With more cups of coffee downed at work than ever before, a coffee stain on your office carpet is now just a natural hazard common to any modern office. However, a stain needn’t ruin a clean carpet forever. Whether it’s a new spillage, or an old splotch bothering you, follow these tips and tricks. Tried and tested methods to help you remove coffee stains from any carpet, even those in light colours.
Cleaning Up A Fresh Coffee Spill
The easiest way to clean up a coffee spill is when it’s fresh. The coffee will spread as you attempt to remove it. You must remember to always work from the outside to the inside to combat this. Don’t be fooled into thinking that giving it a good scrub will help. A scrubbing motion will only pull up threads from the carpet and may embed the stain further. Instead, use blotting or pressing action when treating the stain.
- Get a clean cloth, preferably white so you can see the coffee as it is removed. Blot or press the cloth against the spill. Move the cloth so you are using a clean piece each time as you draw the coffee out of the carpet. Do this until there is no more coffee transferring onto the cloth.
- Add a little water to the stain and continue blotting. You aim to dilute the coffee while you soak up the liquid, so be careful not to saturate the carpet.
- If you have such items handy, Good Housekeeping recommends:
- Mixing 1 tablespoon of washing up liquid + 1 tablespoon of white vinegar + 2 cups of warm water.
- Dab the mixture onto the stain using a clean cloth. Then, gently press a dry cloth onto the stain. Repeat this until the stain has disappeared. Finally, sponge the area with clean, cold water and blot until dry.
If you can still see signs of a stain, try using a carpet stain remover, following the instructions carefully. You don’t want to use too much of a product like this. Using a carpet stain remover can leave behind a residue that attracts dirt so be cautious when using it.
If you took that coffee you spilt with cream, The Spruce recommends using a special stain remover that contains enzymes to break down protein-based stains. Pet stain removers are strong and can be ideal for this.
If your spillage was also on your office chair, check out this complete guide on cleaning any office chair.
Getting Rid Of An Old Coffee Stain On Your Office Carpet
The steps for erasing an old stain are very similar to those for erasing fresh spills, but require more and repeated effort since the liquid has had a chance to dry into the carpet.
- Lightly wet the stain with water to prepare it for removal.
- Carry out the steps above for cleaning up a fresh spill.
By now, the stain should have disappeared, but if not, there is one more trick you can try on some carpets before you need to call in the professionals. (If your carpet is wool or a wool blend, skip these last steps altogether.)
If you know your carpet does not contain wool:
- Mix a tablespoon of ammonia with a cup of water.
- Test that the mixture doesn’t damage the shade or stain light colours by dabbing a little on a hidden spot of carpet and waiting for it to dry.
- Blot the ammonia mixture onto the stain with a clean towel, and wait 5 minutes.
- Using a different towel, blot with water then with a dry towel to rinse out the mixture and dry the carpet.
- Blot with a dry towel and wait for the carpet to dry completely.
Of course, not all stains can be removed completely, especially from light-coloured carpets, and office employees have plenty of other tasks to be getting on with, which don’t include mopping up spills on company time. However, a clean working environment is important for health and productivity. It could be well worth bringing in professional office cleaners, who offer specialist carpet cleaning services as well as monthly and one-off deep cleans that make your office space as clean and fresh as new.
Crystal Facilities Management’s team of experienced, DBS-checked cleaners work to your schedule, leaving your employees undisturbed while they use environmentally friendly products to clean up your office to exceptional standards.
To get a quote, or to find out more about how we can help your business, give us a call today or find out more on our website.
