There are few things more unsightly than a huge stain in the middle of carpet. There are few things that bring more of a puzzle and dilemma than homeowners than how to remove the said stains from the carpet. Dick’s Carpet one in the Bay Area is here to help you handle those pesky stains that frustrate homeowners around.
Blot. Don’t rub. The back and forth friction from rubbing breaks carpet fibers and actually spreads the stain. Food stain? Try shaving cream. Not the gel, but good old fashioned shaving cream. Just squirt the foam on the stain and go do something else for fifteen minutes. Rinse with warm water and a splash of vinegar. Viola! Stain be gone.
Rouge remedies. A night with a good glass of red wine on the couch leave you with a purple place in your carpet? Try the old club soda that your grandmother used for hers. It also works with the infamous red dye #40 that are found in so many kid favorites (think Kool Aid, Popsicles, etc, etc, etc) come up with a 30/70 combo of the medicine cabinet staple of hydrogen peroxide and water. Don’t forget that peroxide is a bleaching agent and test before spreading across your entire living room. After testing (preferably in a corner, in a closet) apply and watch a rerun of Friends. Then use the blotting method to remove as much moisture as possible and rinse with a vinegar/water solution. If that pesky dye is not gone (much like the lasting effect it can have on your child’s behavior) beef up the peroxide portion in the mixture and retreat.
Your local pet isle. Dang dog. Darn cat. Frustrating, will not be potty trained toddler. Someone had an accident. The smell and the sight are lingering. First blot the area (twice as big as where the stain is) with water. Try to use as much as possible to dilute the stain. Flush, dilute, flush, dilute. Skipping this step will prevent the stain from being removed completely. Next, find a Bacteria/Enzyme product at your local pet store. It must have bacteria and enzymes. The bacteria eats away the remaining yellow stuff and the enzymes break it down. Thus fully removing the stain and the odor. Some good Bacteria/Enzyme products to try are XXXXXXXXXXXX.
Oil and Grease and Ink, OH MY! Much like the fear they provoke in children watching The Wizard of Oz, these stains can seem like you need to visit a wizard to remove them from your carpet. GooGone, DeSolveit or WD40 can often provide the same results that Dorothy had when clicking her heels together three times. In nearly every medicine cabinet in the world, you can find rubbing alcohol, it will remove ink. Pat, blot, but don’t rub on the stain and let sit for thirty minutes. Rinse with warm water. Unfortunately, if your carpet has fallen victim to a Sharpee you may be out of luck. Visit us at Dick’s Carpet and we can help replace your carpet at a reasonable price and help you avoid future pitfalls.
Double, Darn it Gum. Ice. Freeze the gum that has been ground in to the carpet and use a blunt object and chip it away. The remainder can be removed with GooGone, DeSolveit or WD40.
Candle Light Gone Bad. You can try the above freezing method like you would with gum. Alternatively, you can place a low heat iron (think-setting used for your favorite JCrew silk blouse) place a piece of plain white, PLAIN WHITE (any color can risk coming off on the carpet) paper and place the warm iron over it. The LOW heat will melt the wax and make the paper into a makeshift wax paper. If there is anything left, try GooGone, DeSolveit or WD40.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Week 1 - Keeping your carpet clean!
Who doesn’t want their home to look good year after year? Cleaning and maintaining your carpet properly prevents damage and extends its life- keeping your home looking fresh and current for years. What are the top ways to care for your carpet?
So what’s with the shoes? If you and yours are running around the house with your shoes on guess what!?!? You and yours are just grinding and pushing sand, dirt, grime and everything else you pick up outside into the fibers of your otherwise beautiful, plush carpet. Want to replace your carpet every two years? No one does. Take off your shoes. Your carpet will thank you.
No one is saying that you have to walk around the house barefoot. Actually, the dirt and oil that accumulate on your footsies also take its toll on it. So find some cute slippers and cozy socks to prevent adding to the damage. Isotoner makes cute ballet slippers that can look perfect with a lounge legging outfit. Or how about the mismatch sock market…appeal to your inner ten year old. And appeal to your carpet.
Remember Mr. Mom? If that is the kind of fear that surrounds your vacuum, it is time to get a new one. One of the biggest parts of keeping your carpet clean is to vacuum regularly. And don’t even think of using those liquid carpet shampoos. If you don’t get it all out it leaves a sticky, glue like residue that just attracts more dirt and grime. Use dry carpet cleaners or plain baking soda…or nothing at all. Just vacuum and vacuum often.
What if you have used those pesky old carpet shampoos in the past? Now everything you bring in from outside just creates more of a mess. The solution is pretty simple. If you have a home steamer use it. You can shampoo with hot water and let it dry. Then do it again. Using just plain hot water. This will pull out the old shampoo, clean the dirt and grime and not leave a residue making the carpet dirtier. Any of the left over shampoo will be activated by the hot water.
Key points: No shoes in the house. No bare feet in the house. Socks or slippers are a must. Vacuum and do it often. Use water hot water to clean especially dirty rugs.
Visit dickscarpetoneoakland.com for a full selection of flooring products.
So what’s with the shoes? If you and yours are running around the house with your shoes on guess what!?!? You and yours are just grinding and pushing sand, dirt, grime and everything else you pick up outside into the fibers of your otherwise beautiful, plush carpet. Want to replace your carpet every two years? No one does. Take off your shoes. Your carpet will thank you.
No one is saying that you have to walk around the house barefoot. Actually, the dirt and oil that accumulate on your footsies also take its toll on it. So find some cute slippers and cozy socks to prevent adding to the damage. Isotoner makes cute ballet slippers that can look perfect with a lounge legging outfit. Or how about the mismatch sock market…appeal to your inner ten year old. And appeal to your carpet.
Remember Mr. Mom? If that is the kind of fear that surrounds your vacuum, it is time to get a new one. One of the biggest parts of keeping your carpet clean is to vacuum regularly. And don’t even think of using those liquid carpet shampoos. If you don’t get it all out it leaves a sticky, glue like residue that just attracts more dirt and grime. Use dry carpet cleaners or plain baking soda…or nothing at all. Just vacuum and vacuum often.
What if you have used those pesky old carpet shampoos in the past? Now everything you bring in from outside just creates more of a mess. The solution is pretty simple. If you have a home steamer use it. You can shampoo with hot water and let it dry. Then do it again. Using just plain hot water. This will pull out the old shampoo, clean the dirt and grime and not leave a residue making the carpet dirtier. Any of the left over shampoo will be activated by the hot water.
Key points: No shoes in the house. No bare feet in the house. Socks or slippers are a must. Vacuum and do it often. Use water hot water to clean especially dirty rugs.
Visit dickscarpetoneoakland.com for a full selection of flooring products.
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