Carpet Cleaning Tricks: The Horrifying Halloween Stains

Who doesn't love Halloween? More than 68% Americans are planning to celebrate the holiday this year, spending, on average, $94 per person. Did you know that 'Samhainophobia' is a word, describing a morbid fear of Halloween? The holiday is thought to have originated around 4000 B.C. and is the second highest grossing commercial holiday after Christmas. What about you? Will you celebrate Halloween? If the answer is yes, you should be prepared for the horrifying carpet stains brought by the holiday.

The kids leave candy and chocolate all over the house and the fake blood is literally everywhere. The morning after the Halloween party has to be the biggest cleaning day of the year, but have no fear the cleaning tricks are here! Most of the stains can be removed easily using the products you already have in your home as long as you follow these steps.

1. Chocolate

First you should scrape off as much as possible without grinding the chocolate or pumpkin deeper into the fabric. Apply a mixture of two cups cool water and one tablespoon dishwashing liquid and wash. If necessary, apply the solution again until the area is clean.

2. Candy

Apply a solution of one tablespoon neutral detergent and one cup warm water. Using the mixture, sponge the stain from the carpet with a clean white cloth. If the candy is melted use a mixture of 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 water.

3. Candle Wax

After scraping off as much of the candle wax as possible use a damp brown paper bag to cover the stained area and put a wet white towel on top of it. Use an iron on top for 15 seconds. That's how the wax will transfer to the paper bag without damaging the carpet. Check out if the wax is removed, if not repeat the steps. Be careful not to use the iron for longer than 15 seconds, because some carpets are made with man-made fabrics and could melt even at low temperatures.

4. Pumpkin

One of the easiest stains to clean. You just have to remove any bits of pumpkin on the carpet and put some cool water. Then, pre-treat the stain with laundry detergent or dish soap and leave it for five minutes. Wipe off with a clean cloth.

5. Oil-based Halloween Makeup and Lipstick

Using a dry white washcloth, dampen the stain with alcohol until there are no traces of any makeup or lipstick on the cloth. Apply a small amount of rubbing alcohol or makeup remover on a clean cloth and rub the stain, wash with warm water. Repeat, if necessary.

If you haven't already seen your stain above, you can try these steps.

Step 1. Try removing as much of the material as possible from the carpet. Gently scrape it with a dull knife or spoon.

Step 2. Apply rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth or paper towel and treat softly the stain then rinse with warm water and blot dry with another clean cloth or towel.

Step 3. Spray a mixture of one tablespoon dish soap and two cups of hot water to the stained area. Again, gently rub the stained area with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Step 4. Rinse the affected area with hot water and dry with a clean cloth. You have to keep in mind that some stains could be very persistent and you will have to repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 again.

Step 5. If nothing helps and the stain remains you may consider hiring licensed carpet cleaners who will be able to easily find the right cleaning methods to treat the stain.