Due to the nature of some carpets, cleaning them requires more than hard work.
You have to be smart about it. Otherwise, you will use so much energy and time to clean something that should take a few minutes with the right tools and ideas.
If you deal with toddlers or dogs, you can’t predict how much they’ll push you sometimes.
It won’t be surprising if you close from work to meet a carpet with diarrhea in it. No one wants to experience that. Sadly that is the reality of life.
If you want to learn how to clean diarrhea out of carpet, here are tips to remember when dealing with such stains in your carpet.
- Put on a latex glove to protect your hands from the mess.
- Get a large bowl and place it over the stain.
- Use a paper towel to blot some of the poop stains out of the carpet.
- Use a separate bowl to combine ½ tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap, 1 cup of warm water, and 1 cup of white vinegar.
- Use a fork to scrape off any dried feces.
- Splash some of the solutions directly on the stain. Avoid splashing too much water.
- Use a brush or towel to blot the soaked stain.
- Use an eye dropper to drop a few drops of hydrogen peroxide on the stain to remove any stubborn stain. Then blow dry the carpet or leave it to air dry.
Carpet Cleaning 101
Cleaning a carpet is more challenging than mopping a tiled floor. As warm and cozy as the former is, cleaning it can be a cold war.
Because of the materials used in making some carpets, you need extra care and patience when cleaning them.
To maintain the shine, you need routine maintenance as frequently as twice a month, especially in the areas that receive more traffic.
Some of the things that make cleaning a carpet more labor-intensive than other hard flooring include:
Over Wetting
Use a brush or rag to clean your carpet. Avoid using too much water.
Carpet and water are not friends. Too much water on a carpet while cleaning will make it smell.
In the course of cleaning, if you’re not using a heavy-duty carpet cleaner, use just a little water because it will be difficult to clean and also smell from lack of proper aeration.
Ripping
Whether the carpet had ripped before you started cleaning or just ripped in the process, this is not a good sign when cleaning. It can mess up the entire process up.
Depending on the type of carpet you use, always choose soft brushes for scrubbing.
Furniture Stains
Some carpets have remained in contact with furniture longer than necessary.
The consequences of leaving the furniture in a spot for a long time are furniture stains. They can be difficult to remove if you’re cleaning by yourself.
Carpet Shrinking
One disadvantage of DIY carpet cleaning is risking it with too much heat or water.
And since you’re unsure of the material it is made from and how they react to these factors, you risk shrinking your carpet.
Carpet Browning
After washing, you may have noticed a brownish stain in some parts of your carpet. These stains are due to the dirt stuck in the carpet’s fibers.
To avoid dealing with this, hire experts who have experience with carpets, or you may need to wash them more than once to remove the stains.
Shedding
If you don’t have experience with carpets, you may have difficulty dealing with the shedding typical with new carpets.
New carpets shed off loose fibers of the material it is made of to reveal a stronger layer of the carpet that eventually lasts longer.
If you purchase a carpet, gently sweep the shredded fibers with a vacuum cleaner.
Color Fading
Color bleeding is common with carpets exposed to direct sunlight or high heat.
Some carpets begin to show traces of fading when they age because of prolonged sun exposure.
But you can cause your carpet to fade in a day if you use harsh detergents or bleach when cleaning it.
Fast Resoiling
You may notice that your carpet becomes dirty not long after you’ve cleaned it. This is called resoiling because some detergents or cleaning agents are unfit for the carpet.
Not all cleaning agents are suitable for babies cleaning the carpet. They may take out the dirt quite all right but may cause more damage to the carpet.
You can avoid these risks if you hire experts who are familiar with them and have made-ready solutions.
However, it’s understandable that not everyone can afford these experts’ services, who sometimes charge twice the cost of purchasing a new carpet.
But you can take some measures to prevent damaging your carpets while cleaning them.
Avoid
- Using bleach on your carpet, no matter the stains on it. Bleach is a good stain remover, quite alright, and also an antiseptic, but it is too strong for carpets such that it will not only remove the stains but fade and weaken them.
- Leaving stains for a long time. Clean as quickly as they happen. This may not be realistic for working parents who are hardly home on time, but you should at least try to clean off any stains as soon as you sight them. It’ll reduce the potency of the stain.
- Using strong brushes for cleaning. Standard carpet brushes like this one are strong enough to remove stains without damaging the carpets.
- Direct sunlight. Direct sunlight once in a while is good for the carpet but if you experience high temperatures in your location, avoid direct sunlight for long hours.
How to Clean Diarrhea Out of Carpet
The effects of diarrhea on carpeted surfaces can be severe. It can penetrate the fibers, causing long-lasting stains and offensive odors.
Diarrhea stains aren’t limited to people with children alone.
Dogs or cats with stomach issues can leave poop stains on your carpet, and you can’t even be angry since they’re animals who don’t understand what a carpet is or how the maintenance works.
Whatever the case is for you, there are ways to make your carpet look brand new again. Here is how to clean diarrhea out of carpet without hiring experts.
Practical Steps To Clean Diarrhea Stains Off Carpet
- Firstly, place your large bowls over the stains. This will allow diarrhea to dry, so you won’t smudge it and make dealing with diarrhea stains worse. This may take a couple of hours to dry, but the bowls will help control the smell.
- Use a paper towel to blot some of the poop stains out of the carpet. It will reduce the amount of stain you’ll deal will and make the cleaning faster and less clumsy.
- Mix ½ tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap (Dawn) in a bowl of lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.
- Using a raking motion, scrape dried feces out of the carpet with a fork. If you see fibers coming out of the carpet, stop immediately and move on to the next step.
- Use your fingers to splash some of the solutions directly on the stain. Make sure the water is not too much and all over the place. Concentrate on the affected area and splash until the diarrhea stain absorbs the solution.
- Use a brush or towel to blot the wet stain. Keep blotting until the stain fades.
- Check if the diarrhea stain is out yet. If it is, use a dry towel to mop the rest of the water; otherwise, dip the sponge or towel in the solution, squeeze out the water and scrub until the stain fades.
- If the stain refuses to go away, use an eye dropper to drop a few drops of hydrogen peroxide on the stain to remove it. Then use a blower to dry the carpet or leave it to air dry.
Even though children are the ones who cause common stains in the home, you don’t have to have children around to deal with some stains like poop on the carpet.
You’ll often find poop in your carpet if you have a cat or dog. While it can be aggregating, you can easily clean the carpet if you know your way around things.
How To Get Rid of Diarrhea Smell Out of Your Carpet
Using baking soda and vinegar will help eliminate the poop smell from your carpet. If it persists, you can use these products again.
You can use a baking soda solution to remove odors by using a broom and dustpan, sweeping the layer off, and then vacuuming the remainder.
Mix the two liquids equally for a vinegar/water solution, then spray it over the affected area with a spray bottle. Allow it to sit for 15-20 minutes, then use a clean, dry cloth to dab up the liquid.
After cleaning the area, blot it with a water rag and get another rag to wipe away the remaining solution. Repeat these steps several times until the smell goes away.
Alternatively, mix vinegar with isopropyl alcohol or a carpet shampoo and use a carpet steam cleaner if all else fails.
Pour the mixture into the chamber of the carpet steamer and steam the carpet according to the directions provided.
You can also use a carpet cleaner like Woolite Carpet Cleaner. This product cleans off carpet stains, eliminates odor, discourages re-soiling, and freshens the carpets to make them look as new as before.
I wrote an article about this wonderful carpet cleaning product. You can learn how to use the product to get stains off your carpet here.
If you feel uncomfortable using a carpet steamer, consider hiring a professional to do the job.
Read Also: How to get Desitin out of the carpet
Conclusion
It is often impossible to avoid diarrhea messes, especially with babies and dogs who cannot always reach the outside before they are in pain and need relief.
While dealing with diarrhea stains on your carpet isn’t fun, the tips provided in this article will help you get through the task.
Knowing how to clean diarrhea out of carpet, you’ll be able to save money on cleaning costs, save you from embarrassing experiences with your visitors around and keep your carpet in good condition.
