The bleachy smell of a cleaning product is probably your home’s best indication that you’ve had an accident. But now, you’re left with a bleach stain on the carpet. Don’t worry—we’ll show you how to get rid of it.
Mix Dish Detergent and Water
Mix a solution of a tablespoon of liquid dishwashing detergent in two cups of cool water.
Use the solution to blot away the bleach stain from your carpet. Use a clean, white cloth for this step and make sure not to saturate the fabric with excess water—you want it damp but not dripping wet. Blotting will absorb the liquid from the area and leave behind only suds that contain bleach residue.
Rinse out your carpet with clean water until all traces of soap have been removed from your carpet fibers.
Sponge the Spot
Using a clean white cloth, sponge the stain with the detergent solution. Blot until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat if necessary.
Rinse and Blot Dry
To remove soap residue, rinse the area with clean water and blot dry with a clean white cloth. Repeat this process if necessary until no more suds come off on the cloth.
Counter Bleach with Ammonia
Now that you’ve removed the bleach stains from your carpet, it’s time to move on to the next step: removing any lingering odors. You can do this by mixing one teaspoon of ammonia with 1/2 cup of water and blotting. If this method does not successfully remove all traces of the stain, mix one teaspoon of ammonia with 1/2 cup of water and blot. Repeat if necessary.
Ammonia is an alkaline solution that can be combined with vinegar for excellent results when removing stains from carpets or clothing in addition to being effective as a cleaning agent in general—and it is also corrosive, so wear gloves!
Use Vinegar
To remove the stain, mix equal parts of white vinegar and water. Sponge the mixture over the carpet and allow it to sit for a while before blotting dry with a clean cloth.
If there are still remnants of the stain, repeat this process until all traces have been removed. Finally, rinse the area with plain water and blot dry with another clean cloth.
Rinse and Dry… Again
Finish by rinsing thoroughly with cold water and blotting as much moisture from the carpet as possible with towels, placing them on top of the wet area, and weighing them down with books or heavy objects for about 24 hours. As an alternative to towels, use a wet-dry vacuum to remove most of the moisture.
If You’ve Used Too Much Bleach…
You can fix bleach stains on the carpet.
The first step to fixing a bleach stain is to test the enzyme cleaner in a small area of the carpet, using just enough product to cover the stained area. Allow at least 24 hours for this solution to dry completely before determining whether or not it has removed any color from your carpet. If it has not removed any color, then proceed with cleaning the entire stain by following these steps:
- Use an old toothbrush or cloth and lightly scrub away as much surface residue as possible without disturbing underlying fibers or nap direction and patterning (you don’t want bits of dirt under there).
- Wet down the entire affected area with cold water–it’s important that all surfaces are thoroughly wet so that they will absorb as much enzyme cleaner solution as possible.
- Apply enzymatic cleaner generously over the entire affected area using either an old sponge mop applicator brush (sold at most grocery stores), cotton swabs dipped in enzymatic cleaner solution, etc., being sure not to miss any areas around edges where spillage may have occurred outside perimeter line where stain could be seen on the surface only
Now that we’ve reviewed the necessary steps to repairing your bleach-stained carpet, you can take comfort knowing this procedure will be easy and effective. To recap, make sure you have all of the supplies before beginning, then work slowly and methodically to ensure a clean end result. If you are still unsure about any part of this process, feel free to reach out for help from a professional in your area.
We hope this has been helpful in getting your carpet back to its original state! If not, you might try coloring the spot on your carpet to blend in with the area around it.
How to Color Your Carpet
Step 1: Buy the dye
The first step in coloring carpet is to buy the dye. You can purchase carpet dye kits at your local home improvement store, or you can buy them directly from a carpet retailer.
If you choose this option, make sure that you buy enough dye for the entire room — even if it seems like a lot of excess material now, there’s always room for error! The dye comes in a range of colors and shades so that you can customize your project to fit your home perfectly.
Step 2: Prepare the space
Once you’ve removed all the furniture from your room, it’s time to move on to step two. First, thoroughly clean the carpet. Use a vacuum or any other cleaning product you have available so that it looks as clean as possible.
Next, tape off any edges of the carpet with painter’s tape and cover your floor with a large plastic tarp or drop cloth (depending on how much mess you anticipate). This will keep things clean and prevent stains from bleeding through if you spill any paint onto your floor. Finally, wear old clothes that don’t mind getting dirty—you’ll want them for when painting begins!
Step 3: Test the dye
Once you’ve mixed your dyes and they have been left to sit for 30 minutes, it’s time to test the dye on a piece of carpet that will not be seen by anyone. This is called a “test strip.”
The test strip will let you know if the color is right, as well as if it is going to change the color of your carpet. If you wanted blue carpet, but when testing with blue dye, it turns green or purple, then it may not work out, and you should try again!
Step 4: Apply the dye in small sections at a time
Next, you’ll want to apply the dye in small sections at a time. Use a spray bottle to evenly distribute the dye on your carpet. If you’re doing this with someone else, it can help if one person uses a brush while the other sprays.
Then switch roles. This will help ensure that you don’t miss any spots or get too close together when applying the dye and also make sure that there are no drips or unevenness in coverage throughout your carpeting.
Once you’ve finished applying all of your colorants, use a hair dryer (on low) to help it dry quickly and evenly before continuing on to step 5 below!
Step 5: Steam out the carpet
After you’ve let the dye sit for 15 to 20 minutes, it’s time to steam out the carpet. Again, how long you leave the carpet in the dye will depend on how resistant it is and what type of carpeting you have.
For example, if your space has wall-to-wall shag carpeting that’s been around since Nixon was president (which we sure happen), it might take a little longer than your average office chair.
Once again, use a steam cleaner with an extendable wand. If possible, find a model that has its own heating element so that you don’t have to fill it up with water each time—this can save significant time during this process!
Step 6: Vacuum and touch up the carpet
Once the carpet has dried, vacuum the area. You’ll be amazed at how much dye comes up with your vacuum! If there’s still some dye on your carpet that you want to get rid of, simply apply a little more dye to those spots and wait for it to dry again.
Finally, you’re done! Enjoy your newly colored carpet—and don’t forget about our other helpful guides for cleaning rugs and getting stains out of carpets!
