The Product You Do Not Want To Reach For When Cleaning A Stained Rug
Hosting a wine tasting at home, celebrating a little one's birthday with vibrant green frosted cupcakes, and just being a person day in and day out all inevitably lead to one thing: spills (and consequently stains) on your rug. When these spills happen and you spring into action to dab at the issue, whether you spotted it straight away or it's dried up and set, you may be tempted to reach for a roll of paper towels — but this probably isn't the right move.
Paper towels are enormously convenient; they're absorbent, and you can just toss them away in the bin afterward with no laundering linens necessary, so it makes sense that they'd be in your cleanup roster. But they're also fragile, tend to leave bits of paper lint behind, and frankly, given their disposable nature, are a bit wasteful at best (and costly at worst). Most significantly though, they're aren't as well suited to stain removal as other materials. For the environment and the sake of a successful cleanup, it makes sense to try to use fewer paper towels. Here's why, and what you should use instead.
What happens when I use paper towels?
Paper towels' main benefit is that it is highly absorbent, which makes it a go-to for still-wet spills and splashes. When it comes to rugs, carpet, and even upholstery, the paper towel is okay as a first line of defense to pick up excess liquid before it fully sets. The key is to just lay the paper towel over the spill and press it gently, then remove it carefully. Do not apply pressure or scrub at all because the towel will start to fall apart.
That might not seem like a big deal, but the little paper lint will get trapped in between the carpet fibers, and that means, in addition to scraping up the stain, you'll also need to vacuum after to catch all the paper shed — a step which will have to wait until the stain is fully dry. Paper towels also aren't abrasive enough to be as effective at scrubbing as other materials, making these inadequate for any sticky or dry stains.
Additionally, if you're trying to use a paper towel to remove a rug stain, you're inevitably going to have to go through several since they can't be rung out like cloth rags and they disintegrate quickly. This is bad for waste and the environment, as paper towels shouldn't be recycled. And if you use a ton trying to get through a stain, paper towels are ultimately more expensive than other stain removal products and using a non-disposable material.
What to use instead
So what should you use to clean a stained rug if not paper towels? You have several options. First, if you catch the spill before it's set into the rug, you want something super absorbent on your side. A clean, lightly damp or dry sponge is a great option for this, as you can press it into the rug to get both surface and embedded liquids. If you're cleaning an old carpet or rug, or one made from particularly delicate material, a soft sponge is a good choice for gently scrubbing away without distressing the fabric. Microfiber cloths are also good for cleaning stained rugs. They're very absorbent and don't shed their fibers, which means they won't complicate your cleanup.
The key is to dab at the stain with your sponge or microfiber cloth as gently as possible, using just water and a gentle cleanser if necessary, like a drop or two of dish soap. When the stain has fully lifted, use a dry cloth to absorb the excess liquid, then leave the area to dry completely (you can use a fan to speed up this process). Finally, vacuum the area to remove any dried debris and residue.