Summertime is when we plan picnics, camping trips, and urge the kids to get outdoors.  What is more relaxing than laying on the grass on a sunny summer day? With all the summer outdoor activity, it can be difficult to leave the great outdoors outside where it belongs.  Grass stains have a way to sneaking inside.  We have covered how to get the mud out of the carpet. This week, we’ll share PRO tips on how to get grass stains out of the carpet. 

How to Remove Grass Stains From Carpet

1. First step: vacuum the grass stain using the suction tool. Do not just run an upright vacuum over the stain; it will scrub the stain further into your carpet. 
2. Dampen a clean light-colored towel or paper towels with cool water. Gently blot the grass stain without rubbing or scrubbing.  
3. Continue blotting until you are not lifting any more grass stain out of the carpet.
4. Mix 2 teaspoons of mild dish soap with lukewarm water. 
5. Dampen a clean towel with the dish soap solution.  Blot the stain until you cannot lift any more of the grass stain. The stain may be gone; if the stain is still there, proceed to the next step. 
6. Tough stains. Because the stain has not lifted with water or dish soap, it is time to move onto a different solution.  You can use either rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, or banana oil.  Do NOT apply ammonia or degreaser to grass stains.  As with any stain treatment, always test your stain treatment on a sample of carpet or inconspicuous area to prevent staining or fading.

Why are Grass Stains so Difficult?

Grass contains chlorophyll, the lovely pigment that makes grass green. Chlorophyll is also a very effective dye, especially for natural fabrics like cotton, wool, linen, and silk. Chlorophyll soaks into the fabric fibers rather than sitting on top. The longer the stain sits, the harder it will be to treat, so deal with grass stains immediately and while they are still wet for best results.

Don’t avoid summer fun for fear of grass stains!  Need more stain-fighting help?  See our Spot Removal Guide for dozens of stain-fighting tips.