We're renting and I have a 6 year old. I'd like to attack spots as they occur and defeat them if I miss them when they happen. Any recommendations? Thanks!
I've yet to find anything Oxyclean couldn't get out that a professional cleaner then could. Cheap, easy, and safe around the kiddos.
I was just telling someone yesterday that I SWEAR by baking soda and vinegar. It has successfully removed both PINK nail polish and children's RED tylenol out of my beautiful, tan, less than 2 year old carpet.
I just sprinkle baking soda over the area....pour some vinegar on it...let it fizzle..the blot with towel and vacuum. Started using it because I didn't have anything else on hand...kept using it because it's amazing!
My favorite carpet cleaner is dawn dishwashing liquid. I put it in a spray bottle with some warm water and spray the spot. Wait about 5 to 10 minutes and using a white wash cloth and a hot iron, I put the wash cloth down on the carpet and iron it. Make sure you have water in your iron and it set on steam. This somehow pulls the stain onto the white wash cloth which you can then just throw in the washing machine. I have even gotten red gatorade out of carpet that had been on there for a few days!
I use Resolve. Spray it on the spot (preferably, when it happens...but I've gotten coffee stains out of a cream colored rug a week after the fact), leave it for a few minutes, dab, etc.
I use the Shout laundry stain remover on my carpets. I've had more luck with that then with a carpet stain remover, then I rent a Rug Doctor from time to time. If I get on the stain right after it happens, the Shout gets the stain out completly. If I dont' get to it right away, it usually doesn't get it out 100%, but it does improve the apperance.
Resolve carpet cleaner in the red bottle.
I swear by Spot Shot. It's sold everywhere...Walmart, Target, grocery stores. Came home after a weekend trip and found trails of blood all over the carpet. Dried, set in. Apparently our dog cut her food while we were gone (We have a doggie door). Spot shot got every bit up and out of the carpet. Flash forward to when my son "colored" our beige couch. And I mean COLORED. All over is black, permenant marker. I tried tricks recommended by the manufacturer and nothing worked. Tried the spot shot and it got everything out. I do have a steam cleaner that works well, but Spot Shot is my stain remover.
I have a cloth from Norwex that erases stains out of my carpet. I wish I knew the name of it! My mom bought it for me and I don't know how I got along without it!!!
First try a sponge and water. No kidding. Water removes so much if use several times, and leaves no residue to attrack new dirt.
For tough stains I love SpotShot. It's an aerosol, but you use so little of it. Spray it on, sponge with water, and really nasty stains are gone!
I have a Hoover spinscrub and love it!
Before I bought it, I had a wet/dry shop vac. I would get a bucket of hot water with laundry detergent in it and a scrub brush to scrub the spot then suck up the water with the shop vac. More labor but shop vacs are MUCH cheaper than a shampoo machine so it might be an option for you!
Folex, I swear by it.
Not fancy. A plastic white spray bottle....no commercials....I first found it at the grocery store, but the hardware stores also sell it.
It saved me from a very costly event... We decorate beautiful, expensive homes and businesses. One year we realized our handcart had a flat tire with the nail still in it and had leaked dirty water and oil! All the way from the parking garage into the NEWLY carpeted building, elevator and top floor main hallway.. Into the executive office of a bank presidents office! I almost had a nervous break down.
This product worked perfectly......thank goodness...I will never use anything else..I have recommended it to all sorts of people and businesses...
I got the Bissel Little Green Machine for Christmas. I don't have carpet, but I wanted it to clean my upholstery, area rugs and the interior of the vehicles. I haven't got around to trying it yet, but my sister has one and actually used it to clean her wall to wall carpet and loved it. I think my husband got it on sale for about $70.
