Okay, so there are no good things to spill on your carpet.

But there are some pretty terrible things to spill on your carpet – things that are terribly difficult to remove (and thus to avoid spilling at all costs).

Here are the nine worst things to spill on your carpet, plus some at-home methods for removing them.

Disclaimer: While we provide our best DIY methods for cleaning these tough carpet stains, you may not completely remove the stain and may even make it worse. Your best bet is to hire professional carpet cleaning services in Sioux Falls to get the job done right.

1. Nail Polish

Girls love it; mothers hate it. When you or your child is applying nail polish, be sure to do it in the bathroom or on a non-stainable surface.

How to Remove Nail Polish from Carpet

1. Apply dry-cleaning solvent.
2. Apply amyl acetate (if available) or nail polish remover (pre-test it on an inconspicuous area first!).
3. If the stain remains, apply detergent solution and blot until dry.
4. Apply ammonia solution and blot.
5. Apply vinegar solution and blot.
6. Rinse with water and blot until dry.

2. Red Wine

We won’t tell you not to enjoy a glass of Cabernet in your living room – we aren’t total killjoys – but be advised: red wine (or grape juice) is one of the worst things you can spill on your carpet.

How to Remove Red Wine from Carpet

1. Apply detergent solution and blot.
2. Apply vinegar solution and blot.
3. Apply ammonia solution and blot.
4. If necessary, bleach with 3-5% hydrogen peroxide or sodium perborate.
5. Rinse thoroughly with water and blot until dry. (If all else fails, switch to chardonnay!)

3. Blood

If you’ve spilled blood on your carpet, we’re so sorry, both for the injury and for the inevitable carpet stain!

How to Remove Blood from Carpet

1. Apply cool detergent solution and blot.
2. Apply cool ammonia solution and blot.
3. Apply enzyme detergent and blot.
4. Rinse thoroughly with water and blot until dry.
5. If stain remains, apply rust remover or oxalic acid solution.
6. Bleach with 3-5% hydrogen peroxide if necessary.

4. Wax

Not only can candles cause fire damage, but they can also cause carpet damage. Don’t let candle wax drip onto your carpet!

How to Remove Wax from Carpet

1. Scrape away as much wax as possible with a spatula or dull knife.
2. Apply dry-cleaning solvent.
3. Apply paint, oil, and grease remover (POG) and blot.
4. Apply dry-cleaning solvent and blot.

5. Tomato

Whatever form it’s in – ketchup, spaghetti sauce, or some sort of jam – tomato is one of the worst offenders when it comes to carpet stains, due to its dark hue.

How to Remove Tomato from Carpet

1. Apply cool detergent solution and blot.
2. Apply ammonia solution and blot.
3. Apply enzyme detergent and blot.
4. If stain remains, bleach with 3-5% hydrogen peroxide or sodium perborate.
5. Rinse thoroughly with water and blot dry.

6. Coffee

Again, we aren’t saying you can’t take your coffee into the living room, but don’t pour that mug too full, or you’ll be dealing with some dark stains on your carpet.

How to Remove Coffee from Carpet

1. Apply detergent solution, blotting frequently.
2. Apply vinegar solution and blot.
3. Cover with dry towels until dry.

7. Ink

Ink, whether of the ballpoint or Indian variety, is awful to clean from carpet – take it from us. So do that homework (or tattooing) elsewhere, please!

How to Remove Ink from Carpet

1. Apply dry-cleaning solvent.
2. Apply paint, oil, and grease remover (POG) and blot.
3. If stain remains, apply rust remover or oxalic acid solution.

8. Food Coloring

The whole point of food coloring is literally to stain, so good luck getting it out of your carpet! (We aren’t sure why you’d be using food coloring in a carpeted area anyway, but you never know.)

How to Remove Food Coloring from Carpet

1. Apply detergent solution, blotting frequently. (A dried stain of food coloring will most likely spread when wet.)
2. Repeat until color is no longer transferred to towel.
3. Apply ammonia solution and blot.
4. Rinse thoroughly with water and blot until dry.

9. Chocolate

Chocolate is nearly impossible to cut out, either from your diet or from your carpet.

How to Remove Chocolate from Carpet

1. Scrape away as much as possible with a spatula or dull knife.
2. Apply cool detergent solution and blot.
3. Apply ammonia solution and blot.
4.  Apply vinegar solution and blot.
5. Apply enzyme detergent and blot.
6. Rinse thoroughly with water and blot until dry.

Get Your Carpet Spills Cleaned STAT!

Spilled one of the above and can’t get it out?

Invest in quality Sioux Falls carpet cleaning. At INTEK, we use a special hot water extraction process to safely and effectively eradicate even the worst stains.