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Anyone who has ever invested in new carpeting can understand the pain of watching it become stained, either through spills or normal wear and tear. Carpet is not cheap, and it's not the easiest surface to clean. Fortunately, there are a lot of tricks and products out there to help remove stains and keep your carpet looking fresh as long as possible.

It goes without saying that the easiest way to keep a carpet from becoming stained is to avoid staining it in the first place! Obviously, this isn't always possible, especially in a home where children, pets, and husbands reside! There are, however, lots of little steps you can take to greatly reduce the general staining that occurs from walking on a high traffic area of the carpet (such as the first few steps going upstairs.) Keeping washable mats and throw rugs in front of all the entrances to your home can help eliminate a lot of dirt and debris that might otherwise be tracked further inside. Keeping your pets in a room without carpet when their paws are wet and muddy and removing your own shoes before entering the carpeted area can also work wonders at extending the carpet's longevity.

But, stains happen. Coffee is spilled when you trip on the stairs, a dog with a cut paw runs down the hall, painting it with blood, or a feisty toddler hurls grape juice across the kitchen and into the living room. So let's take a look at the different ways to remove some of the more common culprits of household carpets.

Food stains are quite common, especially if you have carpet in the area where you eat. Many food stains can be removed with just a bit of soap and water and some gentle scrubbing. For more serious offenders, such as ketchup or mustard, you are most likely going to need a heavy duty commercial product, such as Resolve carpet cleaner. It is important with stains that are liquid in nature to soak up the substance as much as possible before cleaning the area. Get a clean rag and use it to blot up the excess, and then treat the area with the carpet cleaner as directed on the bottle. Occasionally, you may need to repeat several times before the ghost of grape jelly is gone.

Along the lines of food, dark colored liquids-particularly coffee, wine or grape juice-can wreak havoc on a light colored carpet. Commercial cleaning products are often needed, but before treating, an application of club soda to the affected area can ease the removal of the stain. It goes without saying, but the sooner you attempt to eradicate the stain,

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