Area Rug Cleaning Tips

Everybody spills something on carpeting from time to time. Perhaps it is red wine or cherry Kool-aid on that new off-white plush carpet. Or the dog or cat has an accident. Maybe you walk in with car oil or grease on your shoes. Whatever the stain, you can often remove it if you have a rescue kit handy.

The Rescue Kit

The absolute first thing you need to do is call this number - 800-882-8846 - or visit this website - www.carpet-rug.com right now! You will be contacting the Carpet and Rug Institute. They have - in my opinion - the absolute best literature on how to clean spots from carpets.

Two of their online publications must be kept handy at all times. These two publications are:

• Residential Customers - Spot Solver
• Carpet Maintenance Guidelines

These two handy publications list items that cause stains (acid, bleach, catsup, gum, grease, lipstick, oil, paint, rust, urine, etc.) and the appropriate methods and cleaners to use to attack the stains. They tell you the step by step procedure to use in order to minimize damage to the carpet. The Carpet Spot Removal guide is one of the absolute best tools I have ever seen. It must list 300 things that cause stains! You simply locate the cause of the stain in a little window and next to the stain you are told the first, second, and sometimes third steps to take to remove the stain.

Stain Removal Aids

Here are the products you will need to complete your carpet rescue kit:

• Dry Cleaning Fluid - available at grocery stores
• Nail Polish Remover (without acetone!)
• Liquid Dish Soap (No lanolin, No bleach)
• White Vinegar
• Ammonia
• Spot Removal Kit
• Oxygen Bleach

The first five items on the above list can be purchased at any grocery store. The spot removal kit can be purchased at most high quality carpet stores. Oxygen bleach can be found at some Sherwin Williams paint stores that sell "Cuprinol", home centers that sell Wolman's Deck Brightener, and from ME! I sell it under the brand name Stain Solver. Oxygen bleach is color safe and fabric safe and removes all sorts of carpet stains and odors. Call 513-407-8727 or order at my website.

Related Articles: Area Rugs - Spot a Great One, Area Rug Tips, Area Rug Dealers

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