You’ve just spilt red cordial on your carpet … What to do?

When kids are around, cordial spills often happen! So, what should you do to prevent a permanent cordial stain?
The food colouring in cordial is a permanent dye that is very, very effective at re-dying your carpet, creating a permanent stain. This means that when there is cordial spill on carpet, you need to ask fast! On wool and most nylon carpets, a cordial spill will often leave a stain even if it is treated straight away.

How to remove red cordial from carpet

Our initial aim is to reduce the extent of the stain as much as possible. Not only will this minimise the immediate visual impact of the stain, but it will give your carpet cleaning technician the best possible chance of removing the stain at a later stage.

Like any spill, the first step is always to soak up as much of the spill as possible. This is especially important with a cordial spill because the stain tends to become permanent as soon as the cordial dries.

Step 1 - Sponge off as much as you can

Place a towel or sponge on the spill with mild downward pressure. Repeat this process until there is no further transfer of the spilt liquid from the carpet to the towel or sponge.

Step 2 - Sponge with cold water and blot dry

Sponge the area with cold water and blot dry with a clean cloth. We recommend placing an old towel on the stain folded over at least 2 layers thick and standing on the stain. This will enable you to remove as much of the spill as possible.

Step 3 - Treat the stain with Electro 3

Treat the stain with Electro 3 Spot and Stain remover following the instructions on the bottle. If the spill hasn’t dried, this product will help you remove as much of the spill as possible. If you do not have Electro 3 Spot and Stain Remover, then treat then sponge a mild detergent solution of 1 litre of warm water and a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent onto the stain and blot off with a towel. Repeat this process with fresh water

Removing red cordial stain on carpet using heat treatment

It is likely a faint stain will remain. In this case, your Electrodry technician can use an oxidising process under heat to release most of the stain from the carpet. The process used is a controlled bleaching process achieved by adding oxygen to the stain under heat. It is a slow but effective process.

1. Lightly spray the stain with Electro 3 Spot and Stain remover and place a moist, white terry towelling cloth on the stain.

2. Set your iron to medium low temperature with the steam on and place it on the cloth above the iron for 30 seconds. The heat will help release the stain if the stain has not totally set.

3. If you don’t’ have Electro 3 stain Remover then try diluted laundry detergent.

Before using a hot iron to treat the stain, attempt this process in an inconspicuous area of carpet to check that it does not bleach the carpet.

If the cordial stain remains, call in the carpet professionals

If you're still unhappy with the stain, give the Electrodry team a call on 13 23 13 or book online. A qualified technician can assess the stain and target its removal, while giving the surrounding carpet a thorough and professional clean. Electrodry provides stain removal tips in good faith and cannot be held responsible for any damage to the carpet as a result of attempting to following these processes.