Bleach is made of harsh chemicals and is a powerful stain remover. On the other hand, tough carpet stains are common household issues. This can occur due to spills, pet urine, and many more reasons.
So, is bleach for carpet stains a good idea? No, bleach isn’t a good idea to remove tough stains from most of your carpets. It will remove the stains but also fade your carpet’s colour and damage the fibre. However, you may use bleach for white carpets and carpets made of polypropylene. You must strictly follow some particular instructions for this.
In this post, we will explain why you can’t use bleach to remove carpet stains. We will also discuss using bleach to remove stains from bleachable carpets.
Understanding Bleach
Bleach is a powerful stain remover. So, it is frequently used in household cleaning due to its ability to remove tough stains. It also disinfects surfaces.
Bleach works by breaking down the chemical bonds in stains. This is particularly done in objects made of organic materials.
On the other hand, carpets are generally made of delicate materials like wool, cotton, silk, polyester, etc. While bleach can be effective in removing tough stains, its harsh chemical nature makes it less suitable for delicate materials of carpets.
Bleach Isn’t a Good Idea for Carpet Stain Removal for the Following Risks
As we already answered, bleach isn’t a good idea to remove tough stains on carpets. The following reasons will help you to understand why you shouldn’t use bleach in carpet cleaning.
#1 Bleach Discolours the Carpet
One of the most noticeable risks is bleach discolouration on the carpet. Since bleach is such a powerful stain remover, it will remove stains as well as the colour of the carpet. This is particularly risky for coloured carpets.
Bleach doesn’t differentiate between a stain and the carpet’s dye. This means it can strip the colour and stain from your carpet. It results in unsightly bleach stains on carpets (white or pale patches) and irreversible damage.
You cannot fix the discolouration without professional intervention. In most cases, the only way to restore the carpet is through spot dyeing. But, spot dyeing can be expensive and challenging to match with the existing colour.
#2 Bleach Damages the Carpet Fibre
Carpet fibre damage from bleach is the second most noticeable reason to avoid bleach to clean carpets. Bleach removes carpet stains. It oxidises and breaks down the stain-causing compounds.
However, when you apply bleach to a carpet, this same chemical action also begins to break down the structural integrity of the fibres. This leads to thinning and fraying of the carpet.
Over time, this damage becomes visible, as the carpet may start to wear out more quickly in areas where bleach was used.
As bleach is made of sodium hypochlorite, it can destroy the carpets that are associated with the following materials.
- All natural carpet fibres such as wool, cotton, silk, and more.
- Any non-synthetic backing materials
- Nylon
- All adhesives, etc.
Most Effective Bleach Alternatives for Carpet Cleaning
#1 Spot-Clean the Stains
When dealing with fresh stains, you should utilise the blotting technique. This is the primary step to stop stains from penetrating deeper into the carpet fibre.
- Use a clean white cloth to gently blot the area. This absorbs the stain without forcing it further into the carpet.
- Never scrub the stains on your carpet. This can spread the stain deeper into the fibres.
#2 Use Homemade Carpet Cleaners
For carpet stain removal, you can use the following homemade remedies instead of bleaching your carpets. These will ensure your carpet gets no discolouration and damage.
Use Water and Mild Detergent (Dish Soap)
Using a mixture of water and mild detergent is the safest way to remove fresh stains from your carpets.
- Mix a few drops of mild detergent with a cup of normal water.
- Add the mixture to the stains with a clean white microfibre cloth.
- Let the mixture sit on the stains for 2 to 5 minutes, and blot the stained areas with a clean cloth and fresh water.
Use Vinegar and Baking Soda for Carpet Stains
For old and tough stains on carpets, using a mixture of vinegar and baking soda is one of the most effective homemade remedies. Vinegar’s acidic nature makes it ideal for breaking down tough stains. At the same time, baking soda acts as a natural deodoriser and cleaner.
- Add 2 cups of warm water and 2 cups of vinegar.
- Add 4 tablespoons of baking soda, and gently stir the elements to make the cleaning solution.
- Now, put the mixture in a spray bottle and spray the mixture on the carpet stains. Let the solution sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Gently blot the stained areas with a clean white cloth until the stains are removed.
- Then, rinse the areas with fresh water.
You can also use dish soap instead of baking soda to remove water-soluble stains like food dye or juice.
#3 Use Store-Bought Carpet Stain Remover
You can also use store-bought bleach-free carpet stain removers.
- Spray the cleaner on the stained areas of your carpet. Give enough time to dissolve the stains, for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Blot the areas with a clean cloth, and rinse with fresh water.
#4 Opt for Professional Carpet Stain Removal
Homemade remedies or store-bought cleaners may not remove some stubborn stains. In this situation, professional carpet cleaning services are the best option.
Professionals use high-grade equipment and cleaning solutions. These can remove stains without damaging the carpet. They are also equipped to handle bleach-damaged carpets. This offers solutions such as deep cleaning or re-dyeing.
The professional home cleaning services’ yearly market growth rate in Australia is projected at 4.98%. This indicates the importance of professional services to clean your household effectively and efficiently, including carpets. So, if you can’t handle stubborn stains on your carpets, you should hire a professional cleaning service provider to remove the stains from your carpet.
Process of Carpet Cleaning With Bleach
If you have a stained white carpet or the carpet is made of polypropylene, you can use bleach to remove the stains. Follow the following steps to ensure the safe removal of stains from your bleach-cleanable carpets.
- Mix 1 part of bleach with 4 parts of water. For stubborn stains, you can make a bleach solution of 1:1 bleach and water.
- Take a clean cloth, dip the cloth in the mix, and blot the stained areas of the carpet with the cloth.
- If you have a white carpet that requires thorough stain removal across the surface, then mix 1 cup of bleach with 1 gallon of water proportionally.
- Soak the carpet into the solution and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- After soaking, rinse the carpet with clean water. Before bleaching, you should vacuum the carpet properly to remove loose dirt.
- Use protective components like masks and goggles for respiration safety before bleaching your carpets.
Neutralising Bleach on Carpet
You should ensure bleach safety for carpets by neutralising the bleach if you mistakenly use bleach for non-bleachable carpets or use excess bleach for bleachable carpets.
To neutralise bleach, you can use products like sodium metabisulfite, sodium thiosulfate, etc.
- Mix 1 ounce of sodium thiosulfate and 1 gallon of water, or 2.2 grams (one teaspoon) of sodium metabisulfite, with 2.5 gallons of water.
- Then, soak the carpet and the mixture in a big container or bucket and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- If you don’t have the solutions mentioned above, rinse the carpet with clean water 2 to 3 times repeatedly.
FAQs
You can spot dyeing carpet through. Professional cleaning services offer carpet bleach stain repair of the discoloured area to match the rest of the carpet.
Yes, using bleach can void your carpet warranties. This is especially true if the manufacturer specifies the use of gentler cleaning solutions. Always check the warranty before using harsh chemicals.
No, it’s unsafe to mix bleach with other cleaning agents. Especially those containing ammonia or acids, as these can produce dangerous fumes. Always use bleach alone only for bleach-cleanable carpets.
Mix 1 tablespoon of dish soap and vinegar with 2 cups of water. Use a clean cloth to blot the stains with the solution, and rinse the stained areas. This will easily remove the urine stains.
Final Words
In general, bleach isn’t a good idea to remove tough carpet stains. Ultimately, it will discolour and damage the fibres of your carpet.
To ensure removing tough carpet stains, you should rely on professional cleaning services. At Eco Cleaning Brisbane, we have been providing cleaning services in the neighbourhood for more than 20 years.
You can put your trust in us for the removal of your carpet stains and entire household cleaning. We take responsibility for cleaning your household and ensuring your peace of mind.
