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Abbey’s Tip’s
for “Tips”
In
General:
-
Treat spots
and stains IMMEDIATELY. The longer you wait, the harder they are to
remove.
-
PRETEST spot
removal solutions in unseen places, like under a piece of furniture or
sofa cushion.
-
Always BLOT
UP spills; don't rub or brush. Apply a few drops and blot. If the color
changes or transfers to the cloth, call us.
-
DO NOT
OVER WET.
-
Use CLEAN,
WHITE ABSORBENT materials -- towels, napkins or tissues
-
WORK FROM THE
OUTER EDGE TO THE CENTER of the spot.
-
BE PATIENT.
Differences in stain type, age of stain, fiber type and dyes means no two
stains respond the same.
-
SOME STAINS
REQUIRE PROFESSIONAL TREATMENT.
Use these
formulas for the universal solvents referred to below:
-
AMMONIA:
1 Tbls. clear household ammonia in 1/2 cup water. Always pre-test.
-
DETERGENT:
One tablespoon colorless, mild detergent or dishwashing liquid in 1 cup
lukewarm water.
-
ENZYME
DETERGENT:
Mix enzyme detergent per instructions on package and allow to remain on
stain for the recommended
time. Do not over wet. CAUTION: Enzymes can
damage natural fibers like wool. Use with care or call us.
-
VINEGAR:
1/3 cup white household vinegar in 2/3 cup water.
Rinsing With Water:
Once the spot is removed, pour a glass of water on the
spot. Then, place a folded bath towel on the area and stand on the
towel.
You can then place another towel under a heavy object, like
a stack of books, for overnight.
Red Wine Spills:
Red wine spills
result in an absorbed type of stain that is reddish or purplish in color
and contains alcohol, sugar, tannin and various
coloring agents.
1. Apply cool
detergent solution, blot.
2. Apply
ammonia solution, blot.
3. Apply
vinegar solution, blot.
4. Apply enzyme detergent, blot (See
Caution Below)
5. Rinse
thoroughly with water, blot until dry.
6. Apply dry cleaning solvent, blot.
Caution: (Dry cleaning solvent, or “oil solvent” contains volatile organic
compound. Use carefully in strict accordance with
manufacturers' instructions. Use in well ventilated space and avoid products containing perchlo-rethylene
(considered quite hazardous).
Coffee and Tea Spills:
Coffee and tea stains appear brownish with irregular edges. They may
contain tannins, sugars, fatty acids, alcohols, oils, milk and
cream.
These stains darken with heat and age.
1. Apply detergent solution, blot. (Enzyme detergent may be used if
a dairy product was mixed in. (See caution above.)
2. Apply vinegar solution, blot.
3. Apply enzyme detergent, blot.
4. Rinse thoroughly with water, blot until dry.
Ketchup
and Tomato Sauce Spills:
Treat spots and stains immediately. The longer you wait, the harder they
are to remove. PRETEST spot removal solutions in unseen
places like under
a
piece of furniture or sofa cushion. Apply a few drops and blot. If the
color changes or transfers to the cloth, call us.
Ketchup (catsup) and
other tomato-based
sauces are reddish brown and cause both absorbed and built up types of
stains. They
generally contain tomatoes, salt, sugar, spices, tannin,
vinegar,
onions, artificial coloring, preservatives, etc.
1. Apply cool detergent solution, blot.
2. Apply ammonia solution, blot.
3. Apply enzyme detergent, blot. (Note Caution below about using
enzymes on natural fibers)
4. If stain remains, bleaching with 3-5% hydrogen peroxide or sodium
perborate is recommended – proceed with extreme caution, or call us.
5. Rinse thoroughly with water, blot until dry.
Cosmetics
Spills:
Treat spots and stains immediately. The longer you wait, the harder they
are to remove. PRETEST spot removal solutions in unseen
places like under
a piece
of furniture or sofa cushion. Apply a few drops and blot. If the color
changes or transfers to the cloth, call us.
Cosmetics can include makeup,
mascara, lipsticks,
lotions and creams. Mostly they are pigments in dyes, fats, waxes and
oils.
1. Scrape off excess (using a dull edge tool) and apply POG* remover,
blot.
2. Apply dry cleaning solvent*, blot.
3. Apply detergent solution, blot.
4. Apply ammonia solution, blot.
5. Apply vinegar solution, blot.
6. Rinse with water, blot until dry.
* Dry cleaning solvent and POG (paint oil grease) remover are available at
most hardware stores, or call us. Solvents contain volatile
organic
compounds
and must be used in strict accordance with manufacturers’ instructions.
Use in well ventilated space and avoid
products containing perchlorethylene (considered quite hazardous).
Pet Soil
or Vomit:
Pet soil or vomit is a complex
mixture of foodstuffs, saliva, stomach acids and digestive waste products.
Depending upon the food
involved, this mixture can work as a dilute dye to stain the pile of a
carpet a different hue.
1. Immediately pick up/blot up as much material as possible using paper
towels or a clean, white cloth. A tablespoon makes a good
scraper if necessary.
2. Apply vinegar solution, blot.
3. Apply detergent solution, blot. (See Caution below)
4. Rinse thoroughly with cool clean water, blot until dry.
Mud and Soil:
Mud and soil are grayish, brownish,
reddish or yellowish. They are absorbed and built-up types of stains that
can contain soil with
greases and oils, as well as clay and iron.
1. Brush or scrape off as much as possible.
2. Apply detergent solution, blot.
2. Apply ammonia solution, blot.
3. Apply vinegar solution, blot.
4. Rinse thoroughly with water, blot until dry.
5. If stain remains, apply a “paint oil and grease” remover and
dry-cleaning solvent alternately, blot until dry.
Water Stains:
When carpets get wet, spots can happen. Water is a natural solvent. It
causes soil in carpets and other deep-set materials to dissolve,
“wick up” and dry on the tips of fibers. The brown discoloration which
forms is referred to as a water stain. Neglected, they can be tough
to remove — sometimes even we professionals can’t remove them.
Overflows, spills, melting snow, tracked in water, rain through an open
window, pipes bursting, leaky radiators, floods, even over wetting
by do-it-yourself shampooers and rental cleaners can cause water stains.
You may not even know they’re there. Gradual or uniform soiling on the
face yarns may cause the stain to go unnoticed until it’s
professionally cleaned. Once the dirt is removed, the dye-like water stain
becomes noticeable. Water is essential to professional carpet
cleaning. But proper training, equipment, and cleaning solutions are
required to safely clean carpet — to avoid over wetting and
“residual soiling”. Wet spots don’t always result in water stains. But if
you have concerns, give us a call. Prompt action prevents stains.
We can help you to determine the scope of your problem and offer
suggestions.
How to Vacuum Your
Carpet Properly:
Regular vacuuming protects furnishings and gives you healthy indoor air.
Plus, it protects your warranties. The secret to fast and easy
vacuuming is to know that damaging grit mostly accumulates in "traffic
lanes". Pay close attention to these areas, like entry ways, even
if you don't have time for anything else.
Better to vacuum only traffic areas
frequently, than to do everywhere else infrequently. Note: If you can see
soiling, your carpet may
already be damaged.
Sweep against the "grain" of the carpet. Light vacuuming means several
overlapping strokes over the same area, heavy vacuuming
takes 6-8 strokes. Make more passes if your vacuum lacks rotary brush or
"beater bar". Set height adjustment so brushes just touch
the tips of your carpet fibers.
Keep final vacuuming strokes all in the
same direction. "Suction lowering" adjustments exist to keep fabrics from
being damaged while
doing drapes or other furnishings. Keep your vacuum in good repair. Change
bags and filters often. Bags more than half full greatly
reduce vacuuming
efficiency, plus you have dust passing back into the air. Consider using
"high efficiency" filter type bags. You
cannot
vacuum too much. Remember that it's the ground-in soil that dulls,
discolors and damages your carpets. |
