79% Sainsbury’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner
£2.50
This cleaner produced outstanding results on fresh Ribena, red wine and chocolate spread stains and great results on most dried-in stains. It’s easy to apply – just spray it on and leave it to do the work.
77% Rug Doctor Spot & Stain Remover
£3.29
This was the best overall stain remover, leaving no trace of our fresh Ribena, chocolate spread, curry and blood or dried-in Ribena, chocolate spread and curry stains. It was only beaten by the dried-in coffee stain.
76% Tesco Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner
Price £2.49
Tesco’s cleaner put in a strong overall performance, and was particularly effective on fresh coffee and Ribena stains. It was also great at vanquishing dried-in Ribena and red wine stains. There’s no need to scrub – just apply and leave.
75% Bissell OxyKIC
Price £7.99
Bissell OxyKIC had fantastic results on fresh coffee and fresh or dried-in Ribena and red wine. It’s easy to apply, using two bottles simultaneously. The initial unpleasant smell fades within a day.
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Carpet stain removers: Washing-up liquid beats big brands
It makes good sense to have an effective carpet stain remover in the home for dealing with those annoying spills. And if you’re one of the many homeowners in the UK who love neutral carpets, it’s vital. But do you really need to splash out on more expensive products? We looked at how washing-up liquid would do against the big brands.
The stains we used
We daubed pale carpet with black coffee, Ribena, red wine, chocolate spread, curry sauce and blood. As stain remedies aren’t always to hand in real life, we let each stain dry overnight. We then created a separate set of fresh stains and used 17 popular spot-removing products on both sets to try to get our test carpet pristine again.
We also threw two popular home remedies into the mix: soapy water made with washing-up liquid, and soda water. Hours of treatment and 114 carpet samples later, our analysis reveals some unexpected results.
Washing-up liquid versus the big brands
Blood (fresh and dry)
The washing-up liquid solution was as good or better than the specialist solutions – including the Best Buys – on blood (fresh and dry).
Fresh ribena/red wine
Again, washing-up liquid was just as good, if not better than specialist solutions.
Chocolate spread/dried-in black coffee.
These were the only stains that really defeated the washing-up liquid.
Cost
The bottle of Morning Fresh washing-up liquid (not a Best Buy) cost 79p, compared with £7.99 for the priciest Best Buy, Bissell OxyKIC.The washing-up liquid was as good or better than OxyKIC on half the stains tested and only slightly bested by the big brand on the remainder.
How did soda water do?
Forget soda water. It was good at removing blood and vanquished our fresh Ribena stain, but it didn’t match the specialist detergents on the other stains. Stain reaction.
Other results
There were real differences between the dedicated products. Simple spray options from Sainsbury’s and Tesco outclassed the big-brand names of Vanish and 1001.
Sainsbury’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner (£2.50) is almost half the price of Vanish Oxi Action Carpet & Upholstery Stain Remover (£4.40). In general, we found liquid and aerosol sprays gave better cleaning results and were easier to apply than other formats.
We found it tricky to apply the two foam and brush products – the 1001 (15) and Bissell (17) – accurately and without being wasteful. The Bissell (17) was a disappointment all round and is a Don’t Buy. Its stain removal was inferior, we found it difficult to apply and we found the product removed colour from our dark test carpet when left unattended.
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Carpet stain removers: Tackling tricky stains
For all stains
It’s best to remove any solids from the area and blot fresh spills with a paper towel. When dabbing, work from the outside in, to prevent the stain spreading. Avoid scrubbing as you may damage carpet fibres.
Red wine
Best Buy cleaners Sainsbury’s and Bissell OxyKIC worked wonderfully on fresh stains. But home remedies are effective, too. Washing-up liquid removed our dried stain superbly and our tests show that white wine works really well in reducing the colouration, although it also spreads the stain.
On fresh stains, it’s also worth trying a paste made of baking powder and water. Salt is messy to use and disappointing on fresh stains.
Mud
Speed is often the key to successful stain removal but if you allow mud to dry, you can vacuum it up and then use soapy water or spot removers to remove embedded particles.
Candle wax
Remove excess wax and place ice cubes on the remainder. This will harden it, allowing you to gently extract it. For embedded wax, cover with a brown paper bag or kitchen paper, place a cloth on top and iron gently on the lowest setting. The melted wax will absorb into the paper.
Dog dirt
Sacrifice a kitchen spatula or use a piece of thick cardboard to skim the main solids off the carpet. Apply soapy water solution or spot remover to the stain. This may take several applications.
Need to give your carpets a thorough clean? Read our advice on buying and hiring carpet cleaning machines with reviews of 16 models.
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Sainsbury's Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner £2.43 liquid spray 500ml 79%
Rug Doctor Spot & Stain Remover £2.99 liquid spray 500ml 77%
Tesco Carpet & Upholstey Cleaner £2.44 liquid spray 500ml 76%
Bissell OxyKIC £7.82 aerosol spray 397mla 75%
K2R Stain Remover Spray £2.99 aerosol spray 100ml 74%
1001 Spot Shot for Carpets £5.15 aerosol spray 200ml 73%
Tableau Spot Remover £2.83 aerosol spray 200ml 70%
Vanish Oxi Action Carpet & Upholstery Stain Remover £4.30 liquid spray 500ml 69%
Ozkleen Carpet Remover £3.49 liquid spray 500ml 68%
1001 Troubleshooter Stain Remover £2.55 liquid spray 500ml 66%
M&S Lavender Carpet & Fabric Stain Remover £1.94 liquid spray 500ml 64%
Vanish Shampoo Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner £4.50 liquid 450ml 64%
Lakeland Carpet Kind Spot Remover £6.84 liquid spray 250ml 63%
De-Solv-It Stain Eraser & Pre-Wash £3.99 pen 30 ml 51%
1001 Mousse for Carpets & Upholstery £2.39 mousse, brush 300ml 43%
Vanish Power Foam Carpet Stain Remover £4.50 foam spray 600ml 42%
Bissell Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner £6.70 foam, brush 355ml 38%