How to Remove Carpet Stains — Every Type of Spill
Wine, coffee, pet accidents or grease on the carpet? Blot-first methods for every common stain, and the mistakes that set a stain permanently.
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Stains
Stain removal guides, by stain and surface
The same stain needs a different method on carpet, a couch or a shirt, so start with where it is. The finder below matches common stains to the guide that covers them on each surface; a blank means we don’t have a guide for that combination yet. On any surface, a fresh stain is easier than a set one.
7 guides · Edited by Huy Hoang · Updated
START HERE
Where to start.
- How to Remove Carpet Stains — Every Type of SpillSpills on carpet: blot first, then the method for food and drink, grease, sticky marks or mud.
- How to Remove Couch Stains — Blood, Ink, Grease and MoreCouch stains: check the cleaning code on the label, then the method for each stain.
- How to Remove Stains From Clothes — 10 Common TypesClothes: ten common stains and the water temperature for each.
The stain removal series7 guides, in order
- How to Remove Stains From Clothes — 10 Common TypesStart here
- How to Get Blood Out of Sheets and Clothes
- How to Get Oil Stains Out of Clothes — Fresh, Set-In and Already Dried
- How to Get Chewing Gum Out of Clothes
- How to Remove Couch Stains — Blood, Ink, Grease and More
- How to Remove Carpet Stains — Every Type of Spill
- How to Remove Sticker Residue from Any Surface
REFERENCE
Stain finder
Find the stain, then the surface it is on. Each link opens the guide that covers that combination.
| Stain | Carpet and rugs | Couch | Clothes | Mattress | Hard surfaces |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food and drink (wine, coffee, juice) | Carpet stains | Couch stains | Stains on clothes | Mattress stains | No guide |
| Grease and oil | Carpet stains | Couch stains | Oil stains on clothes | No guide | No guide |
| Blood | No guide | Couch stains | Stains on clothes | Mattress stains | No guide |
| Ink | No guide | Couch stains | Stains on clothes | No guide | No guide |
| Urine and pet accidents | Pet urine smell | Couch stains | No guide | Mattress stains | Pet urine smell |
| Sweat and yellowing | No guide | No guide | Stains on clothes | Mattress stains | No guide |
| Chewing gum and sticky marks | Carpet stains | No guide | Gum on clothes | No guide | Sticker residue |
| Mud and grass | Carpet stains | No guide | Stains on clothes | Mattress stains | No guide |
| Sticker and tape residue | No guide | No guide | No guide | No guide | Sticker residue |
Hard surfaces means plastic, glass, wood, metal and painted walls in the sticker guide, and tiles and grout in the pet urine guide. Checked 5 October 2026.
Carpet and upholstery
Blot, don’t rub, and check what the fibre or cleaning code allows before you treat it.
Clothes
Everyday stains, grease and chewing gum. These guides also appear in Laundry.
How to Remove Stains From Clothes — 10 Common Types
Oil, blood, wine, grass, ink and more. The right temperature and treatment for each stain type, and why heat sets a stain you cannot then remove.
Read the guide
More room for life.How to Get Blood Out of Sheets and Clothes
Rinse blood out with cold water, then enzyme detergent or an oxygen soak. Dried stains, peroxide on whites, mattresses and carpet: what works.
Read the guide
How to Get Oil Stains Out of Clothes — Fresh, Set-In and Already Dried
Blot, work in a drop of dishwashing liquid, wash warm and air dry before checking. Plus set-in stains, wool, stain-remover test results and why oily items and dryers don’t mix.
Read the guide
How to Get Chewing Gum Out of Clothes
Gum stuck to clothes? Freeze it off, then deal with what’s left: methods for washable fabrics, plus jeans, smeared gum, gum through the wash and delicates.
Read the guideHard surfaces
Sticker and tape residue on plastic, glass, wood, metal and painted walls.
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