Carpet cleaning and then some, lol

 

Good Tuesday morning!  Here is todays Cleaning tip.  It is about carpet stain removal and it's a long one, lol.  I hope ya'll find it useful.  

                    

                       
As I say on my Web page, these are tips that have been emailed to me, or that I have found on the Internet.  I have not tried all of them and do NOT guarantee their effectiveness.  If you do try one and it works, or if you have another one that works for you, please let me know.

 

Carpet Stain Removal: 

• Carpet Stain Removal - Method 1

Mix some neutral pH detergent with a cup of warm water. Blot, don't rub onto the carpet. Prepare a slightly acidic solution of one third of a cup of white vinegar and two thirds of a cup of warm water. Again blot, and don't rub onto the carpet.

Apply cold water and blot Absorb all of the liquid with clean, white towels. Allow the area to dry thoroughly and then go over it with a vacuum cleaner.

• Carpet Stain Removal - Method 2

Soak up as much of the spill as possible. Mix a few drops of dish soap into about a cup or two of hydrogen peroxide. Use a sponge and carefully blot on the carpet.

Treat carpet stains as quickly as you can. Only use white towels or clothes to prevent bleeding from the material into the stain. When blotting, work from the outer edges of the stain in towards the center. This will prevent unsightly rings from remaining on the carpet. Pretest all mixtures in an inconspicuous area of the carpet before using on the actual stain.

If the stain persists contact a carpet and rug cleaning professional. With the use of heavy duty equipment, industrial cleaners and steam extraction, they may be able to remove stains that have left you frustrated.

• Carpet Cleaning tips

To keep your carpet clean, it is important to clean up spills as they happen. Blot up the spill immediately using clean, white paper towels or a regular towel. Do not rub as this will force the spill deeper into the carpet.

There are several ways to clean spills that have turned into stains. Club soda makes a great emergency spotter. Pour it on the spot, let it sit for a few seconds and pat it dry with a clean white towel

Older stains do well with an acidic formulation as follows: combine 2 tablespoons detergent, 3 tablespoons vinegar, and one quart warm water. Work into stain and blot dry. Cover the spot with a clean towel or paper towels and place a heavy item such as a book on top of it to help draw out excess moisture. When the towel becomes damp, replace it with a dry one.

• Emergency Stain Removal

It is inevitable that things are going to be spilled.  For gravy spills, big food spills, red wine, soda, coffee or tea, sprinkle with a heavy layer of salt right on the spill.  The salt works like a magic sponge, soaking up the spill, keeping the stain from setting.  Vacuum or wipe up the salt and get to work removing what ever small amount remains.

• Quick carpet cleaning tip

Baby wipes are miracle workers on carpet stains, from motor oil to blood, they remove almost anything.  I have used this one several times, it works very well on fresh stains.

Shaving cream rubbed into a stain often works wonders too.  I've used this to get dried red and purple juice stains out of light carpet and it was amazing. 

• Remove Candle Wax Stains from carpet

First, remove as much of the wax as you can by hand after it has dried. You can try using a credit card or a plastic knife or spoon. Then place a piece of paper towel or a wet towel over the wax in the area you want to clean and go over it with a warm iron. (warm not hot! hot temperature will burn some carpets!)

Keep the iron moving, and move the paper often. The heat from the iron melts the wax, and the paper wicks the wax OUT of the carpet. Repeat until it is gone.

• Remove Blood Stains

Blot with a white paper towel to remove as much of the blood stain that you can.  Next, neutralize by spraying the stain with a solution of 1/2 cup cool water and 1 Tbs, of clear ammonia.  Blot to remove exess moisture.  (Use a white paper towel for blotting)  Then spray on a solution made with 1 qt. cool water and 1/4 tsp. of dish detergent. (NOT containing bleach or lanolin) Joy or Dawn are good for this.  Continue if you see the spot being removed.  Now use a spray bottle filled with cool water to rinse.  Then apply a pad of paper towels and place something heavy on top to absorb the moisture. If all of the stain does not come out, moisten the ends of the fabric with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide. Let stand for 1 hour. Blot and repeat until carpet is stain free.

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This is a Healthy Reflection I received from Spark People. 

The true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him no good. - Ann Landers

Magnifying small sacrifices

How do you treat people who cannot (or choose not to) repay you for the good things that you have done for them? Do you hold a grudge, speak ill of them, or constantly keep score? Think about a homeless man in need of a hot meal, the elderly woman who cannot open the door by herself at the store, or a lost child. Probably none of these individuals could equally compensate you for any sacrifices you make on their behalves. There remains but two choices--help or ignore. Our minds easily jump to putting them out of our minds and going about our days. But imagine the good you could do if you took a small moment of your time or the change out of your pocket. Such a small sacrifice (from your perspective of course), could have a 10-fold positive impact!

Ray and I believe this to be true...most of the time.  It really depends, if it is someone that you are choosing to help because they really need it, or someone who constantly needs help because they are irresponsible or unwilling to do what is necessary to help themselves.  Ray and I both are willing to give and help freely.  Especially when it is appreciated and absolutely needed, and that it isn't going to harm our family in any way.

We have gone out of our way many times to help those who need it.  People we know and who are close to us, and people we don't know at all.  Last year Ray helped with one of those habitat for humanity homes.  He was really impressed with the way people came together to help and got the home done so quickly.  It gives you a real good feeling to do something good for someone who REALLY needs it and appreciates what you are doing for them.

However, I am completely blown away by the lack of responsibility of so many people.  People who have kids and don't take responsibility for them, and I am speaking both financially and emotionally.  People who choose drugs and/or alcohol addiction over taking care of their own families.  People who would rather live off the system than go out and get a real job.  People who would rather sponge off their family members than grow up, become a responsible adult and take care of themselves and their children.  The real irony is when someone does finally grow up and get a job after sponging from the system and their family for years and years, and then they talk about others spongers.  LMBO!

I always think of that saying "Trick me once, shame on you.  Trick me twice, shame on me."  You have to have half a brain about it.  You should know that if someone conned you once, they are going to try to do it again.  Why not?  If you were an easy mark once, they have that thought that they can get away with it again. 

"Do you hold a grudge, speak ill of them, or constantly keep score?"  Not unless they have done or said something to attack or harm our family in some way.  Then they find out fairly quickly how angry we are and how long we can hold a grudge.  Especially if the things that they had done was so bad, or if they were spreading hateful lies about us.  LMBO!  How ironic would it be if the thing they were accusing you of, and lying about to other people, was something that they ended up doing?!  Now that would be true irony and something that people would get a real kick out of.

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This seems a good time for a word of the day. 

The concept of Karma
Taken from Wikipedia

Karma is a sum of all that an individual has done, is currently doing and will do. The results or "fruits" of actions are called karma-phala. Karma is not about retribution, vengeance, punishment or reward, karma simply deals with what is. The effects of all deeds actively create past, present and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain and joy it brings to others. In religions that incorporate reincarnation, karma extends through one's present life and all past and future lives as well. It is cumulative.

I love that theory.  Here is another brief description and a graphic that I made using the Chinese symbol for Karma.

pronunciation: yin guoh
left character - cause, because of
right character - fruit, result

Karma
The total effect of a person's actions and conduct during the successive phases of the person's existence, regarded as determining the person's destiny. 

Yep, I believe in Karma.  What you give out is what you get back, basically.  What you are living now is in effect lifes way of making you responsible for the things you have done in your life thus far.  

That is why I occasionally have these little hiccups in my journey.  I try to be good, to be positive, to be helpful, but sometimes I mess up.  Especially when I feel like someone is taking me for granted or lying to me.  Sometimes I am too judgemental.  Sometimes I get angry too easily and lose my temper when I shouldn't.  Most times, I hold a grudge too long (what can I say? I'm a Capricorn and it's true, we are stubborn creatures).  

Yes, I believe in Karma.  I believe in fate and destiny.  I am also a Christian.  I believe in a loving and just God.  I hope that I will be judged on not only the mistakes that I have made, but the things I have done to try to right them.  Some mistakes even had good intentions behind them and I hope that is taken into consideration.  Some mistakes or misdeeds were purely based on being angry, seeking revenge or just pure stupidity or selfishness.  I'm sorry for those and hope that is also taken into consideration also.

Yes, I try to be good.  To be caring.  To be empathetic.  To be helpful.  But I am also human and have feelings, scars and flaws of my own.  I try...but I'm not perfect.  No one is. 

Ahh, how I've rambled yet once again.  LOL  I beg your forgiveness once again for going off on a tangent and completely off subject.  As I am about to do yet once again.

However, to go back to my entry yesterday...I've gotten my free space opened up quite a bit.  Even though I thought I had taken everything off the computer and re-installed the operating system, I found old files and programs.  Ugh!  So I spent some time removing a bunch of that junk.  {{{crossing fingers}}} and hoping I didn't take anything too important off, but since the computer is working, I don't think so. 

I took AOL off and re-installed it.  Then I kept getting booted off line.  {{{sigh}}}  So I took it off again and re-installed it.  Now it seems to be working well, except whenever I click on anyone's profile it brings up a box and asks if I want to run Active X?!  I guess I can live with that, but some setting must be wrong somewhere.  Hopefully I'll get it figured out, or it will just go away, lol.

I guess that is about it.  I hope ya'll are well and happy. 

Have a good one.
Hugs!

 

Tags: carpet, stains, stain removal, karma, sacrifices, helping others, capricorn