How To Clean Carpet Runners Yourself: Remove 9+ Stains At Home

Making sure that your carpet runner stays in pristine condition and taking care of any stains is an important part of the aftercare routine. Short of time, we appreciate that cleaning carpet runners may not be a high priority on your to-do list. Fear not! We’ve gathered all of our carpet cleaning expertise in this comprehensive how to clean carpet runners guide.

Drawing on our know-how, this article will show you how to clean carpet without a machine, so it’s doable for most households. Covering DIY carpet cleaning tips that are ideally suited to clean carpets by hand versus pet stains, make up, red wine and various other carpet mishaps, we’re confident it’ll inspire you once you know the best carpet cleaner solution for your stain.

Enjoy following our handy guides and best practices to ensure that you stay on top of carpet cleaning. After all, your home is your haven for relaxation.

Table of contents

• General care tips for keeping your carpet runner clean
• 1. Red wine stains
• 2. Oil stains
• 3. Paint stains
• 4. Nail polish stains
• 5. Wax stains
• 6. Mud stains
• 7. Make up stains
• 8. Gum stains
• 9. General carpet cleaning tips for pet stains, hair and fleas
• Learning how to clean a carpet runner yourself has never been so easy!

General care tips for keeping your carpet runner clean

At runrug.com, we have developed a huge fountain of tips that will help you to keep your runner in the best possible condition.

Follow these best practices for a clean runner rug, including:

• Removing your shoes at the door and don’t tread mud into your property.
• Adding doormats to the entrances of your home to make sure that anyone who enters can wipe their feet.
• Keeping your runner out of direct sunlight as this can cause it to fade and discolor when exposed to the sun.
• Vacuuming weekly, against the pile, to stop dirt building up into stains.
• Always blotting stains with a plain white cloth, to avoid colour transfer.
• Sprinkling a little bicarbonate of soda after blotting, to draw out leftover moisture, then vacuuming.
• Never using bleach on wool runners.
• Using a professional carpet cleaning service for very stubborn stains.
• Rearranging furniture occasionally to avoid marks.
• Fixing any marks or treating stains as soon as they happen.
• Regularly vacuuming the area.
• Having a deep clean of the carpet or runner every 12 months.

How to get stains out of your carpet runner

Over the years, we’ve gained expertise and developed a range of cleaning hacks that’ll help you get stains out of your carpet runner. Below you’ll find a variety of handy techniques revealing how to clean carpet runners against everyday stains.

1. Red wine stains

It’s a simple fact in life that red wine and cream runners don’t mix well. But what happens when your Australian red is spilt onto your runner and how do you get the stain out? You need carpet cleaning tips fast!

Our ‘How To Get Red Wine Out A Carpet’ guide will help you remove red wine stains with a range of DIY carpet cleaning methods that include salt and vinegar, baking soda, washing up liquid and more alcohol. The guide includes items that can be found around the home, helping you start your adrenaline-filled cleaning spree quickly.

2. Oil stains

Don’t panic! Oil stains on your runner are not ideal, but they do happen. But how do you get rid of them? Check out our 5-step ‘How To Get Oil Out A Carpet’ guide, where you’ll find handy tricks to help you get both fresh oil stains and dried oil stains from your runner.

Our step-by-step method will help you get the oil from your runner, making sure that it comes up looking fresh, crisp and as clean as it first did when you added it to your decor.

3. Paint stains

Whether you have been decorating yourself, had professional work completed, or your little ones have decided that they are feeling particularly creative and want to paint on the carpet – we have a handy guide to help you!

Our ‘How To Get Paint Out A Carpet’ guide will give you a step-by-step run down on how to remove any paint stains from your carpet runner. This how to clean a rug guide has specific methods for both water-based paints and oil-based paint, so you can be sure to get the impromptu artwork off your runner.

4. Nail polish stains

At Runrug, we know the pain that you feel when you drop nail polish on your carpet runner. But fear not, our ‘How To Get Nail Polish Out A Carpet’ guide is designed to help you get the stain from your runner quickly; using items that you’ll probably already own in your cupboards.

Our guide to cleaning carpet shows you how to get rid of the nail polish stains by using items such as hairspray, window cleaner and even hydrogen peroxide.

5. Wax stains

If you’re an old romantic, you may have blown out a candle too hard and spilt wax onto your carpet. At runrug.com, our ‘How To Get Wax Out A Carpet’ guide will walk you through the process of removing candle wax stains from your carpet (or runner) in a few easy steps.

This how to clean carpet (DIY) guide will show you how to remove wax from your carpet runner using methods such as icing and scraping. Easy to follow, the tutorial is simple and effective for removing stains efficiently.

6. Mud stains

If you have children, or a pooch who is subject to muddy paws, getting mud stains on your runner can be a frequent occurrence. But how do you get mud stains from your carpet/runner? At runrug.com, we’ve outlined a series of steps within our ‘How To Get Mud Out Of Carpet’ guide that’ll help you to remove any stubborn stains.

Knowing how to clean a carpet rug runner in advance lets you, your kids and your furry friends enjoy walks in the great outdoors without the fear of mud ruining the occasion. A clean carpet is also a healthier carpet.

7. Make up stains

Removing make up stains from a carpet or runner isn’t an easy task. But at runrug.com, we have a comprehensive list of methods for you to try if you do accidentally stain your runner. From potato starch for foundation stains to vinegar for lipstick stains – our guide covers it all.

No one wants to replace their carpet after dropping cosmetics on beige or colorful runners. Check out the full ‘How To Get Make Up Out Of Carpet’ guide at runrug.com for a clean carpet that could save you the expense of changing yours.

8. Gum stains

We don’t know how it happens either, but getting gum stuck in your runner or carpet is not ideal. However, you don’t have to panic as our step-by-step ‘How To Get Gum Out Of Carpet’ guide will walk you through the entire process of removing gum from your carpet.

With not one but three DIY carpet cleaning methods to try on your runner, you’ll soon master how to clean carpet at home with ease. Using household items from your cupboards, we’ll show you how to clean carpet without a machine (unless you count a hairdryer).

9. General pet care tips for clean carpets

Owning a cat or dog and having a clean, presentable carpet is achievable and doesn’t have to be too difficult. In fact, our ‘Pet Owner’s Carpet Care’ guide has easy to follow methods for general cleaning; removing accidents, hair and fleas, plus other pet cleaning queries. Safe for your pets, they are some of the best carpet cleaner solutions known to our team.

Finding out how to clean runner pet stains in our recommended guide is going to ease your worries should marks or unwanted guests make an appearance on your carpeted runner. This creates a much more pleasant home environment for your two and four-legged family members.

How do I get rid of smells from a runner?

Sprinkle an even layer of bicarbonate of soda, leave it for 30 minutes (keep pets away), then vacuum. It absorbs odours without harming the fibres.

Can I machine wash my runner?

Usually not. Most hall runners have a rubber or gel backing, or fabric that isn’t machine washable. Spot clean instead, and check the care label first.

Learning how to clean a carpet runner yourself has never been so easy!

Visit the nine DIY guides linked within this article and you’ll soon know how to clean carpet - without having to hire a professional cleaning company. Whether you’re looking for an effective way to restore your favourite carpeted flooring due to pet urine, gum or other stains, runrug.com’s straightforward carpet cleaning tips have you covered.

You’ll find a whole host of information to keep your Runrug carpet, stair carpet runner or rug runner in the best condition possible. Browse our Care Hub for more cleaning and care tips, and shop our stain-resistant carpet runners today.

Carpet runner cleaning FAQs

How often should I clean a hall runner?

Vacuum it weekly and spot clean spills straight away. Busy hallways and homes with pets may need a quick vacuum twice a week.

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