Cleaning Tips
Here are some quick and easy ways that you can get rid of some of your common carpet
stains right at home!
Pet Stains
Pet Stains! Anyone who has a pet, shudders
at the mention of these two words. House training pets can cause serious headaches. The key to cleaning to cleaning
any pet accident is time. The sooner you can get to it the better the chance you have of preventing a permanent stain.
If your accident is more than several weeks old then it has already begun to take up permanent residence.
Pet urine
is the most commonly asked about problem. If it is less then 20 minutes old you must first blot the liquid up completely
with paper towels. Once all of the liquid is absorbs you can mix one tsp. liquid CLEAR dish or laundry detergent with
a cup of plain WARM water and spray LIGHTLY. Gently rub in and let stand for approximately 5 or 10 minutes.
Blot until dry. If the stain is removed, finish by spraying with plain water and blot with pad of paper towels
and a heavy weight. Let the weight stay for several hours and repeat with new towels if necessary. If the stain
persists, or if you you have an older stain apply a mixture of 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide (3% solution ONLY) and 1 tsp. of
household ammonia under a pad of weighted towels. This solution should be disposed of after two hours, as it will
lose its effectiveness. This step can be repeated until the stain is removed. Remember, the older the stain
the less chance to remove it. Apply water with a damp sponge, and blot dry with paper towels. Last but not least
apply a mixture of white vinegar and water.
Chocolate
& Ice Cream Stains
First, scrape up any excess with a spoon. It is important to get as much off the carpet as soon
as possible. Next blot, NOT scrub, with paper towels. This will assure that you have absorbed all
the excess material. Then mix 1 tsp. Of CLEAR dish or laundry detergent with one cup WARM water with a spray bottle
or damp sponge. Be sure to use sparingly. The biggest mistake even professional carpet cleaners make is to use
too many chemicals. This will only contribute to the spot reappearing at a later time. Let the mixture sit on
the carpet for at least five minutes and then blot with paper towels. Repeat this step as necessary.
Next, apply
some plain water and place a thick pad of paper towels with a very heavy weight on top. This will absorb the remainder
of any stain or chemical left behind.
Drink Spills
Drink spills such as cola, ginger ale,
apple juice, etc. can be effectively cleaned with the following steps. The first step in any liquid is to blot in onto
paper towels. Take several towels at a time and press flat down with your hands to transfer the liquid into the paper.
Use as many new towels as necessary until the liquid is absorbed. If you have stain protected carpets such as stain
master this may be all you need to do. If not and there is a stain left behind you can mix one ounce of CLEAR liquid
dish or laundry detergent with one cup of water and LIGHTLY spray the affected area. Very lightly rub the solution into
the carpet with your fingers and let stand for approximately 10 minutes. Then blot the area again.
If the
spot persists reapply some solution but instead of blotting put 8 or 10 paper towels over the area and put a very heavy
weight on top. Let stand for several hours or even overnight. This last step can be repeated until the stain is
gone or there is no more stain blotting into the towels. Patience is the key to spot removal.
Candle Wax Stains
The first thing to do, as in most cases, is to gently scrape the excess material off with a dull
object such as a spoon. Next, cover with a damp WHITE terrycloth towel and apply a warm NOT HOT steam iron.
The wax will be absorbed into the towel. Be sure that the towel is large enough to cover the area, and NEVER touch
the iron directly to the carpet, or it will melt the carpet fiber. Remember to keep the towel damp. Change
or rotate the towel and repeat this process until the wax is absorbed. Next, if there continues to be a spot,
apply a dry cleaning solvent to a white terrycloth towel and blot the area. Apply some plain water and blot again.
Finish by applying a pad of paper towels (8-10) with a heavy weight on top. Let it stand several hours or overnight.
