9944 for immediate help in cleaning up water damage.