Take note of carpet care basics

Stains seem to have a fatal attraction to the carpet in my house. As

soon as new carpet arrives, marking pens jump to the floor faster,

tar seems to stick to the bottom of feet longer and injuries bleed

more profusely.

Although I am rarely the perpetrator of the disasters, cleanup

seems to fall into my job description. Or maybe I am the only one

that cares if the carpets are clean?

I’m sure the latest carpet incarnation at the Wight House will

suffer the fate of that which has gone before. But this time, I’m a

little savvier, cleaning products are a little better and the carpet

is, well, more cleanable.

This is my first turn with wool carpeting. I thought it would be

outrageously expensive (it’s not), spot cleaning it would be

difficult (wrong again) and professional cleaning would break the

budget (it doesn’t). Wool. Think sheep. Think lanolin.

Lanolin is nature’s way of keeping all those sheep dry and cozy.

And Mother Nature continues to work hard once the wool has left the

host. I won’t regale you with all of my carpet disasters -- I’m sure

you have plenty of your own -- but I do want to share a few tips that

will help you undo the damage.

Lest you think that I’m a cleaning wunderkind or Heloise, I

confess that everything I know about carpet comes from Brett Hemphill

at Hemphill’s Rugs & Carpets. Brett is my flooring guru. Over the

years of engineering house projects for myself and friends, he has

never given me bad advice, always stands behind his products 100% and

he and his dad are two of the nicest guys on the planet.

What more can you ask for? So, when Brett says “get wool,” I get

wool. It’s soft, beautiful and easy to clean. The most important

maintenance step for any carpet is vacuuming. All carpets should be

vacuumed at least once a week to remove dirt that has worked its way

to the bottom of the pile. Even if you can’t see dirt on the surface

of the carpet, it’s there. You can’t over-vacuum. When spills and

spots occur, act quickly. If the spill is liquid, blot with a white

paper towel or clean cloth. If the mess is solid, scoop it up with a

knife or spoon.

Different stains require different “potions.” The cleaning

sequence is important, so use products in the order listed.

Soft drinks: cold water and clear dish-washing liquid or detergent

powder. Ink (felt tip): warm water, detergent solution and clear nail

polish remover (preferably acetone). Chocolate: detergent solution,

ammonia solution (1 tablespoon of clear ammonia to 1/2 cup water),

Vinegar solution (1/3 cup white vinegar and 2/3 cup water). Wine:

absorbent powder (salt or talc), cold water, detergent solution.

Chewing gum: use a freezing agent (like ice cubes in a plastic bag),

pick or scrape off gum, use a dry-cleaning solvent like Carbona or

Energine. Paint (oil): alcohol or methylated spirits mineral

turpentine, dry-cleaning solvent, detergent solution. Paint (latex):

cold water, detergent solution, dry-cleaning solvent. Bleach: cold

water, ammonia solution.

If you’re having a hiccup at the thought of doing this yourself,

you can take a shortcut. Wools of New Zealand makes a carpet spot

removal kit that makes tough jobs simple to manage. In fact, its got

pre-moistened, individually packaged carpet cleaning “wipes.” How

easy is that? Every busy family can use a little extra help.

As I type this column, the youngest has admitted to a tea party

accident. Green Gatorade on the carpet in her room. She is in

violation of Mother Code No. 99. First the carpet, then the lecture.

It’s time for a little carpet magic. You can find the kits and my

guru at Hemphill’s on 17th Street in Costa Mesa.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs

Saturdays.