As long as you own a carpet, the chances are that you’re going to have to deal with muddy footprints. Muddy footprints left by little ones as well as grown-ups or muddy paw prints from Fido can be unsightly. Fortunately, getting mud out of your carpet is simple. Here are a few tips on getting rid of muddy footprints on carpet.
The general rule of thumb is to deal with stains as soon as possible before they have the chance to set in and become more difficult to remove. For muddy footprints, however, you need to ignore that first rule of stain removal.
Once you spot muddy footprints, you want to start the cleanup process by removing the larger pieces of soil and mud from the carpet surface. The next step is the most difficult as you’ll have to wait for the mud to dry. Just walk away as if nothing happened and give the mud sufficient time to dry.
Trying to clean wet mud will only make it worse as the mud will spread and dirty your carpet even more. Giving the mud time to dry prevents the stain from spreading as it will become soil and dirt.
Once the mud has dried completely (you can use a portable fun in front of the area to speed up the drying process), you can start the removal process. The best way to remove dried mud is to use a vacuum cleaner to pull out as much of the soil from the carpet. Consider using a hose attachment that will allow you to focus on the affected area.
The trick to picking up as much dirt as possible is to move the hose around slowly.
If some bits of soil are still stuck to the carpet fibers after vacuuming, find something to scrape away the mud and loosen the soil. An object such as a spoon should do a perfect job but be gentle to avoid damaging the carpet fibers. Once you’ve loosened some soil, vacuum some more before going to the next step. Removing as much soil as you can make the next step much easier.
The final step is to spot and blot the remaining stains. Get a spray bottle and fill it with equal parts cold water and white vinegar. Spray the solution directly on the affected area of the carpet. Next, using a clean piece of cloth, cover the area you just sprayed and apply some pressure. You can use a heavy object or stand on it to apply direct pressure. Repeat this step about three to five times as you check the results every single time. After a few repetitions, the soil should have lifted away and you can now thoroughly dry your carpet.
Removing muddy footprints on carpet is not difficult. However, some soils are more prone to causing permanent stains. Red clay, for example, will easily stain your carpet and leave an unsightly mark. If you live in an area with highly colored soil, consider seeking professional help whenever you have to deal with muddy footprints on carpet.
