One of the most important, and sometimes most expensive, investments in a home is carpeting.
One secret pleasure that many happy homeowners have is to sink their feet into their plush, rugs and carpets with a very loud sigh.
But carpets can also be one of the greatest causes for worry to the new owners.
Even the most expensive carpets will begin to show wear and tear of daily traffic and, worse, stains from different sources will begin to show up in all the wrong places.
Attempts at blocking permanent stains, short of covering your entire carpet with plastic, will drive many a homeowner to using words that aren't allowed by their children.
Here are a few tips that will keep your carpet in the best condition possible and remove those unfortunate stains: First of all, always check the manufacturer's instructions on cleaning to make sure you use products that won't do any permanent damage to your carpets.
One good tip to brightening any dull carpets is to add a half cup of Simple Green to your shampooing solution.
For those extra stubborn stains pre-treat the stained area with undiluted Simple Green before shampooing.
One way to remove candle wax from a carpet is by using newspaper and an iron.
Just lay several sheets of the newspaper over the candle wax and apply a WARM iron to the newspaper.
As the wax melts, keep replacing the newspaper until it's obvious that all of the wax has been lifted.
Be very careful to not overheat the iron when doing this since some carpet materials, like nylon, will melt.
The best way to clean such stains as food, coffee, blood, or red wine is to immediately remove the excess with cold water using a sponge.
Flush the stained area with the cold water and then sponge away any of the excess.
Food stains that persist can be removed by adding a tablespoon of ammonia to two cups of warm water and sponging the stain.
Do not allow blood stains to completely dry, you must flush them immediately with hydrogen peroxide.
If the stain is from red wine and there's still a residue after the initial cleaning, it might be necessary to use dry cleaning fluid.
Allow the cleaning fluid to fully dry and then brush away the stain with a small brush.
Coffee and tea stains can usually be lifted by just flushing with Simple Green.
Ink stains need to be flushed with water and blotted dry with a soft, dry cloth.
Apply a dash of cornstarch to the stain and allow it to sit for at least ten minutes.
Then flush with a solution of milk and water.
If the stain is especially stubborn, apply a paste of cornmeal and milk and allow the paste to remain over night, then sponge with warm water.
Grease stains usually respond well to liquid soap detergent when applied full strength.
Gum should be treated by first removing the excess from the carpet.
This can be easily done by placing an ice cube on the gum, hardening it, and then breaking away the hardened pieces.
If the gum has worked its way into the pile use vaseline and work it in thoroughly into the gum.
When the gum begins to break up, apply liquid detergent and work the gum out of the pile with a small brush.