Accidents are bound to happen. Whether it’s a spilled drink or perhaps walking in with dirty shoes, your carpet will inevitably develop stains. The last thing you want to do in this scenario is leave the mess and deal with it later.  If you let the stain settle in, not only will it be harder to get rid of, but it can also stay there permanently, completely ruining your rug or stair runner. The quicker you act on cleaning up, the more likely you can save the carpet material from developing a permanent stain. The moment the carpet gets dirty, you should act as quickly as possible to remove any solid or liquid residue as this will make the rest of the clean up much more easier for you.  When dealing with a spill to avoid a long-term stain, here are some quick tips to help you get started. If you don’t have a specific carpet cleaning product, you can always create your own with materials you likely have at home. Here is one we recommend that is easy on many carpet materials: Mixture of water, vinegar and dish soap:  This quick at-home solution is gentle on carpet materials — even premium materials such as wool — and it’s formulated to get rid of some of the toughest stains.  Ingredients:  2 cups of water  1 tablespoon of Vinegar 1 tablespoon of Dish Soap Here are some other tips to keep in mind when taking care of the stain at home: Be sure to always use a white cloth Make sure you completely avoid any type of colored cloth, as they can cause more harm than good. The dye from a colored cloth or towel can actually rub off onto the carpet material when you’re cleaning the spill. By using a white cloth, you can save the carpet from getting even more strained than it already is.  Don’t rub in the stain Our first instinct when we deal with a stain is to scrub it away. What this actually does is push the stain deeper into the carpet material. You might even cause a permanent stain with this action.  Our recommendation is to first blot out the stain by gently placing an absorbent cloth on it. This will help absorb most of the spill from the top layer and stop it from going deeper into the material. This now makes it easier to clean up the rest of the stain, allowing you to use any other cleaning methods.