Over their lifetime your carpets can take quite a pounding from foot traffic and other accidents. One substance that can be tricky to get rid of is black shoe polish. Read on for some helpful tips on how to remove black shoe polish from your carpets.
What you'll need
- white cloths
- non-acetone nail polish remover
- cotton wool balls
- home dry cleaning kit
- liquid, non-bleach washing detergent
- warm water
How to do it
When tackling any sort of stain, it's really important that you act fast, before the substance has a chance to become engrained in the carpet fibres. The longer it's left, the harder it will be to shift it!
Before you start tackling the stain, use this method on a small, non-visible bit of carpet, to make sure that the colours won't run.
- The first thing you need to do is to take a white cloth and dip it into some non-acetone nail polish remover. Apply the cloth to the stain and blot it carefully. Don't rub at the stain, as this will only drive the polish deeper into the carpet fibres and may also spread it. As you blot, you should see some of the polish being lifted by the cloth; that's why it's important to use a white cloth so that you can see if the treatment is working.
- Next, take your home dry cleaning kit and pour a small amount of the liquid onto a cotton wool ball. Apply this directly onto the polish stain. Allow the liquid to act on the stain for a few minutes
- Mix two cups of warm water with a small amount of liquid, non-bleach washing detergent. Apply this directly to the shoe polish stain with a white cloth, blotting up as much as possible.
- Continue to blot the carpet until all the shoe polish stain has disappeared.
- Finish off the job by rinsing the previously stained area of carpet with warm tap water.
- Blot the carpet to remove as much of the rinse water as possible, and then allow it to air dry.
In conclusion
If you discover a black shoe polish stain on your carpet, you can remove it by following the method outlined above. In the event that the stain proves particularly stubborn and refuses to shift, ask your local professional carpet cleaning contractor to tackle it for you. They will also be able to treat your carpets with a stain retardant product that will protect your carpets from further staining in between professional cleans.
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