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How to Remove Tea Stains from a Carpet

24 May 2016

Timmothy Mitchelle

If you're a lover of strong black tea and have ever spilt some on your carpet, you know just how hard it is to remove it completely, especially if your carpets are light.  But fear not. Whether your carpet has just been stained or the spill happened a couple of years ago, here are some things you can try that will hopefully lift the stain, leaving your carpet looking like good as new!

If the stain has just happened...

• Firstly, get blotting! Use a clean white cloth and get as much of the tea out of the carpet as possible. 
• Now, wet the stain. You can use water, but a better bet, if you have it on hand, is soda water; the bubbles in soda water will help lift the stain for you. Keep blotting the stain with your cloth until you can't see any more tea on it.
• Next, either apply some carpet stain remover to the stain or try using a combination of 8 ounces of white vinegar mixed with a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid. If you use a carpet stain remover, make sure you closely follow the directions on the can and consider doing a spot test on a small area of your carpet first. Whatever method you've used, use a different clean cloth to very gently dab it into the stain, then rinse it out with water.
• Hopefully, the stain will be gone by now. However, if you can still see it, try pouring a tiny bit of beer on it. Rub it in lightly with another cloth, then dab it all away with kitchen towels. Give the area a good rinse afterwards to make sure that all the beer is removed. 

If the stain is old...

Older tea stains are harder to remove, so it's always best to deal with stains as soon as they occur. However, it's not an impossible task. Try the following:

• Mix together two cups of fairly cold water with 2 teaspoons of dishwashing liquid. Add one tablespoon of vinegar. Apply the mixture to the stain using a clean, white cloth.
• Blot, blot, blot until the stain lifts. If the stain is still there, keep repeating this procedure, but make sure you are blotting and not rubbing the stain, as this could just make it worse.
• If you still see a ghost of a stain once you're done, consider using a carpet stain remover. 

Once the stain is completely gone, place a clean white cloth over the area and leave it there for a few hours so it is able to dry. Then, once the area is completely dry, give it a good vacuum.

For more information, contact a carpet cleaning company in your area.

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