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Removing beer: pick your surface

Beer is a tannin (plant pigment) stain, usually from a knocked pint or a bottle tipped off the sofa arm. The chemistry stays the same wherever it lands — but the safe way to treat it changes completely with the surface, which is why each pairing below has its own guide.

Water-soluble

Water-based cleaning can dissolve this stain — method and temperature are what matter.

Heat sets it

Keep hot water, steam and dryers away until the beer is fully out — heat fixes it permanently.

Fresh vs dried-in

Fresh beer lifts with cool water as easily as any spill in this guide. Left in the fibre, though, the malt sugars stay tacky and the residue sours — a beer patch that was never rinsed is what makes a room smell like a pub carpet. The rinse stage matters more than the stain stage.

Beer removal guides by surface

Beer on a wool carpet

moderate to remove

WoolSafe-approved wool detergent in cool water, then the diluted white vinegar stage — mild acid suits wool, which is itself happiest slightly acid

Read the guide

Beer on a nylon carpet

easy to remove

Mild washing-up liquid solution, followed by a one-to-two white vinegar and cool water solution

Read the guide

Beer on a polypropylene carpet

easy to remove

Mild washing-up liquid solution, followed by a one-to-two white vinegar and cool water solution

Read the guide

Beer on a fabric sofa

easy to remove

Mild washing-up liquid solution, followed by a one-to-two white vinegar and cool water solution

Read the guide

Beer on a polyester carpet

easy to remove

Mild washing-up liquid solution, followed by a one-to-two white vinegar and cool water solution

Read the guide

Beer on a velvet sofa

easy to remove

Mild washing-up liquid solution, followed by a one-to-two white vinegar and cool water solution

Read the guide

Beer on a linen sofa

easy to remove

Mild washing-up liquid solution, followed by a one-to-two white vinegar and cool water solution

Read the guide

Beer on a cotton sofa

easy to remove

Mild washing-up liquid solution, followed by a one-to-two white vinegar and cool water solution

Read the guide