The 15 Most Stubborn Carpet Stains, Ranked — and How to Get Them Out

Whether it’s a red wine spilt after a few too many, your potty-trained pooch who seems to keep forgetting where the garden is, or your positively delightful offspring traipsing mud through the house, stains of some sort are a case of ‘when’ not ‘if’ for those new carpets. 

As such, Online Carpets has measured how ‘stubborn’ certain stains are, based on the number of users pleading for help, and have debunked some of the advice provided in forums whilst giving a few expert tips of their own.

Read a full write-up of the study here: https://www.onlinecarpets.co.uk/blogs/news/the-most-stubborn-carpet-stains-according-to-reddit

The 15 Most Stubborn Carpet Stains

1. Ink 
2. Red Wine
3. Mud
4. Coffee
5. Candle Wax
6. Pet-Related
7. Bleach
8. Cleaning Products
9. Cosmetics
10. Food
11. Cooking Oil
12. Vomit
13. Old Carpet Stains
14. Hair Dye
15. Chocolate

The study found that ink typically proves the most stubborn. While this wasn’t the stain with the highest number of individual posts on Reddit, the posts themselves had the highest amount of average upvotes, showing that while it may be an uncommon incident, it’s definitely one of the most irritating. Posts saw an average upvote of 1,286.6; almost double the number of red wine in the second position. 

Red wine stains on cream carpets are a cliché as old as time, and a wine lover’s worst nightmare. With an average of 644.8 upvotes per post, it’s clear that this is a recurring incident. Many people with light carpets assume that using a bleach solution on that bright red wine splash will remedy the issue, but oftentimes this makes the problem worse. The study found that bleach stains ranked seventh overall, averaging 47.2 upvotes per post. 

In third place, again with around half the average upvotes per post of the previous, ranks mud. The stain saw an average of 304.9 upvotes per post, with the majority of upvotes coming from soil from potted plants in the house and specifically, red clay mud. 

In the fourth position, their study found that coffee stains on carpets were particularly problematic, with an average of 63.1 upvotes per post, whilst candle wax was the final stubborn stain to make up the top 5 with an average of 56.6 upvotes per post. 

Stubborn Stain Removal Advice from the Experts at Online Carpets

1. Remove excess solids or liquids from the stain so that anything that can be cleaned doesn’t turn into a permanent stain 
2. Work from the outside of the stain inward, using a blotting technique rather than rubbing motions to prevent spreading and carpet fibre damage 
3. Continue until your cloth no longer picks up any colour
4. Use a carpet stain remover as per application instructions, or homemade cleaners such as 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and a quarter teaspoon of white vinegar diluted in 1 quart of warm water. Be very careful not to over-wet the stain, and let it sit for 10 minutes
5. If using a commercial carpet stain remover, be sure to test the product in a non-visible area of the carpet 
6. Blot the stain away with cold water, and continue until the colour no longer transfers onto your cloth, then blot dry
7. While it may be tempting to reach for a harsh substance, it’s always worth opting for more gentle solutions first and foremost
8. When it comes to removing mud, unlike other stains you actually want this to dry so that you can vacuum up as much as possible, you can even use a bristle brush prior to this to loosen any additional mud from the carpet’s fibres
9. Several Reddit users even claimed that pet stains they once got rid of, sometimes resurface years later, with the added issue of the odour causing distress – by using a carpet cleaner that contains enzymes, you can eliminate both the stain and the odour

Life is messy, and often that can reflect on your carpets. But with the right knowledge and tools, even the toughest of stains can be removed.