Road salt is an alkaline compound that is nearly the same as table salt, although most forms of road salt have added traces of magnesium and calcium. That’s why it’s not a great idea to consume road salt! Road salt can cause deterioration of rugs and carpets in your home. Professional, thorough carpet cleaning for your Chicago building can help combat those unsightly white, crumbly stains.
There are, as always, things you should do and things you shouldn’t do when it comes to cleaning road salt stains out of your carpets. The best solution is to have your carpets professionally cleaned by ServiceMaster Cleaning by Simons. But, if you wish to tackle small salt stain problems on your own, please follow these important Do’s and Don’ts:
Don’t use water on the rock salt stains. Instead of attracting and removing the salt, the water will simply dissolve the salt and spread it further over your carpet, and the carpet fibers will readily absorb the hydrated molecules.
Don’t use detergents on the stained area, even if you have a detergent made especially for carpet cleaning. Detergents are designed to loosen molecules and particles from the carpet fibers themselves, but with salt it will work to dissolve and spread the crystals.
Don’t wipe or scrub the area.
Do start by vacuuming the dry salt-stained area thoroughly. This will pick up all the loose large crystals buried in your carpet fibers.
Do use a spray bottle that will mist, and fill it with equal parts vinegar and water (white vinegar is the best choice for this). Spray the solution over the stained area of your carpet.
Do, however, first test the vinegar and water solution on a small area of the carpet to make sure it won’t cause any discoloration on your carpet.
Do let the solution set into your carpet for about 10-15 minutes.
Do use a clean towel or cloth to DAB up (not scrub!) the solution and the road salt stain.
The stain may reappear slightly when the area dries, but if you continue to repeat the process of spraying and gently removing the stain, you will eventually have a clean carpet. If this process fails you, or you simply lack the time, patience, or confidence to perform this task, give ServiceMaster Cleaning by Simons a call for the best in professional carpet cleaning services in Chicago, IL.
[Image courtesy of dan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net]