The Bane of Stains: Perfume

We recently covered how to deal with stains on your carpet made by eye shadow and lipstick. Along with those, there’s another makeup item that sometimes tumbles toward the fibers under your feet. In this post, we’ll be discussing perfume – or cologne, whichever you prefer.

Samples of fragrances have been found in ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian dig sites. They’ve been used for thousands of years for hygiene, cleanliness, rituals, ceremonies, and even to mark social status. The manufacturing procedure involves extracting oils or synthetic compounds and blending them with other ingredients to achieve the desired scent.

What’s the difference between perfume and cologne? It comes down to how they are created. Most perfumes dissolve 10-20% of oils into a varied combination of alcohol and water. Cologne typically uses about 3-5% of oil “diluted” in 80-90% alcohol and about 10% water. Interesting numbers, don’t you think?

Was the spill intentional? Well, Preferred Carpet Care would like you to know that there are much better ways of freshening your carpet than spritzing it with your favorite fragrance. But if the spill was accidental, as is likely, these steps may help lower the chance of stains forming.

On to the Removal

1. As with most stains, removing the excess makes the cleanup easier. Dab the stain with a dry white paper towel or cloth, working from the outer edge inward
2. Mix 1/3 cup of white vinegar and 2/3 cup of water. If available, pour them into a clean spray bottle for application. If you don’t have a spray bottle handy, use a bowl. However, this gives you an option to add ½ teaspoon of dish detergent (without bleach or lanolin) to the mixture for extra potency.
3. Spray or dab the stain with enough of the mixture to saturate it, but be careful. If the mixture gets to the backing of your carpet, the backing might begin to dissolve. Blot with a white paper towel to remove excess moisture.
4. If you are using a spray bottle and the stain is persisting, ditch the spray bottle and mix ¼ cup dishwashing detergent (again, no bleach or lanolin) with 1 quart of water. Dab and blot with a white paper towel, working from the outside inward, until the spot is removed.
5. Gently rinse the area with water – but again, try not to saturate it. Use a fresh set of cloths or paper towels to soak up the moisture. Rinsing and soaking up the moisture is important because any residual detergent will attract dirt faster than your perfume attracts attention, often creating a bigger stain.
6. Place a stack of weighed-down paper towels over the area.
7. If the stain persists, moisten the area with 3% hydrogen peroxide and let it sit for an hour. Blot the area with a fresh cloth or paper towel. Light will eventually turn the hydrogen peroxide into water, so after you blot the stain, apply a fresh set of weighed-down paper towels.

Your Nose Knows

Whether it’s a spill of perfume or cologne, the first indication is usually the scent. However, it’s difficult to pinpoint a spill or stain by scent alone. If you suspect some of your favorite fragrance spilled, keep an eye out for discolorations. If you still cannot find the spill, it’s a perfect time to contact Preferred Carpet Care. We can cover a larger portion of your carpet to get rid of the spill before it becomes a stain – or better yet, we can professionally clean the carpet of your entire room, just to be sure no other stains get left behind. Feel free to contact us over the phone or schedule a free consultation online.