The solutions that best remove rust stains are acidic, so you can start with simple lemon juice. Here are some instructions to treat rust stains yourself.
Quick Summary – Remove Rust from Carpet
- Scrape: Gently lift excess rust with blunt knife.
- Dab: Apply lemon juice or white vinegar; let sit 5–10 mins.
- Blot: Press with clean cloth to lift stain.
- Rinse: Wipe with damp cloth; blot dry with towel.
- Repeat: Reapply if needed; hoover to reset pile.
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1. Apply lemon on rust stain
For a large area, put the lemon juice into a small spray bottle and spray onto the affected area. For a small stain, sponge the lemon juice onto the stain with a cotton wool ball. Leave the juice on the stain for at least 5 minutes, but no more than 10 minutes, then blot with a clean white cloth or paper towel.
2. Rinse the stain with detergent solution
Mix 4 or 5 drops of dishwashing detergent with 1 cup of warm water. Sponge onto the stain and blot dry with a clean white cloth. Repeat this process several times. We recommend putting a clean towel on the stain and standing on it to remove as much liquid as possible from the carpet.
3. If a stain remains, use white vinegar
Wait til the carpet dries, then apply the same process listed above but using straight white vinegar.
If the steps above do not totally remove the stain, there are commercial products that can remove rust stains from carpet. Be aware that they can also alter the dye in the carpet fibres, though, so use them carefully. Electrodry carpet cleaning uses a specialised rust treatment process that has proven to be very effective and will totally remove or significantly lighten the rust stain.
If in doubt call the professionals at Electrodry Carpet Dry Cleaning. We use dry cleaning technology to remove all kinds of stains. But act fast - rust stains get harder to remove if left for too long.
