Using club soda in the carpet shampooing machine cleans as well as if not better than carpet shampoo and does not leave the soapy residue behind. Plus, it will get out most spots.
Throw Rugs
• Rugs that are just taken out of the dryer still have warm rubber. Don't place the rugs on your tile floors rubber side down right away. The rubber may either discolor the tile or even stick to it due to the heat. Place the rugs rubber side up until they are cooled.
• To keep mats or rugs from slipping, sew rubber preserving rings under each corner.
• Instead of buying non-slip rug underlay, use a latex or silicone sealant. Turn the rug over, and one inch in from the edge apply a bead of sealant around the mat or rug. Let it dry thoroughly before turning it right side up! The sealant will stop the rug or mat from sliding on a tile or wood floor. For a rug placed on a carpet you will need bigger beads, and more of them.
• I keep woven rugs from slipping by putting shelf liner under my rugs. I use the rubbery kind that has a grip to it. It also works great when you place it on the cushions on your kitchen chairs, they won't slide around anymore and you won't have any more broken ties.
Spots, Spills & Stains
General
• Windex will remove almost any stain you have. Just spray Windex on the stain, rub gently and throw it in the wash or use a cool damp cloth to wipe away.
• Pour table salt on the spill, let it soak up the spill. When it draws it up, then use a dustpan and scoop up the salt. Vacuum up any remaining salt, if on carpeting. Use seltzer water with a drop of detergent to finish up the cleaning.
• To remove most stains from your carpet, use a clean white cloth with rubbing alcohol. Use a lifting motion while rubbing on the stained area and the stain will vanish. You should test first in an area not noticeable to make sure it doesn't damage your particular carpet. Once your stain is gone, vacuum to fluff up the area.
• Use a 3 to 1 mixture of vinegar and water to remove most any carpet stain.
• Denture tablets dissolved in water will remove stains from carpet. It also brightens and smells great.
• To clean dry spots, loosen soil and vacuum away prior to moistening it. When taking out stains, always use a white cloth so you can tell when no more of the stain is coming out.
• To remove stains, rub borax into dampened area and let dry, then vacuum.
• To remove stains, repeatedly blot stain with a mixture of vinegar and soapy water.
• To remove stains, spray a dab of white shaving cream on the spot and scrub into stain with an old, wet toothbrush. Blot the spot with a clean, damp cloth to remove the shaving cream.
Blood
• Apply table salt to the wet blood stain immediately. Allow the salt to absorb the blood. The stain is then easily rinsed away with cool water.
• For dried blood stains, mix of borax and water to a paste, apply and let dry, then brush off.
• Sponge or pour hydrogen peroxide on the stain. Allow it to work for awhile (it will foam up). Remove excess using a cloth dampened with cold water. Repeat as necessary. You can help it along with an old toothbrush if needed. Be careful with delicate fabrics.
Chewing Gum
• Chewing Gum - Put an ice cube in a plastic sandwich bag and hold it against the gum until it freezes hard. Scrape off as much as you can, and dab any remaining stain with dry-cleaner fluid or acetone.
Drinks (also see Wine below)
• Blot up spilled coffee or tea with baby wipes. It will not leave a stain.
• To remove coffee stains from carpets, try club soda and salt. First rub the club soda on and then sprinkle with salt. Rinse with a damp sponge.
• To remove a coffee stain from a rug, try one of these methods: Dip a white cloth into a beaten egg yolk and rub the yolk into the stain. Then rinse with clear water. Work denatured alcohol into the stain, then rinse with water. Apply a solution of 1/2 teaspoon mild detergent in a pint of water. Blot with a white towel. If the stain remains, apply a 50-50 solution of water and white vinegar and blot.
• Coffee and chocolate stains: To remove coffee and chocolate stains, mix one teaspoon of white vinegar in one quart of cold water. Sponge on stain and wipe clean.
• Fruit Juice, Coffee, Tea and Soda stains - Blot with a solution of one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in one cup water. For stubborn stains, sponge with a solution of one part vinegar to four parts water. Rinse with a wrung-out sponge and let dry.
• Clean up spilled kool-aid from carpeting by sprinkling salt over the spill, completely covering it. The salt will absorb the color and then you can vacuum the salt when it dries.
• To remove red Kool-Aid stains from a light colored carpet, keep some hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle, and spray on the stain immediately after the Kool-Aid is spilled. Place a rag soaked with hot water over the stain for about 1 minute, and then wipe up as much of the stain as possible with the wet rag. Then use a dry rag to wipe up the excess.
Food
• To remove candy from carpeting, scrape or carefully pull the big chunks of candy from carpeting with a butter knife. Sponge with warm water and blot with a paper towel or cloth.
• For tougher candy stains, use a mixture of 2 tablespoons of dish detergent and 2 cups of water dabbing the area with a wet cloth, then dabbing with a dry cloth to bring up the stain. Rinse with clear water and a dry cloth to bring out more of the candy in the carpeting.
• For stains that leave coloring stains in your carpeting, using a spray bottle with about 2 cups water and 1 cup white vinegar will bring out the remaining stains. Just spray the mixture on the carpet and blot up with a clean cloth to bring the food coloring out of the carpet.
• Kids leave a red lollipop to melt on your carpet? Or a Popsicle? Remove the food item, then sponge with warm water. If this doesn't work, take a teaspoon of very mild detergent (like Ivory Snow or Dreft) and mix in a 1/2 pint of water. Sponge this on with lukewarm water.
Grease
• Remove black grease from whatever by applying Pine Sol to the stain. Just pour Pine Sol directly on the grease spot and rub. You can see the grease melt and dissolve.
• Coat mildly greasy stains with aerosol shaving cream, use a hair dryer to speed dry. Then vacuum.
• Sprinkle a greasy stain with baking soda, cornstarch or talcum powder. Leave on at least 8 hours, then vacuum.
Hair
• Remove pet hair from carpets with a slightly damp cloth or a strip of adhesive tape.
• To remove pet hair from the carpet, just add a little liquid fabric softener to a spray bottle. Mix with plain water and spray lightly on floor and let dry, then vacuum.
• A great way to remove hair (pet or human) from carpet is to use one of those cheap slippers with grips underneath. Just put it on your hand and swipe it over the carpet.
• Get a small dish of water, lightly wet your hand, and run it across the area you want to rid of pet hair to produce a ball of hair. Repeat until all the hair is removed.
• Rubbing an area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.
Ink
• Blot up the ink with a cloth or blotter. Next, take a sponge and wet it with a solution of Lysol and Water (ratio 1 teaspoon Lysol to 1 Quart water) Gently sponge area till ink is gone. Get clean sponge and rinse with water and then dry.
• To remove felt tip pen stains, rub the stain with soap and a toothbrush. You can also try lemon juice.
• White-Out / Liquid Paper and Permanent Marker Stains: Dab some sunscreen over the stain and rub off with a paper towel. Repeat until stain is gone.
• Table salt will absorb ink when it is spilled. Pour salt on the wet ink and continue to add salt until there is no more "wet ink". Then vacuum or wash.
• Permanent Marker on Carpet: Dab a washcloth soaked in rubbing alcohol onto the marker stain. Do not rub it - just blot it - rotating the cloth to a clean spot every time.
• An almost fool-proof tip for removing pen (ball point ink) marks from carpet is hairspray. Just spray on, leave for a few seconds, and wipe with damp cloth.
Mold & Mildew
• To remove mold from carpet, sprinkle entire area with baking soda and allow to set for 1/2 hour. Vacuum and remove. Mold should have turned brown before vacuuming. May have to repeat.
• Removing mold from indoor/outdoor carpet. -- Sprinkle entire area with baking soda and allow to set for 1/2 hour. Vacuum and remove. Mold should have turned brown before vacuuming. May have to repeat.
• If you have a section of carpet that has mold or mildew you can clean the BACK of the carpet with one part hydrogen peroxide to 5 parts water. IF you can remove the carpet, then place it outside in the sun to dry. If not, prop the section up and place a fan to blow on the area until it's dry.
• Use vinegar to remove mold and mildew and kill bacteria.
Nail Polish
• Try some 80% Ethyl Alcohol. Should even remove old stains.
• Use nail polish remover, but apply with an eye dropper. Wait a few minutes, and wipe with a clean, dry cloth.
Paint
• For fresh paint spills, spray with Windex and wipe clean.
• For dried paint, use some 80% Ethyl Alcohol.
Urine
• Pet accidents - Wipe up what you can, clean the spot well, then douse the spot with a liberal dose of Listerine, rub and let it set. The smell of the mouthwash and the pet will go away in a few hours.
• Urine odors may be neutralized by dampening the spot and sprinkling borax over it. Rub the borax into the areas and let dry. Brush or vacuum to remove the dry borax. There are also commercial products available at pet stores that do nicely on pet urine. The ones that I have used are "Nature's Miracle" and "Simple Solutions". Use as directed. The commercial products are more expensive than borax.
• Blot up urine, flush several times with lukewarm water, then apply a mixture of equal parts of white vinegar and cool water. Blot up, rinse, and let dry.
• Pet accidents - Sponge the area with a solution of 1/2 cup of white vinegar in a quart of warm water. May need repeat application.
Vomit
• To clean up vomit from the carpet, cover the vomit generously with baking soda. Allow to stand and soak up all the liquid, then scoop up the mess. Repeat if necessary. The baking soda will 'wick' the liquid up out of the carpet as well as neutralize the acid. Allow area to dry before vacuuming.
Wax
• To remove candle wax from carpet, cover the spot with a brown paper bag, paper towels, coffee filters or an old absorbent cloth and run a iron on low heat over the bag. Keep moving the bag to a clean section of the bag until all of the wax has been absorbed. If a little grease stain remains, sprinkle on baking soda and let sit overnight before vacuuming.
Wine
• Remove wine spills or other spots from carpet. Apply Canada Dry Club Soda to the stain, rub it in, wait a few minutes, and sponge it off.
• Sprinkle salt over the spill, completely covering it. The salt will absorb the color and then you can vacuum the salt when it dries.
• Immediately pour a small amount of white wine over the red wine to neutralize the "red" color of the wine. Take a white towel and blot all of the white and red wine up. Next, get a clean white towel and dampen it with a little water. Place the damp towel over the area where the spill was and step on it a few times. Then place down and step on a dry towel until you have absorbed all of the moisture (may need more than one towel).
• Saturate the spill with hydrogen peroxide and blot the stain. Do not saturate the actual carpet, just use a cloth or sponge that has hydrogen peroxide applied to it.
• If you want to remove a red wine stain, saturate the stain with white wine. The stain will disappear. Even old stains!
• For wine stains, pour on the table salt and watch the wine absorb into the salt.
Throw Rugs
• Rugs that are just taken out of the dryer still have warm rubber. Don't place the rugs on your tile floors rubber side down right away. The rubber may either discolor the tile or even stick to it due to the heat. Place the rugs rubber side up until they are cooled.
• To keep mats or rugs from slipping, sew rubber preserving rings under each corner.
• Instead of buying non-slip rug underlay, use a latex or silicone sealant. Turn the rug over, and one inch in from the edge apply a bead of sealant around the mat or rug. Let it dry thoroughly before turning it right side up! The sealant will stop the rug or mat from sliding on a tile or wood floor. For a rug placed on a carpet you will need bigger beads, and more of them.
• I keep woven rugs from slipping by putting shelf liner under my rugs. I use the rubbery kind that has a grip to it. It also works great when you place it on the cushions on your kitchen chairs, they won't slide around anymore and you won't have any more broken ties.
Spots, Spills & Stains
General
• Windex will remove almost any stain you have. Just spray Windex on the stain, rub gently and throw it in the wash or use a cool damp cloth to wipe away.
• Pour table salt on the spill, let it soak up the spill. When it draws it up, then use a dustpan and scoop up the salt. Vacuum up any remaining salt, if on carpeting. Use seltzer water with a drop of detergent to finish up the cleaning.
• To remove most stains from your carpet, use a clean white cloth with rubbing alcohol. Use a lifting motion while rubbing on the stained area and the stain will vanish. You should test first in an area not noticeable to make sure it doesn't damage your particular carpet. Once your stain is gone, vacuum to fluff up the area.
• Use a 3 to 1 mixture of vinegar and water to remove most any carpet stain.
• Denture tablets dissolved in water will remove stains from carpet. It also brightens and smells great.
• To clean dry spots, loosen soil and vacuum away prior to moistening it. When taking out stains, always use a white cloth so you can tell when no more of the stain is coming out.
• To remove stains, rub borax into dampened area and let dry, then vacuum.
• To remove stains, repeatedly blot stain with a mixture of vinegar and soapy water.
• To remove stains, spray a dab of white shaving cream on the spot and scrub into stain with an old, wet toothbrush. Blot the spot with a clean, damp cloth to remove the shaving cream.
Blood
• Apply table salt to the wet blood stain immediately. Allow the salt to absorb the blood. The stain is then easily rinsed away with cool water.
• For dried blood stains, mix of borax and water to a paste, apply and let dry, then brush off.
• Sponge or pour hydrogen peroxide on the stain. Allow it to work for awhile (it will foam up). Remove excess using a cloth dampened with cold water. Repeat as necessary. You can help it along with an old toothbrush if needed. Be careful with delicate fabrics.
Chewing Gum
• Chewing Gum - Put an ice cube in a plastic sandwich bag and hold it against the gum until it freezes hard. Scrape off as much as you can, and dab any remaining stain with dry-cleaner fluid or acetone.
Drinks (also see Wine below)
• Blot up spilled coffee or tea with baby wipes. It will not leave a stain.
• To remove coffee stains from carpets, try club soda and salt. First rub the club soda on and then sprinkle with salt. Rinse with a damp sponge.
• To remove a coffee stain from a rug, try one of these methods: Dip a white cloth into a beaten egg yolk and rub the yolk into the stain. Then rinse with clear water. Work denatured alcohol into the stain, then rinse with water. Apply a solution of 1/2 teaspoon mild detergent in a pint of water. Blot with a white towel. If the stain remains, apply a 50-50 solution of water and white vinegar and blot.
• Coffee and chocolate stains: To remove coffee and chocolate stains, mix one teaspoon of white vinegar in one quart of cold water. Sponge on stain and wipe clean.
• Fruit Juice, Coffee, Tea and Soda stains - Blot with a solution of one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in one cup water. For stubborn stains, sponge with a solution of one part vinegar to four parts water. Rinse with a wrung-out sponge and let dry.
• Clean up spilled kool-aid from carpeting by sprinkling salt over the spill, completely covering it. The salt will absorb the color and then you can vacuum the salt when it dries.
• To remove red Kool-Aid stains from a light colored carpet, keep some hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle, and spray on the stain immediately after the Kool-Aid is spilled. Place a rag soaked with hot water over the stain for about 1 minute, and then wipe up as much of the stain as possible with the wet rag. Then use a dry rag to wipe up the excess.
Food
• To remove candy from carpeting, scrape or carefully pull the big chunks of candy from carpeting with a butter knife. Sponge with warm water and blot with a paper towel or cloth.
• For tougher candy stains, use a mixture of 2 tablespoons of dish detergent and 2 cups of water dabbing the area with a wet cloth, then dabbing with a dry cloth to bring up the stain. Rinse with clear water and a dry cloth to bring out more of the candy in the carpeting.
• For stains that leave coloring stains in your carpeting, using a spray bottle with about 2 cups water and 1 cup white vinegar will bring out the remaining stains. Just spray the mixture on the carpet and blot up with a clean cloth to bring the food coloring out of the carpet.
• Kids leave a red lollipop to melt on your carpet? Or a Popsicle? Remove the food item, then sponge with warm water. If this doesn't work, take a teaspoon of very mild detergent (like Ivory Snow or Dreft) and mix in a 1/2 pint of water. Sponge this on with lukewarm water.
Grease
• Remove black grease from whatever by applying Pine Sol to the stain. Just pour Pine Sol directly on the grease spot and rub. You can see the grease melt and dissolve.
• Coat mildly greasy stains with aerosol shaving cream, use a hair dryer to speed dry. Then vacuum.
• Sprinkle a greasy stain with baking soda, cornstarch or talcum powder. Leave on at least 8 hours, then vacuum.
Hair
• Remove pet hair from carpets with a slightly damp cloth or a strip of adhesive tape.
• To remove pet hair from the carpet, just add a little liquid fabric softener to a spray bottle. Mix with plain water and spray lightly on floor and let dry, then vacuum.
• A great way to remove hair (pet or human) from carpet is to use one of those cheap slippers with grips underneath. Just put it on your hand and swipe it over the carpet.
• Get a small dish of water, lightly wet your hand, and run it across the area you want to rid of pet hair to produce a ball of hair. Repeat until all the hair is removed.
• Rubbing an area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.
Ink
• Blot up the ink with a cloth or blotter. Next, take a sponge and wet it with a solution of Lysol and Water (ratio 1 teaspoon Lysol to 1 Quart water) Gently sponge area till ink is gone. Get clean sponge and rinse with water and then dry.
• To remove felt tip pen stains, rub the stain with soap and a toothbrush. You can also try lemon juice.
• White-Out / Liquid Paper and Permanent Marker Stains: Dab some sunscreen over the stain and rub off with a paper towel. Repeat until stain is gone.
• Table salt will absorb ink when it is spilled. Pour salt on the wet ink and continue to add salt until there is no more "wet ink". Then vacuum or wash.
• Permanent Marker on Carpet: Dab a washcloth soaked in rubbing alcohol onto the marker stain. Do not rub it - just blot it - rotating the cloth to a clean spot every time.
• An almost fool-proof tip for removing pen (ball point ink) marks from carpet is hairspray. Just spray on, leave for a few seconds, and wipe with damp cloth.
Mold & Mildew
• To remove mold from carpet, sprinkle entire area with baking soda and allow to set for 1/2 hour. Vacuum and remove. Mold should have turned brown before vacuuming. May have to repeat.
• Removing mold from indoor/outdoor carpet. -- Sprinkle entire area with baking soda and allow to set for 1/2 hour. Vacuum and remove. Mold should have turned brown before vacuuming. May have to repeat.
• If you have a section of carpet that has mold or mildew you can clean the BACK of the carpet with one part hydrogen peroxide to 5 parts water. IF you can remove the carpet, then place it outside in the sun to dry. If not, prop the section up and place a fan to blow on the area until it's dry.
• Use vinegar to remove mold and mildew and kill bacteria.
Nail Polish
• Try some 80% Ethyl Alcohol. Should even remove old stains.
• Use nail polish remover, but apply with an eye dropper. Wait a few minutes, and wipe with a clean, dry cloth.
Paint
• For fresh paint spills, spray with Windex and wipe clean.
• For dried paint, use some 80% Ethyl Alcohol.
Urine
• Pet accidents - Wipe up what you can, clean the spot well, then douse the spot with a liberal dose of Listerine, rub and let it set. The smell of the mouthwash and the pet will go away in a few hours.
• Urine odors may be neutralized by dampening the spot and sprinkling borax over it. Rub the borax into the areas and let dry. Brush or vacuum to remove the dry borax. There are also commercial products available at pet stores that do nicely on pet urine. The ones that I have used are "Nature's Miracle" and "Simple Solutions". Use as directed. The commercial products are more expensive than borax.
• Blot up urine, flush several times with lukewarm water, then apply a mixture of equal parts of white vinegar and cool water. Blot up, rinse, and let dry.
• Pet accidents - Sponge the area with a solution of 1/2 cup of white vinegar in a quart of warm water. May need repeat application.
Vomit
• To clean up vomit from the carpet, cover the vomit generously with baking soda. Allow to stand and soak up all the liquid, then scoop up the mess. Repeat if necessary. The baking soda will 'wick' the liquid up out of the carpet as well as neutralize the acid. Allow area to dry before vacuuming.
Wax
• To remove candle wax from carpet, cover the spot with a brown paper bag, paper towels, coffee filters or an old absorbent cloth and run a iron on low heat over the bag. Keep moving the bag to a clean section of the bag until all of the wax has been absorbed. If a little grease stain remains, sprinkle on baking soda and let sit overnight before vacuuming.
Wine
• Remove wine spills or other spots from carpet. Apply Canada Dry Club Soda to the stain, rub it in, wait a few minutes, and sponge it off.
• Sprinkle salt over the spill, completely covering it. The salt will absorb the color and then you can vacuum the salt when it dries.
• Immediately pour a small amount of white wine over the red wine to neutralize the "red" color of the wine. Take a white towel and blot all of the white and red wine up. Next, get a clean white towel and dampen it with a little water. Place the damp towel over the area where the spill was and step on it a few times. Then place down and step on a dry towel until you have absorbed all of the moisture (may need more than one towel).
• Saturate the spill with hydrogen peroxide and blot the stain. Do not saturate the actual carpet, just use a cloth or sponge that has hydrogen peroxide applied to it.
• If you want to remove a red wine stain, saturate the stain with white wine. The stain will disappear. Even old stains!
• For wine stains, pour on the table salt and watch the wine absorb into the salt.
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