Summer is a great time of year isn’t it? The weather is perfect, the people are all happy to be out in the sun, and the iced tea is a’flowin’. This time of year is a boon for the tea companies, but it also helps out the carpet cleaners too when people accidentally spill these delectable beverages on their rugs and carpets. Iced tea, being from real tea will stain a carpet the same way that coffee and wine will if not immediately taken care of. That being said, there are a number of ways to avoid the worst that these types of spills can create. Follow these steps to save your rug and your wallet from the perils of ice tea fails this summer.

Cleaning Solution Method:

1. Blot out the tea with a dry towel or rag to soak up as much of the liquid as possible. This will help to keep the iced tea from spreading and causing more stain.
2.  After you’ve blotted out the excess tea from the spill, you can then start to carefully dilute the stain with small amounts of water. This will help to keep the stain wet so that it doesn’t set into the fabric completely and it will also lessen the contrast of the stain as a whole.
3.  Blot up the excess water that you have diluted the stain with as well.
4.  Apply whatever carpet cleaning solution you have already in your home to the affected area.
5.  Give the solvents a chance to soak in a bit and do its magic on the carpet fibers.
6.  Blot the carpet cleaning solution as well. Do not wipe any of these liquids as this will only spread the effects of the stain to unaffected areas.
7.  If you have a wet / dry vacuum, you can also use this to soak up any excess water, or the cleaning solution itself.

 Green Clean Solution Methods:

1. Follow steps 1 – 3 from the directions above.
2. Mix a solution of white vinegar and hot water to a ratio of one part vinegar to two or three parts water.
3. Apply this solution in small amounts to the affected area.
4. Let the solution sit in the carpet for five minutes or so.
5. Blot the vinegar solution out from the carpet and the tea stain should be gone.
6. If the tea stain is not gone yet, you can repeat this process until it is.

Iced tea is a great way to enjoy the summer, but it can still cause chaos when spilled on your carpets and that’s why you should always have some good old fashioned cleaning solutions in key areas of your home, such as under the sink or in the garage or laundry room. This may help to prevent a simple spill from becoming a mega stain, and save you cash in the process.