Sharing is Caring, Especially When It Comes to Cleaning

Removing Crayon Stains

October 5 by

Crayons | Flat Rate Carpet BlogYou’re so excited to see your little ones go off to school in the morning, but what about when they get off the bus with their clothing covered in crayon? Did the teacher even bother handing out paper or did they just instruct the kids to draw on their clothes? Well never fear, crayon stains are easy to remove from clothing.

At first you might be tempted to scrape the crayon off the fabric, whatever you do, don’t do that! Scraping crayon is the equivalent of rubbing, it will spread the stain and help to work the crayon deeper into the fabric.

Soak the are of the crayon stain in liquid laundry detergent. Saturate the area well, and then allow it to sit overnight. Launder the clothing normally, checking the pockets for any extra crayons that might get ruined in the wash.

Next time you catch your kids with crayon stains on their clothes, don’t stress. Removing crayon stains is so simple you won’t need to give it a second thought.

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How to Rid Your Laundry of Body Odor

August 8 by

Clean Laundry | Flat Rate Carpet BlogDuring the summer it’s hard to stay smelling fresh and clean all day long, but if your clothes smell of body odor before you put them on you won’t stand a chance of making it through the day. Getting stubborn body odor smells out of your laundry is easy, and with a few simple steps you won’t be stuck stinking all summer long.

If the smell is only a slight odor that lingers over your clothing, try sprinkling your laundry basket, and the clothes inside of it, with baking soda. Baking soda absorbs odors, and is great at removing body odor smells, as well as other scents.

For a strong smell in the armpit area of your shirts, coat the affected area with a paste of baking soda and water. Allow the mixture to sit for half an hour before laundering.

Adding one cup of distilled white vinegar to your load of laundry will help kill the bacteria that cause body odor on your clothing, and leave the clothes smelling fresh.

For stubborn smells, follow all of the above steps and when the washing machine has filled with water turn it off for a few hours. Allowing the clothes to soak up to four hours in the machine before starting the rinse cycle will definitely make body odor vanish. If you don’t want to dedicate four hours of your washing machine to soak clothing, just set aside the stinky clothing in a bucket or bathtub full of water and white vinegar.

Give yourself a head start in smelling fresh by getting stubborn body odor out of your clothes.

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Summer Laundry Tips

June 20 by

Laundry | Flat Rate Carpet BlogSummer is a busy time of the year, and all that activity leaves your laundry pile loaded with strange new stains. Don’t spend your summer scrubbing grass stains, remove summer’s most annoying stains with these simple stain removers.

Grass and other plant stains respond well to pretreating. Use a special prewash spray, or just dab on some detergent and let it sit on the stain for a few minutes before washing. Treat any remaining stain with rubbing alcohol, and wash in the hottest water possible.

No barbecue would be complete without a large blob of ketchup or barbecue sauce landing on someone’s outfit. Scrap (not wipe!) off any remaining sauce before letting the item soak in cold water for about half an hour. Pretreat the stain, and then wash with warm water. For fabrics that are 100% cotton you can treat the area with undiluted white vinegar.

When melted ice cream lands in your lap, soak the fabric in cold water until the stain is gone. Wash the clothing in warm water, and if anything is left over use a stain stick to treat the area before washing again.

If you have a super messy family, make sure to always pack a stain stick in your bag. Pretreating a stain is the best way to keep it from sticking around. Don’t let a few stains ruin your summer fun!

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How to Remove Cough Syrup Stains

January 24 by

With Jack Frost out there nipping at your noses and toes, it’s likely that you have fallen victim to the nasty cold and flu causing germs bouncing around. Along with the germs, also come the medicines. Whether it’s over-the-counter fixes or prescriptions from the good ole’ doctor, this time of year makes most people feel like walking pharmacies.

If you’re lucky enough, your personal illness may require assistance from cough syrup. While that sticky liquid may help kick your symptoms, it also leaves a pretty big disaster if spilled in your carpets (especially if you had a late-night mishap during a midnight dose).

Have no fear, we’re here to help. Follow these cough syrup stain busting tips for a clean carpet in no time.

Start by mixing one tablespoon hand dish detergent, one tablespoon white vinegar with two cups of warm water. Gently sponge the mixture onto the stain then forcefully pack the solution, using a spoon or brush, deeper into the stains. Sponge the area with water and blot until all the liquid is absorbed into your sponge.

Then sponge rubbing alcohol onto the affected area until the stain completely disappears. Finish by sponging the area with cold water to remove all rubbing alcohol. Leave untouched to dry for 24 hours.

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