No matter how careful you are with ketchup, a glass of wine or a can of pop, chances are, you are going to spill things and those spills will turn into stains. Since an overly stained carpet can eat into your security deposit, there are a few things you can do to help return your carpet to like-new status.

First off, get a good spot cleaner. There are several products on the market, and while they can be a bit pricy, they will easily pay for themselves when they help you get your deposit back. You may have to try more than one kind to find the one that works best with the kind of carpet you have.

When you clean a spot, be sure to wet it first, even if you just caused the spill. A few squirts of water and then a blast of stain cleaner will do wonders. Also, don’t use paper towels to clean up the mess. Use an old sponge that still has a scrubbing surface that is intact. This will help lift the stain from the carpet.

Once a year, rent a steam cleaner from your local grocery store and get your carpet cleaned. Some apartment complexes even pay for this one annual cleaning, but they don’t tell many people about it, so ask and you may get a free carpet cleaning.

Finally, if things are reaching critical mass with your carpet, you may want to call Sears or another professional company to come in and have your carpet cleaned for you. A professional cleaning can do wonders for a carpet and you may end up getting your security deposit back after all. A small investment up front can really pay dividends if you put forth the effort, and as anyone can tell you, there is nothing quite as nice as walking on a clean carpet.