Halloween was here before you could say “trick or treat”. A vast majority of the population celebrate Halloween on a broad spectrum, but if you have little ones, most likely you had to at the very least do the dress up and door to door tradition. Which means candy was circulated on high volume. A lot of parents are very stringent to the consumption part, but those little retrieval experts and can get a hold of various sugar treats behind your back. With the sugar rush and excitement a stain may pop up that’s not a part of the decorations.
Carpet Care 2000 offers a few ideas on how to remove different Halloween candy and chocolate mishaps and stains from your carpet, rugs and upholstery.
Chocolate Stain Removal
– As with any carpet stain, act as soon as possible. The longer a stain sets, the harder it is to remove. Scrape as much chocolate as you can with a clean, non serrated, unsharpened butter knife. Be gentle so you do not compromise the fibers. Have a paper towel handy so you can wipe the knife frequently and place the loose chunks upon it. If the chocolate is soft, chill it to harden it up with ice.
– Be sure to know what material fibers have been used for your carpet as different types of carpet react differently to cleaners. Always conduct a patch test on your carpet in an inconspicuous area before any solution is applied to ensure your carpets color will stay intact. If the carpet turns brown or gets lighter, it is imperative to rinse with cool water and consult a professional like Carpet Care 2000 to attend the problem.
– Rubbing alcohol dissolves the fat found in chocolate. Administer some rubbing alcohol on a clean, dry cloth while wearing rubber gloves and lay the cloth over the offending stain. Using the back of a spoon, massage the rubbing alcohol into the stain gently. Once the rubbing alcohol has been thoroughly worked in remove the cloth.
– Combine 1/4 tsp. of a mild carpet cleaner with a liter of warm water and stir. Dampen a new clean cloth with solution generously and lay it down over the stain. Gently massage the solution into the stain.
– With a dry clean cloth blot the access moisture, removing the liquid along with the stain.
– Make sure the area is dry. If the stain is stubborn, a skilled Carpet Care 2000 technician can tackle the stain with professional equipment and effective environmentally friendly detergents.
Gum and Sticky Candy Stain Removal
– Fill a zip lock bag with a handful of ice. Apply the ice directly to the problem area. Allow to set till the chewy stuff becomes hard.
– Using a scraping tool, gently scrape the area.
– Vacuum the area to remove the loose chunks.
– Sponge the area with warm, soapy water, massaging in a circular motion.
– Place a dry, clean cloth over the area and blot till dry.
– If stain persists, you may have to apply an adhesive remover. Always do a patch test!
If the stain still persists, call a Carpet Care 2000 specialist to remove the stain for you.
Vomit Removal (For over indulgent candy consumption)
– Armed with a good pair gloves, dust pan, and a flat sided object, scrape the chunks up. Gross job we know, but it is important to removed the solids first.
– If a scraper isn’t handy, you can mop up the area wither paper towels, plastic bag or whatever is handy.
– If you have access to sand or dirt, scoop a generous load onto the stain, and sweep it up. The sand will absorb a lot of the liquid.
– If sand is not available, baking soda works well, as does cornstarch. Let stand 10-15 minutes.
– Avoid vigorously rubbing as this will just push the stain deeper into the fibers.
– Spray or pour warm water to remaining stain. Using a clean, dry blot the area.
– If stain residue is still present, using your favorite cleaning detergent or mixture should do the trick.
Professional Stain Removal & Carpet Cleaning in Tracy, Livermore, San Ramon, Danville, Dublin, Ripon, Mountain House & Danville California
Carpet Care 2000 can get your carpets looking like new with trained professionals to get any of those Halloween (or other) stains removed quickly and expertly from your carpets, rugs and upholstery. Contact us today!