Removing carpet stains by yourself saves you money, but it also means a better job in some cases. This isn't because professional carpet cleaners don't do a great job. In fact, those with good truck-mounted hot water injection systems (also known as steam cleaning) can get out many stains that you may fight for years. But the best way to remove carpet stains is to get them while they are just "spills" or "spots," before a professional can.

In other words, the first trick to removing carpet stains is to get them before they are stains. As soon as that drink spills gently soak it up with white paper towels or white cotton cloth. Even better, suck it out with a wet/dry shop-vac.

Foods and other substances should also be cleaned up as quickly as possible. Use a spoon to dig out semi-solids like peanut butter. With some substances you can pick out pieces with your fingers as well.

Once you have done the initial clean up you need to rinse the remaining spot or spill. Try water first. A spray bottle can help, but otherwise apply the water very carefully so you don't flood the spot and spread any potentially staining substances. Wet the spot and press that white cotton cloth or white paper towels onto it gently to soak it up. Repeat this as many times as necessary.

If water isn't enough to remove all coloring of the carpet, try a drop or two of Dawn dish washing detergent (the original blue) in a cup of water. This works well on greasy spills. Work it into the spot carefully, and "mop" up each time with your cloth - don't rub or you can make matters worse. If that doesn't work you'll need to refer to a good stain removal guide to see what will work for the particular substance you are trying to remove.

Always rinse the carpet well to be sure that you have removed every bit of the spill. It also helps to dry it well, and dry it fast. Fast drying can prevent any remaining stain that is deeper down from "wicking" up to the surface. To dry the area quickly press dry cloth or paper towels on it repeatedly, and then place a fan nearby to blow air across the spot for a couple hours.

Even if you don't get spills and spots cleaned up quickly, don't lose hope. Removing carpet stains that have been there for years is often possible. Look up a good online guide on how to remove carpet stains to find instructions for specific stains.