Cleaning Tips
Top 4 Common Household Spots & Spills… and How to Remove Them Without Calling a Professional!
1st Don’t Use Over The Counter Carpet Spotters. Those store bought cleaners tend to leave a residue of detergent that becomes gummy and attracts dirt and soil. But, if you insist on using one please use a very small amount, I’ve seen that stuff turn carpet spots into “dirt magnets” instantly.
2nd Always Rinse thoroughly WITHOUT Over Wetting. (i.e. have lots of clean, dry, absorbent towels handy.) It’s a fine balance between rinsing and not over wetting/potentially damaging your carpet.
3rd Never, Never Rub or Scrub Carpet – rubbing simply damages the carpet fibers.
The Top 4 Common Spills & Spots And How To Remove Them:
Spot #1 Food: It doesn’t matter if it is chocolate, spaghetti sauce or blueberry pie. This is how to remove any food spill from your carpet. First pick up all the food, if it’s an older spill, gently scrape all the dried food off the surface of the carpet. Next, put a bit of your hand washing dish detergent into a spray bottle filled with HOT tap water. (Approx 2 drops of detergent to 2 Cups of water.) Then spray (don’t soak) the area and proceed to blot (don’t rub). Use a clean, white, absorbent towel (nothing that could bleed/transfer color). Continue this action of spraying and blotting until your desired results are reached.
Spot #2 Wine: Merlot, Chardonnay, Cab, or Blush? It doesn’t matter what kind of wine, what matters is how you take care of that spot or spill. First, blot and absorb up as much of the spill as you can. Next, get your hand dish washing detergent solution (see above) and mix 1 part of this solution to 2 parts hydrogen peroxide.
Thoroughly spray the spill (without over wetting) then place a piece of plastic wrap over the area so the hydrogen peroxide solution can have a chance to do its job. Let it sit like that for approximately 2 hours. Next, remove the plastic and go through the rinse/blot routine until the spot is rinsed clean.
Spot #3 Candle Wax: Many people love to burn candles in the home. They make the home smell good and give a warm inviting atmosphere, but when a hot candle gets knocked over that wax makes for a very tricky spot to clean. First of all, if the spot is fresh, blot up as much of the wax as you can. If it’s an older spot, scrape off as much as you can without doing any damage to the fibers of your carpet. Next, grab your iron and some clean, absorbent towels. WARNING: Your carpet fibers can melt or burn so be careful – do NOT set the hot part of the iron directly on your carpet. Now keep the iron on the lowest possible setting to melt the wax.
Always keep a dry towel between the iron and your carpet. Keep repositioning the towel to a clean spot to keep that wax transferring from the carpet to the towel. If there is still color on the carpet from the wax – you are probably going to need to call me out. I don’t recommend homeowners put solvents on the carpet, please leave that to your carpet pro. I’ve seen too many people destroy the backing of their carpet with solvents.
Spot #4 Urine: This is probably the #1 call I get. If the spot is fresh, cover the area with baking soda (synthetic fibers only) and let the area dry completely. Then vacuum it up. The baking soda pulls the stain out and works amazingly. If the spot is older and already dry, use the same method described for removing the wine.
How Clean Candle wax on carpet
If you are like my wife you love the smell of a fresh cut Christmas tree but you hate the mess they make (especially as the month goes by and all the needles fall to the floor). Well, my wife has found what she thinks is the best of both worlds. She has a beautiful (but fake) Christmas tree and she burns Christmas tree scented candles to make up for the smell. It works great until one of the kids tips over the jar of hot candle wax onto the carpet. UGHHH!
Well if this has happened to you let me give you some tips on how to remove the wax and save your carpet (and your kids’ lives).
- With a butter knife and a vacuum break up the hardened wax and suck it into the vacuum. Remove as much as possible without damaging the fibers.
- Cut up a number of brown paper grocery bags and place one section over the remaining wax.
- Place your iron (the one you use to get the wrinkles out of clothes) on medium heat on the paper bag. The wax will melt and wick up into the paper. (Be careful not to leave the iron on the bag for too long. You don’t want to melt the carpet fibers)
- Repeat step 3 until all the remaining wax has been lifted out of the carpet.
Note: once all the wax is removed you may still have some fugitive dyes left over from the wax. If this happens feel free to call us and we’ll be able to help with the dye removal.
I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and my best wishes for a happy New Year!
Derek
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