Cleaning Up Common Childhood Carpet Stains
As a parent, living in a home with carpeting means being on the lookout for carpet stains and issues at all times. Kids can create a lot of messes, many of them on the carpet. Understanding how to deal with some of the common carpet stains your kids can cause may help you keep that carpet looking great without having to follow your kids around on constant stain patrol.
Crayon Wax
The wax used in crayons can make it a nightmare to remove from your carpets. Since wax repels water, you'll find that most crayon wax will repel any liquid cleaning product you try to use. Luckily, there are other ways to remove wax beyond using the typical cleaning solutions. If you want to remove crayon wax from your carpet, you'll need to have some brown paper lunch bags, baking powder, a butter knife, a sponge and a household iron.
Scrape as much wax as you can off the carpet with the butter knife. The sharp edge of the knife will break wax off the carpet fibers if you run it across the edge of the wax close to the carpet. Vacuum up all of the wax pieces that you break off the carpet fibers. Then, fold a brown paper bag in half and place it over the wax.
Heat your iron and run it over the paper bag several times to heat the wax up. As it heats, it will stick to the paper bag. When it sticks to the bag, you can lift it away from the carpet. Sprinkle enough baking soda over the area to cover the wax-affected space. Leave it in place for an hour or so, then use a damp sponge to wipe the residue away.
Grass Stains
Of all the stains you can deal with on carpets (or clothes), grass stains are some of the most difficult. You'll want to deal with grass stains right away to have the best chance to remove them. Vacuum the carpet to remove any dirt before you treat the stain.
Mix about a tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent into a cup of water. This should be concentrated enough to remove the grass pigment from the carpet fiber. Pour a small amount of the solution on the stain. Use a clean, soft towel or paper towels to blot at the grass stain. As you work, you'll see the green stain gradually transfer to the towel.
Once the grass stain is removed from the carpet, rinse the carpet area well to remove any residual detergent. Then, blot the space dry with a soft, clean towel.
You don't have to resign yourself to a stained, dirty carpet just because your kids play outside or were careless with a crayon. With these tips, you can let the kids be kids without worrying about your carpet condition. For professional help, contact a company like Harper's Carpet Cleaners.
