We have all been there. You invite a few friends over to show off your new furniture, and someone spills a glass of red wine. Or perhaps you've finally located the perfect area rug for the living room and within a week, the kids have spilled something on it, and since no one's talking, you don't even know exactly what it is. You're hoping there's a better solution than re-positioning your accent furnishings. Is there a safe method of treating a carpet stain that will remove the unsightly blemish without ruining the fabric?

Every fabric reacts differently to stains, depending on the chemical makeup of the liquid. Using the wrong cleaner on a stain may not only leave the stain, but it can also damage the fabric further. Most stains, like wine, coffee, spaghetti sauce, urine and vomit are acidic in nature. The acids in these things allow them to bond the stain to the fabric's fibers whether they are natural or synthetic. Fabrics that have been treated with stain repellent may prevent the stain from bonding immediately but the these chemicals provide only temporary protection and should not be relied upon to keep the stain from setting.

The best thing to do with stains of this nature is to saturate them with club soda and leave them to dry. The club soda will prevent the stain from bonding to the material and give you time to consult a professional to determine which cleaner will work on the specific combination of fabric and stain.

What about a non-acidic stain such as ink? It's best to leave it alone and contact a professional for stain removal. Anything you can do to it might actually make matters worse.

If you live in Dallas or the surrounding areas and are in search of the people most knowledgeable about treating a carpet stain, or to find great lighting fixtures, mirrors, artwork or other accessories and objects to compliment your decor, contact us at Stephanie Kratz Interiors.