Things You'll Need
Ammonia
Water
Spray bottle
Mild dish soap
Soft cotton cloth
Paper towels
Scrub brush
Vacuum
Stains on carpet can be distressful as well as unsightly. The main point to remember about carpet stains is to treat them as soon as they happen. Waiting will only cause the stain to set in deeper in the carpet, which will make your work of removing it harder. Colored stains on carpet are treated and removed just like any other stain; a stain is a stain which you must remove regardless of its origin.
Step 1
Realize that having carpet, along with children or pets, will mean stains from time to time. Many expensive cleaners are on the market; unfortunately many of these do not work. Ammonia and water will normally do the trick for most stains, including urine and other yellow stains.
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Step 2
Determine the type of carpet. Wool or wool-blend carpets need a different treatment than non-wool- based carpets. Wool carpets do not take well to ammonia, so use a mild soap and water combination.
Step 3
Make a solution of 1 tbs. ammonia to 1 cup water. Put this mixture in a clean, preferably new spray bottle. Put on your gloves, spay the solution directly on the stain and work it in with your fingers for several minutes. This mixture is for non-wool carpets.
Step 4
Tackle wool carpet or wool blend with 1 tbs. of mild dish soap to 1 cup of water. Place it in a spray bottle, or apply it directly to the stain. Put on your gloves, and work the solution in with your fingers. Do not soak the carpet; you simply want to get enough on so that it is wet but not soaked.
Step 5
Scrub gently with a scrub brush in a circular motion so that you are only working on the stain and not spreading it to unstained areas. Use your paper towels, and dab up the excess liquid. When using paper towels to dab up the excess cleaning solution, lay two or three paper towels over the stain; press firmly with a downward pressure to soak up the fluid.
Step 6
Test the area to see if it has dried completely after several hours. When it is dry, vacuum the stain thoroughly, and the yellowing stain should be gone.
Tip
When cleaning the stained area with the solution, you may need to repeat the process more than once, especially for more stubborn stains like urine. If you are not sure if your carpet is wool-based, try the ammonia solution in an inconspicuous area before applying to the stain.
Warning
Always wear gloves when working with ammonia since it can be a skin irritant.
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