Green Ways to Remove Rug and Carpet Stains.

When you have kids or pets at home, it's not unusual for your carpet to be subjected to all sorts of dirt and stains. Sure, they can be easily addressed by all those commercially-available stain removers. But more often than not, these products contain caustic substances. Not to mention chlorine and/or petroleum-bas­ed solvents that are potentially dangerous to our health, most especially to our kids.

Green carpet cleaning has become a healthier option these days; a more popular choice for the health-conscious and environment-friendly moms like me. And I'm sharing with you some simple ways to remove stains and reduce odor from your rugs and carpets - the green way.

For odor control, use baking soda. Sprinkle a generous amount on your carpet and let it set for 30 minutes to an hour before vacuuming. To further improve odor, National Geographic Green Living suggest trying a few drops of lavender oil or ground cloves to the baking soda to improve indoor odor.

Got crayon stains on the carpet? Take an old toothbrush, dip it in vinegar and then scrub the stained area. You can do the same technique for glue and bubblegum stains, too.

As for the four C's of stains - catsup, coffee, cola, and chocolate, these call for a vinegar and water solution. Of course, each culprit has its own stain removal guideline, but the principle behind each is to mix 1 cup of vinegar with 2 cups water. You can increase the quantity depending on the amount of stain you are dealing with, as long as you follow the 1:2 ratio.

Photo credit: Red Beacon.

For catsup stains, sponge the mixture into the carpet until the stain disappears. Do this liberally while rinsing and repeatedly wringing out your sponge. Chocolate stains can be treated in the same way, but it's important to blot with a clean cloth, instead of rubbing it, to avoid spreading the stain further. Remember to rinse and wring out your sponge as well.

A coffee or tea spill on the rug should come up easily if you clean it right away. Simply sponge it with clean water. However, if it's an old stain, you can use the vinegar and water solution. Sponge it in, then rinse and wring until all brown color is gone. Cola stains can be treated that way as well.