Removing Soda Stains from a Rug

A refreshing sip of a fizzy soda, coke or pepsi on a hot day is sure to get you full of energy. But if the effervescence gets too much, there’s always a risk that your bubbly drink is going to overflow to the floor. Best case scenario it hits a wooden floor and is easily mopped up, but the worst is you watch the carbonation landing on your lovely decorative rug. As these sodas are traditionally some of the most recognisable colours – dark brown, bright orange or even red – they can cause some pretty creative looking stains.

Scoop up the Bubbles

The initial stage is to grab a spoon and quickly scoop up the excess on the rug. As these drinks are fizzy by nature, it’s likely that they’ll bubble up on impact. If these bubbles can be removed before they pop, it’ll help keep the area dryer and reduce the size of the stain you’re going to be cleaning up.

Blot Away Liquid

The next step is blot all of the additional liquid from the rug. Remember that you need to move quick, especially if the rug has a thick pile, like a wool rug, as it will be absorbed into it relatively fast. Use a clean towel and press down on the rug with some force, keep repeating this process until you are no longer removing any liquid with each press. This should then leave you with just a smaller dried stain to tackle in the next stages.

From here you simply need to use a detergent solution (washing up liquid and water will do the trick!) to repeat a process of dampening the stain and then blotting. We’d recommend rinsing with warm water every so often and reblotting, as this allows any extra dirt to be removed and stops the stain from worsening. When you’re finished with the blotting, it would be good to vacuum the stained area for removed the remaining parts.

Extra Tricky Stains

If your rug is particularly light in colour like Ivory or beige, you do have some extra options for removing the stain. With these ones it’s important to be careful that you do not discolour the rug so use with caution and test a small area which won’t be noticeable first.

• Hydrogen Peroxide – This can be picked up from most pharmacies or supermarkets, you want to buy a 3% H202 solution, or weaker if they have it! All you need to do is mix with warm water in a ration of 1:3, then apply to the stained area lightly. Make sure that you do not fully soak the rug so use in moderation. It’s then just a case of covering the stain with a thick cloth so that the light cannot reach the hydrogen peroxide solution. After 30 minutes, rinse the stain with warm water and blot dry.
• Ammonia – An alternative to hydrogen peroxide is to use ammonia instead. Mix clear ammonia with warm water in a ratio of 1:4, and simply apply in the same way you would have blotted the stain with the detergent earlier. Then rinse with warm water and blot dry once the stain is removed.

With any of these stain removal methods, a quick vacuum of the rug afterwards can be a great way to help it regain its original fluffiness and get the pile back in line. Remember to treat your rug with caution as you clean it and only use gentle blotting methods, rather than scrubbing at the stain.

Disclaimer: Although these tips are tried and tested, they may not remove every stain from every rug and carpet. If you are in any doubt then call up a professional carpet cleaner for advice. Rugs Direct takes no responsiibility for trying any of our ideas