Carpet cleaning can be a real chore, and that goes double if you have to try to blot out a stain, whether it's from a wild party or a movie night gone wrong. But how do you know if you can get the mark out yourself or if you need some professional assistance? If you've got a couple of spots you want gone but aren't sure if you can do the removal yourself, then here's what you need to know.

Green Means Go

Some carpet invaders are easy to get out, and only require a bit of elbow grease on your part. If it's mud, just wait for it to dry, then scrape it off, being careful to pick up all the debris. Vacuum over the spot, and then make a solution of warm water with a drop or two of dish soap and blot it onto the spot, blotting again with a new cloth to dry. Any dry stain is relatively easy to clean and should be vacuumed before you do anything wet -- most of the time, the friction and suction will clean the mess right up.

Yellow Means Slow Down

Other stains take a bit more consideration and effort on your part, but if you approach them carefully, you should be able to save your carpet. Red wine falls into this category -- in order to clean, blot up any liquid you can, then sprinkle a bit of white wine on top of the stain and blot again, finishing off with a sprinkle of warm water and a dry rag. Blood is another slightly tricky but ultimately doable order; a butter knife will help you lift up any dried and coagulated blood, and a mixture of cold water and a drop or two of dish soap (or a salt paste) should finish the job.

Red Means Stop

For a few stains, you should skip the vinegar and regrets and go straight to your phone to get the pros to handle the job. Stains caused by liquids like bleach, ink (printer or pen), or kool-aid are nigh-impossible to get out without professional equipment and are thus best left to a cleaning service like Cohen Carpet Upholstery & Drapery Cleaning Specialists that has experience with these liquids. If you attempt to remove a stain you don't have the ability to remove, you risk damaging your carpet further. In the long run, after all, it's probably cheaper to pay for a carpet cleaning than have to pay for a whole new carpet.