Plenty of people love carpets. There's a reason they're such a popular kind of flooring—they're comfortable on the feet, have great sound deadening properties and act as a filter for indoor pollutants!

But carpet's most glaring downside is that it's tricky to clean that filter, as dirt, soils, and other substances can penetrate into the carpet fibers and stay there. Cleaning carpet might not be a walk in the park, but it's not like herding cats. Here's some advice on how to clean deep stains from any carpet.

What Kind of Stain?

So, you have a carpet stain that needs cleaning. The first step is to identify what kind of stain it is. Different kinds of stains require different precautions, cleaning chemicals, and cleaning methods. Common types of carpet stains include alcohol, blood, dirt or mud, food, glue, ink, nail polish, and pet excrement.

Identifying what causes the stain will help you determine pH and whether you should use an alkaline, basic, or acidic cleaner. It’ll also inform you whether the stain is water soluble or not.

Finally, you’ll know what kind of precautions you need to take. You should never use a product that contains bleach to clean up pet urine stains, for example, because the combination of ammonia and bleach can be deadly. Bleach and hydrogen peroxide should also never mix with vinegar.

Consider the Carpet Type

The next step in cleaning deep stains from any carpet is to identify the type of carpet fiber. Different fibers react differently to various chemicals. Common kinds of carpet fibers include nylon, polyester, olefin and wool. Natural fibers tend to be harder to clean than synthetic fibers because they don't tolerate stains as well and are more sensitive to certain chemicals.

Here are some things to keep in mind when cleaning natural fibers:

• Alkaline and bleach-based products don't mesh with wool carpets. They can destroy the fibers and leave behind permanent damage to the carpet.
• When using machines on natural fiber carpets, set them to the lowest setting possible. Using too powerful a setting can ruin the natural lay of the fibers.
• Natural fibers absorb water more readily and, as a result, take more time to dry. Using a fan or turning on the air conditioning can speed up the drying process.

New or Old?

Older stains are much harder to clean than new ones. You might have to try multiple methods for removing them. Don't get discouraged if they don't disappear right away.

One way to make cleaning an old stain easier is to rehydrate it. If you're having trouble, let the stain soak for 30 minutes and then try cleaning it again.

Some stains are tough to remove. For these stains, you need professional carpet cleaning products to cut through the grime. Clean Pro Supply has everything that professional cleaners need to tackle even the most stubborn stains. Shop with us today!