Bleach Stains On Carpet – What To Do?

Don't know what to do about the bleach stains on your carpet? We're here to help you out! We've asked the experts how to get rid of those nasty bleach stains, and here's their advice.

Bleach stains are permanent, so you have to restore the color that has been lost on a certain area of your carpet. You can use soapy water, crayons or pens, vinegar, dye, and rubbing alcohol to treat the stain. If these don't work, you can contact a professional carpet cleaner to help you recover your carpet.

Continue reading so we can tell you more about the different methods on how you can restore your carpet from those horrible stains. We'll also give you an idea of how much it'll cost you should you decide to get professional assistance for your carpet emergency. Lastly, we'll give you more tips on how you can make your carpet look new all the time. Let's begin!

How to get bleach out of carpet

Aside from making our homes comfortable, carpets also add style to our interior. But having a stain makes them unsightly, especially if it's right smack in the middle of the carpet that you simply cannot hide it from view.

Bleaching carpets is a bad idea. It could only be used for cleaning white or almost-white carpets. When you accidentally use it on colored rugs, it will leave a stain or, rather, remove its color permanently.

Good thing there are many ways that you can try to get rid of those unpleasant stains. Yes, it's a challenging task, but it's not impossible. Most of the products that you need for this daunting task are commonly found inside your home.

Soapy Water Method

1. Soak a paper towel with water and use it to blot the stained area right away. Don't rub or scrub the bleach to avoid further damage.
2. Prepare a mixture of warm water and mild dish soap. Follow the 1/4-teaspoon of liquid soap to one cup of water ratio.
3. Pour the soapy water over the stained area and just let it sit there for five minutes.
4. Using a cloth or sponge, rub off the stain from the carpet, working your way from the outside all the way to the center of the stain.
5. Rinse thoroughly with cold water and allow it to dry.

Crayon or Laundry Pen Method

1. Use a water-soaked paper towel to blot the stained part of the carpet.
2. Paint the stained carpet fibers using a crayon or laundry pen that matches your carpet's color. Make sure that the fibers fully absorb the color.
3. Gently blend the color with the stained fibers by using a wet towel.

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Does vinegar remove bleach stains from carpet?

You can also try the white vinegar method to remove the stubborn spot on your living room carpet. Here's how to do it:

1. Prepare your water and vinegar solution by mixing two tablespoons of white vinegar with four cups of warm water.
2. Pour this over the affected portion on your carpet and let it sit for around five minutes.
3. Use a cloth or sponge to rub the stain until it gradually disappears.
4. Repeat as needed until there's no more stain.
5. Rinse the spot thoroughly with cold water.

Can you dye bleach spots on carpet?

A dye can also help you mask the bleach stains on your carpet. You can use dye pens, powder-based or liquid-based fabric dyes. Choose the type of dye that's applicable for the kind of fiber material used on your carpet.

Pick the color that best matches that of your carpet. Sometimes, you would have to blend certain colors together to get the perfect match.

Click this link to find this liquid dye on Amazon.

You can also make your own dye using coffee or black tea if your carpet is brown, tan, or beige. Just brew it stronger than usual so that it'll adhere to the fabric better.

Dye pens are recommended for treating small stain spots, while you can use the other types of dyes for larger stains. Follow the package instructions for the proper preparation and application. Here is the general procedure assuming that the dyes have been prepared already.

1. Blot the stained area. Some dye pens come with a bleach neutralizer, so you can use this instead.
2. Dip a cotton ball into the dye and rub it gently on the affected spot.
3. Use a lint-free cloth to blend the color of the dye with the carpet fibers.
4. Add more dye as needed.
5. Repeat as necessary until the stains are covered.
6. Let it dry.

If you have a rather large area with bleach stain, you can get the services of a carpet dyeing professional. This will ensure quality results for the ultimate restoration of your home carpet.

Can rubbing alcohol remove bleach stains?

DIYers also attest to the effectiveness of rubbing alcohol for treating stains. But they only recommend this for small spots. Alcohol will help loosen the fabric's color on the surrounding area, and you can color the bleach-stained portion of the carpet. Here's how to go about it.

1. Neutralize the bleach on the carpet by blotting it with water or using baking soda and water paste.
2. Soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol.
3. Rub the outside portion of the stain with the alcohol-soaked cotton ball. This will cause the color to bleed or spread to the stained spot.
4. Rub the affected area with the cotton ball to transfer the color to the white portion.
5. Continue until the fabric color fully covers the stain.
6. Allow it to air dry.
7. If the affected area is still lighter than the rest of the carpet, you can use a dye to match the color.

Can baking soda remove bleach stains?

Baking soda cannot remove bleach stains. It can, however, neutralize bleach so that it won't cause further damage to your carpet. This is an important procedure when treating this kind of stain because bleach contains strong chemicals that can destroy the fabric of your carpet or cause a hole in its backing.

Also, bleach will remain active on your carpet's surface long after you've applied it there. That's why you need to neutralize it first. Otherwise, all your efforts to restore your carpet's color would be in vain.

Here's how you can neutralize bleach with the help of baking soda.

1. Mix baking soda with water until you reach a paste-like consistency.
2. Apply the paste to the stained area.
3. Let it dry.

If all of the home remedies mentioned above didn't work, you still have the option to call a professional carpet cleaner to help you restore your matting. Prepare to spend around $200 to get the job done, depending on the extent of the stain. By hiring a professional, you will be assured about the quality and long-lasting solution to your problem.

How do I make my carpet look new?

The key to making your carpet look the same as when you've first installed it is ensuring that it is clean all the time. But remember, it isn't recommended that you use bleach for cleaning.

First of all, it is not even a cleaner at all. It doesn't have ingredients like those of detergents primarily because it is made for disinfecting, not cleaning. What it does contain are certain ingredients that could be harmful to your skin and lungs. Lastly, the strong chemicals can also damage your carpet's backing and underlay, so it's not really worth it to use this product for cleaning your home's matting.

Here's how you can make your carpet look and smell fresh.

1. Spot clean the dirt and stains on your carpet. For non-bleach stains, you can use a foam shaving cream to help remove the discoloration.
2. Blot the areas using a clean cloth.
3. Sprinkle baking soda all over your carpet. It will help eliminate odors, and the remaining dirt will cling to it, making them easier to remove later on.
4. Let it sit for around 10 minutes.
5. Vacuum.

Do this regularly so that your carpet will always be clean and look fresh and new. This way, it'll truly help enhance the style of your home.

Final Thoughts

Bleach stains are permanent, but you can try to restore the lost color with the help of some household products such as rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, crayon or laundry pen, dye, or dish soap. If they won't work, you still have the option of calling a carpet cleaner to help bring life to your home carpet.

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