Help your floor survive the holidays.
With the holiday’s season upon us, I thought it would be appropriate to pass along tips for keeping your floor clean after all the spills and muddy boots. In this report, I am focusing on Carpet and Hardwood since these surfaces require extra maintenance when cleaning holiday spill and stains like gum or crayon. With tile and vinyl, the cleaning procedures generally remain the same.
To be prepared for all stains your carpet could endure this holiday season, you should have the following:
White cloths or white paper towels so you can see the stain transfer
A detergent solution mix of mild liquid detergent with water; no more than 1/4 teaspoon of detergent to 32 ounces of water is recommended. For the detergent, a clear, non-bleach liquid dishwashing detergent is the proper choice. Clear detergents rinse clean from the carpet fibers.
Non-oily nail polish remover
Chewing gum remover (freeze or solid type)
Spot Remover: Use spot removers designed specifically for grease, oil, or tar.
Now that we have our stain and soil fighting weapons in place, let’s look at how to apply them.
Soda, Beer, Wine, Egg Nog, etc…
You will want to absorb as much as possible with white towels. Then blot the stained area with white towels dampened with cool water until there is no more transfer of the stain onto the towels. If any of the stain remains, use the detergent solution. Apply lightly onto the spot and blot repeatedly with white towels. Rinse thoroughly by spraying with clean water, and then blot or extract. Do not use too much detergent because the residue will contribute to rapid re-soiling.
Gum, Candle Wax, etc…
Freeze things or stains, such as chewing gum and candle wax, with ice or a commercially available product in an aerosol can. Shatter with a blunt object and vacuum before the chips soften.
Then proceed with the following: Blot as much as possible with white paper towels. Apply the special oil and grease spot remover to a paper towel and repeat blotting. Do not pour or spray the spot remover directly on the carpet pile, as damage to the backing or adhesive underneath could result; use the towels to transport the solvent to the carpet. Repeat as often as necessary.
Also use the detergent solution. Then, rinse with clean water and then blot.
Crayons
Blot as much as possible with white paper towels. Apply the special oil and grease spot remover to a paper towel and repeat blotting. Do not pour or spray directly on the carpet pile, as damage to the backing or adhesive underneath could result; use the towels to transport the solvent to the carpet. Repeat as often as necessary. Then use the detergent solution. Finally, rinse thoroughly by spraying with clean water, and then blot or extract.
Hardwood
For cleaning, make sure you…
Use a damp cloth to blot spills and spots as soon as they happen. For tough spots, such as oil, paint, markers, lipstick, ink, tar, or cigarette marks, use acetone/nail polish remover on a clean white cloth, then wipe with a damp cloth. Always avoid allowing liquids to stand on your floor.
Candle wax
When candle wax drips on your hard floor, it can seem impossible to get every last bit. However, it really isn’t that difficult. If the wax is still wet, use an ice cube to cool and harden it. Then use a plastic spatula, or dull knife to remove the wax. Finally, spread at least a dozen layers of paper towel over the affected area and run a warm iron over the towels. The wax will soften and seep into the towels. If the paper towels saturate through, be sure to change them to prevent damage to your iron.