Ask Mrs. Clean: House Cleaning, Stain Removal and Organizing Tips

[corinaw]

Help. I've got a large coffee stain on my carpet. I've tried everything but the stain still remains. Do you have any tips to clean this?

[mrscleannw]

Hi Corinaw.

Welcome to Mrs. Clean!

I have recent experience with a nasty coffee stain- And it was ugly. Family was over, and we were all enjoying ourselves in the formal living area. Someone accidentally knocked over a fresh cup of Starbuck's coffee (dark French roast, no less) on my very light gray, almost to the point of being white carpet.

Coffee is acidic, and the carpet fibers take it up easily. The brown coffee solids become permanently embedded in the fibers.

Anyway, this is what I did to remove my coffee stain, this will hopefully help remove or reduce your stain too.

Blot or extract as much of the liquid as possible with a dry, clean towel. Blot up (Or use a steam cleaner with plain cold water) or a washrag and attempt to remove as much of the coffee as possible from the carpet fibers.
Now mix a spray bottle with 50/50 water and plain white vinegar and blot carefully in the carpet fibers. Cover with a damp cloth. Let it sit for approximately 45 minutes. If it looks like the stain has improved or lightened, try this process again 1 more time.

Coffee naturally contains several kinds of acid; These acids combined with natural solids set very hard into the actual carpet fibers, and the vinegar helps displace the stain as it is a much stronger acid.

Now blot carefully to remove extra moisture. Steam clean with cold water (or blot) the carpet to extract the vinegar with plain cold water, or use a clean rag with cold water to blot up as much as possible.

If a stain remains after the carpet has dried, go to your medicine cabinet and grab the bottle of hydrogen peroxide. This is the 3% solution used as a first aid antiseptic, <b>NOT</b> the much stronger solution used in hair salons.

Pour it directly on the stain and carefully massage in and around the stained carpet fibers. Let it dry, and repeat again if needed. You do not need to steam clean as the hydrogen peroxide will turn to water when exposed to sunlight.

You may need to apply the hydrogen peroxide a few times to completely remove the stain.

A couple very points to remember when working with a carpet stain.
1. Always use COLD water as heat will set the stain.
2. Be gentle with carpet stains. Blot, do not rub as you risk fraying the carpet fibers.
3. Never use soap on the carpet as a residue will remain which will attract dirt in the future.

I am happy to report my old stain is completely gone, and yours hopefully will be too.

[jerseyguy]

Basic house cleaning tips; first thing, take your container of cleaning supplies into every single room. This will avoid unnecessary trips from room to room- trying to run from one bathroom to another bathroom to the kitchen. That way you've got everything in one place.

Second is to carry a trash bag with you and leave it in the middle of the floor. That way every time you have a piece of trash you just have to throw it in the middle of the floor, put the trash in the bag, and you're done there.

The first thing you want to do when you walk into a room is start in the top corner of any room, dusting all the way done. That way you don't vacuum and have to vacuum again after the dust is all on the floor. You would want to make sure that you get your vents and your fans, and then everything on the walls, and of course on the furniture.

[mrscleannw]

Thanks for the tips!

We have a few more tips on general house cleaning which may assist:

http://www.housecleaningcentral.com/en/ ... g-tip.html
http://www.housecleaningcentral.com/en/ ... clean.html
http://www.housecleaningcentral.com/en/ ... -tips.html

[luvr29]

Combination systems - This is the best way to deep clean your carpet because it won?t cost as much as using absorbent compounds. They shampoo the heavy traffic area and then use the extraction system to pick up all the water. Some extractions have a built-in agitation head that brushes between the injection and vacuuming up of the water. This method lets you take advantage of the best features of both systems.

Should you do it yourself or hire a professional? If you are busy, tired, or unsure, you might want to hire someone unless you have free time on your hands. By the time you rent the equipment and buy the shampoo and chemicals you will need, you might not be saving very much money. Professional equipment always seems to do a better job. The equipment has more power than smaller units available for personal rental, and the cleaning staff knows how to use the equipment better because they do it every day.

Even if you hire someone else, at least you now have an idea about the possible methods they might use, and you will know whether they are doing the job they should be doing.
Thanks for the great tips Mrs. Clean. You have great tips.