What You Need to Know About Light-Colored Carpets and Mud

Should You Clean Wet Mud? 

The kids, your dogs, or a few friends accidentally tracked mud onto your ivory or taupe carpets — and the debris is still freshly wet. Should you get to work, removing the drenched or damp dirt right now? 

Even though your first instinct is to clean the carpets as soon as possible, it's typically better to wait. An attempt to wipe away wet mud may push the muck and debris farther into the carpet's fibers. This can make it harder to prevent or fully remove stains. 

Remove chunks of debris from the carpet's surface. But wait to clean the rest of your light-colored flooring until the remainder of the mud is dry. If the mud tracks are minimal, a vacuum may remove the rest of the debris. Deeper, heavier, larger, or dark mud puddles will require more. 

Can You Spray Carpet Cleaner on Dry Mud? 

Now that the debris is gone and the mud is dry, you're ready to clean your carpet. Before you spray a store-bought carpet cleaner on the area, stop and think about what could happen next. A liquid cleaner or soap and water mix will re-wet the dried mud. This defeats the purpose of waiting for the spot to dry before cleaning it. 

The damp mess a spray can create isn't the only reason to wait before you use a DIY cleaner on a muddy carpet. Some chemicals can stain or overly lighten carpets. If you don't know what's in the cleaner, aren't familiar with the ingredients, or aren't sure how they'll react with your carpet's fibers, don't use the product. 

What Should You Do to Clean Major Muddy Messes? 

The mud stain is significant — and that means a simple swipe with a vacuum may leave your carpet with permanent dark marks. If you shouldn't use an off-the-shelf chemical cleaner, how can you remove the mud from your flooring? 

Some mud marks are easy to clean with a simple blot and lift method. But others require extra help. A muddy mess that goes beyond a few light footprints, is already ground deep into the carpet's fibers, or has already stained your carpet needs a professional-level cleaning service. 

Why Hire a Professional Carpet Cleaner? 

A professional carpet cleaning contractor has the experience and expertise to evaluate the muddy mess and decide what to do next. Along with the knowledge necessary to clean the mud effectively and efficiently, a carpet cleaning company has the equipment this type of job requires. This means you won't have to invest in pricey wet-dry vacuums or rent heavy machinery to remove the mud. 

Not only can a professional clean the muddy area (or areas), they can also refresh the rest of your flooring. Whether you have white, ivory, tan, taupe, or another similar flooring hue, light colors won't hide dirt well. A full home carpet cleaning makes your flooring look like new and can even out off-colored spots. 

How Should You Hire a Professional? 

Which carpet cleaning contractor is the best option for your muddy light-colored flooring? Before you hire one company, ask the contractor about their experience, expertise, and methods for cleaning mud or light colors of carpeting. A quality carpet cleaning contractor should provide customer references or photos of past jobs. 

Do you have a muddy mess in your living room or other space in your home? Contact All State Carpet & Tile Care for more information.