If you enjoy hosting parties or barbecues, you may find yourself hosting a patriotic-themed event this summer. Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day are all the perfect opportunity to break out the red, white and blue decorations and foods. However, when hosting a party, you always run the risk of someone spilling something on your carpet. And with so many red and blue foods, this can leave your carpet looking unintentionally patriotic. But fear not -- most stains can be removed, as long as you work to remove them quickly. Here are some tips for removing common red and blue stains that may be found on your carpet after one of these summer parties.

Frosting

Icing a cake or cupcake can instantly add color and character to it. However, if it spills on your carpet, frosting or icing can be difficult to remove. This is because red and blue colored icing is made with food coloring, which can be challenging to remove. Follow these steps to attempt to rid your carpet of the stain:

  1. Use a butter knife to attempt to remove as much of the frosting from the carpet as possible. Gently lift or scrape away as much substance as you can without rubbing your carpet too harshly. Use a shop vacuum to vacuum away any food or icing particles that remain.
  2. Wet your hand and sprinkle a few drops of water on the frosting. This helps to moisten it, which helps to keep it from setting. This also makes it easier to remove.
  3. Dab at the area with a moistened paper towel. Dab away as much of the frosting as possible. Dab or blot but do not rub, as you can spread the stain.
  4. Mix one part white vinegar with four parts warm water in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture on the stain. Allow it to work into the stain for a few minutes.
  5. Dab at the stain again until no more color is lifting. Spray more of the spray and repeat the dabbing process. Continue this until the stain has lifted.
  6. Pour a cup of cool water over the affected area to rinse away any vinegar residue. Use your shop vacuum to vacuum away the excess water. If you don't have a shop vacuum, lay a towel out and push it downward to absorb water until the area is dry.

Popsicles

Popsicles are a great way to cool off on a hot day. However, if you are giving them to children at your party, you may want to keep the kids outside so you don't have a sticky mess or stained carpet inside. However, if the children don't listen, you may have red or blue stains on your carpet. Follow these directions to get rid of the popsicle stains:

  1. Add one ounce of oxygen bleach to one quart of warm water in a spray bottle. Oxygen bleach will not bleach the color from your rug, so ensure you are using oxygen bleach and not a chlorine-based bleach. Swirl the powdered bleach around in the warm water until it dissolves.
  2. Spray the mixture directly on the stain on your carpet. The area should be saturated. Allow it to sit for about 10 to 15 minutes.
  3. Dab at the stain with light colored towels. Do not use dark colored towels, as the color can bleed onto a light carpet. Continue dabbing until the stain lifts. If it doesn't, re-spray and re-dab until it does lift.

Berries

Serving strawberries, raspberries and blueberries can add a fresh, healthy offering at your patriotic party. But, the berries can stain if they are spilled on the carpet or accidentally squished in. Here are steps for getting berry stains out of your carpet:

  1. Use a paper towel to gently lift as much excess fruit away. Blot at the affected area with a clean paper towel to remove as much juice as possible.
  2. Mix one tablespoon of dish washing soap with three cups of warm water in a bowl.
  3. Dip a sponge or cloth in the soapy mixture and begin blotting away at the stain. Continue this process until the stain has lifted.
  4. Dampen a clean cloth in cool water. Dab at the affected area to remove soap residue.

The red and blue foods you serve at a summer party can leave your carpet stained. However, if you catch the stain early enough, you can typically remove most stains. But, despite your best efforts, you may not be able to remove all stains. If you have attempted to lift a stain and it won't budge, call in a professional carpet steam cleaning company. They may need to steam the carpet or use tough solvents to get it to budge.

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