The Path to an Organized Tomorrow: Organized Cleaning: Carpet Stain Removal

I have a large off-white area rug in my living room. With a toddler, a baby, and a dog around the house, I am always finding stains with unknown origins on my rug (and some with known, but unpleasant origins). In the past, I would always put off cleaning them with the carpet stain remover that comes in a red squirt bottle (it shall remain nameless). It does work just fine for most stains, but I can't STAND the smell of it, and the smell lingers for hours in my house, even with the windows open and fans going. And if it bothers my nose that much, I don't really want to use it around the kids.

I consider myself fairly chemical conscious, using natural cleaning and laundry products, and for that matter, mostly vinegar and baking soda. But for carpet stains, I hadn't found anything that worked all that well. Until now!

The all-natural wonder stain remover: BORAX!

I had tried everything else with so-so results when I decided to give this a try and wow, it works great! I can't smell it at all, and the stains come right out. It is quick and easy and I have no more reason to live with stains on my rug!

This is the process that works great for me:

Using Borax to remove carpet stains

1. Mix 1 to 2 Tbsp. borax with ~ 1/3 cup water (I didn't measure) in a small bowl

2. Stir together - you could microwave for 15 seconds to help dissolve (it will not all dissolve - it will be like a thick paste at the bottom of the bowl with water above it - see the picture)

3. Scoop the paste onto a damp washcloth with your fingers.

4. Rub paste directly onto stain (don't soak the carpet).

5. Let sit for 15 minutes and rinse with clean damp cloth (don't soak the carpet).

6. Vacuum area when dry. Note: keep kids and pets away from the area until after vacuuming. While it is all-natural, borax isn't good for kids or animals to ingest.

Here are some of my latest results: