
Chicago Carpet Cleaning Tips: How to Remove Road Salt Stains

Nasutsa Mabwa
February 3, 2015Road 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]
Nasutsa Mabwa is the CEO of ServiceMaster Restoration By Simons, a nationally recognized, award-winning disaster restoration firm serving Cook, DuPage, and Lake Counties. Under her leadership, the company has become one of Chicagoland’s most trusted providers of water and flood damage restoration, fire and smoke damage cleanup, mold remediation, and specialty cleaning services for both residential and commercial clients.
A respected business and civic leader, Nasutsa has received numerous honors for her contributions to the industry and her community. Her accolades include:
- Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies - 2025 recipient
- Top 100 Women to KNOW in America (2024) by KNOW Women & JPMorgan Chase
- Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40
- SB100 Best of Small Business Award
- 2020 BBB Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics
- Stevie® Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year
- 2020 Daily Herald Business Ledger C-Suite Award
- 2018 ServiceMaster® Achiever Award
She is IICRC-certified in both Water Damage Restoration (WRT) and Fire & Smoke Restoration (FSRT), combining technical expertise with visionary leadership. Nasutsa holds a Master’s in Urban Planning & Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MBA in Real Estate Development from Roosevelt University.
Beyond her business achievements, Nasutsa is an active community advocate. She is a Board Member of the Civic Federation, an Advisory Board Member, and Past President of the Executive Committee for the Evanston Chamber of Commerce. She is also a long-standing member of the Women Presidents Organization (WPO).
She is the co-author of RESTORE: A Complete Guide to Protecting Your Home As Your Most Valuable Asset, an essential guidebook for homeowners navigating the challenges of water and fire disasters.
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