1989 Carpeteer Christmas Card

Every odd Christmas, The Carpeteer sends out handmade cards. Checkout this card for a Merry Christmas throwback.

Twas just before Christmas

and all through our town

the carpets were dirty, filthy and brown...

But what to our wondering eyes should appear...

It's the familiar van of the Carpeteer!

We heard him say as he drove out of sight...

Merry Christmas to all... and may your carpets stay BRIGHT!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and all the best in 89'!

-Jeff Duboi

A-Z Carpet Stains and How to Remove All of Them

Cleaning Information for your most common stains

TYPE OF CARPET STAIN = Bold

PRODUCTS USED FOR REMOVAL = Italics 

Hard Alcohol Beverages, Beer

• Shampoo and then dab with methylated spirits.

Blood

• Dab with COLD water then shampoo.
• If there are still traces, treat them with baking soda and a few drops of natural mild soap.

Butter, oil, gravy, sauces

• Dab with white spirit or dry all natural cleaning solvent and then shampoo.
• If the stain persists, dab with baking soda and a few drops of natural mild soap.

Candle wax and paraffin

• Put blotting paper over the stain and go over with a WARM iron.
• Dab with cloth and then sent free shampoo.

Chewing gum

• Apply an anti-gum solution or dab with dry all natural cleaning solvent.
• Option: Pore hot water over the gum to increase extractability. 

Chocolate and candy

• Dab with WARM water (max 50 degrees C) or with diluted baking soda and a few drops of natural mild soap.

Coffee and Tea

• Shampoo. If the stain persists, dab with methylated spirits of diluted baking soda and a few drops of natural mild soap.

Cosmetics and medicines

• Apply white spirits or dry all natural cleaning solvent and then shampoo.

Eggs and albumins

• Dab with 5% diluted baking soda and a few drops of natural mild soap or methylated spirits, then shampoo.

Glue, stain and varnish

• Apply white spirits or dry all natural cleaning solvent and then shampoo.

Grass and vegetable stains

• Moisten with environmentally friendly methylated spirits.

Inks, aniline and carbon

• Remove as much as possible with blotting paper and then dab with solution of 30% methylated spirits and 70% water, than shampoo.
• Pure lemon juice gives good results as well.

Jam, syrup and fruit juices

• Dab with WARM water (max 50 degrees C).
• If stain persists use white spirits or dry all natural cleaning solvent.

Milk and yogurt

• Shampoo, then dab with 5% diluted baking soda and a few drops of natural mild soap or methylated spirits.
• If the stain persists, use dry all natural cleaning solvent or white spirits.

Mud

• Allow to dry and then go over with a vacuum cleaner.
• Use a wet cloth to dap up whatever the vacuum couldn't collect 

Nail polish

• Dab with acetone and then shampoo.

Rust

• Use 3% diluted potassium oxalate or an anti-rust product.

Tar, grease and fuel oil

• Dab with white spirits or dry all natural cleaning solvent and then shampoo.
• Repeat action with methylated spirits and shampoo again.

Iodine

• Dab with pure baking soda and a few drops of natural mild soap.
• Vomit, urine and excrement
• Dab with mixture of 50% vinegar and 50% water, or with methylated spirits and then shampoo.

Wax furniture and floor polish

• Apply with white spirits or dry all natural cleaning solvent and then shampoo.
• If stain persists apply 5% diluted baking soda and a few drops of natural mild soap or methylated spirits.

Wine and lemonade

Apply 50% vinegar and 50% water and then shampoo. Here's more on our wine removal article.

Quick tip! When using a wet cloth make sure to dab the stain instead of rubbing it.

Warning: Most mainstream brands make use of chlorine bleach, ammonia or any number of other chemicals that can wreak havoc on the environment and human health (including correlation to multiple types of cancer). Make your health and the environment a priority by making and/or buying all natural products.

Call 604.240.7787 or email info@carpeteer.com for 24/7 quality carpet cleaning and flood restoration in Vancouver.

Vancouver's small town local carpet cleaning experts since 1975.

How to Remove Red Wine from Carpet in Five Steps

Photo by ian francis/iStock / Getty Images

Before we get started there are two quick steps everyone should do.

1. Blot up the spilled wine right away. The longer you let red wine sit in your carpet, the harder it will be to get rid of the stain. Do yourself a big favor by acting fast! As soon as you notice the spill, grab a paper towel or rag and blot the stain to pick up as much liquid as possible before it can set.

   • Always use an up-and-down blotting motion, not a side-to-side rubbing one. Rubbing will pick up some of the wine but force the rest deeper into the carpet fibers, making it much harder to remove the stain. This can also make the stained area from the wine even larger by spreading the liquid to the sides.
   • Work from the outside in, blotting the edges first and then moving to the center. This helps prevent the stain from getting any larger than it already is.

2. Apply some cold water and keep blotting. Eventually, it will get difficult to blot more of the wine out. At this point, try getting the stain wet again with a small amount of cold water. This helps dilute the wine remaining in the carpet. Continue blotting (not rubbing) until the carpet is dry again.

Use White Wine and Baking Soda

1. Pour a little white wine onto the stain. It may seem like the last thing you want to do is to pour more wine on your carpet, but clear-colored white wine can actually be a lifesaver if you don't have water handy. White wine dilutes the color of the red stain much like water, lessening the impact of the stain.

   • Some sources recommend clear, plain vodka if you don't have white wine. Try to avoid moscato and sweet dessert wines, which can leave a sticky, sugary mess.

2. Blot the stain with a sponge. As long as you do it lightly enough, this will soak up some of the colour without pressing the stain into the carpet fibers.

   • If your sponge is already wet, wring it out before using it.

3. Apply a baking soda paste. Baking soda can remove a "loosened-up" stain similar to the way salt's used in the section above. Instead of using dry baking soda, most sources recommend making a watery paste, then spreading it generously over the stain. Three parts water to one part baking soda should work well.

4. Cover the stain with a clean cloth overnight. Set a heavy weight (like a dictionary) on top of the cloth while it sits. This constant, gentle pressure pushes the baking soda down into the stain so that it can clean more deeply.

   • The cloth you use will get a little damp, so you may not want to use a weight that's vulnerable to water damage.

5. Vacuum up the baking soda once it dries. The baking soda should soak up the moisture from the stained area and form solid clumps on the surface. You can easily remove these clumps (and with them, the stain) using a vacuum.

   • As with the salt method above, if your carpet still has a powdery residue after the first vacuuming, pour a little cold water on it to dissolve the baking soda, then vacuum again.

THE GENERATIONAL SHIFT OF FLOORING: CARPET STILL RULES THE BEDROOM.

Interior design has always has had a transformational evolution. Human ancestry has evolved with the art we have created. Cave dwellers created hyroglifics and eventually 3D cave art with colours were introduced. Our home and the way we design it has steamed from an innate desire for a sense of safety and belonging. Our sense of safety is influenced with our sense of comfort. Carpets once dominated our homes but has slowly dwindled away.

Photo by tihomir_todorov/iStock / Getty Images

Homes are safer than ever and carpets are now finding themselves in only one consistent place, the bedroom.

While there has been a generational shift in flooring, one room (and the most initiate room at that), has maintained a strong relationship to the soft fabric we all love.

Photo by Chris Ryan/OJO Images / Getty Images

Cheers to comfort and to keeping our most precious room clean...and when those carpets need a cleaning, here's to the Carpeteer!

Carpeteer cleans carpets in Yaletown, Gastown, and beyond town.