Remove Ink Stains From Carpet - 3 Steps

One of the best solvents you can use to remove ink stains from carpet is also one of the cheapest: rubbing alcohol. It works better if it is 90% isopropyl alcohol, but there is no danger in trying the ones that are 70% if that's what you have available. Whichever you use, remember that ink stain removal is always easier if you treat the stains quickly. Just follow the steps below.

1. Apply rubbing alcohol to a white cotton cloth and dab the stain carefully, so you don't spread the ink. Don't ever pour rubbing alcohol on your carpet!

2. Vaccuum it out after a few minutes using a shop-vac. Alternately, you can blot it up carefully, using a clean white cloth. Don't rub the stain!

3. Repeat the process until you completely remove the ink stains from the carpet, or until you get no more transfer to the cloth. In the latter case it may not be possible to get all of the stain out. At this point, you can try a commercial cleaning solvent, although it is unlikely you'll get much more of the stain.

Always Rinse And Extract Carpet Stains

When you use a solvent other than water to remove ink stains from carpet, or any stains, be sure to rinse the area with water, and then extract it. Vacuuming out the water is quicker and less likely to damage your carpet, but a clean white cloth can also be used to blot the moisture. Repeat the rinsing and extraction once or twice.

Finally, remove moisture from the area quickly. There may still be some ink hiding deep in the fibers. Quick drying prevents stains from wicking to the surface of the carpet and becoming visible again. Plain white paper towels work well to get the last of the water out, and a fan left blowing on the area will complete the process.

Steve Gillman has worked in the carpet cleaning industry for years. For more carpet-care information, and specific stain-by-stain removal instructions, visit http://www.HowToRemoveCarpetStains.com

Make A Stunning Dried Hydrangea Wreath Valerie GarnerDried hydrangea wreaths are so beautiful and versatile in a home, and a lot of fun to make as well.

You can either purchase already dried hydrangea flowers from your local craft store, or you can dry your own.
The biggest trick when drying your own is the timing of when you pick the flowers. It is best to pick them right before you anticipate your first fall frost. If
you pick them mid-summer, they just will not dry correctly.

You can either hang them upside down in a darkened room to dry, or you can set them in a vase upright, even adding a tiny bit of water in the bottom of the vase, although even that is optional. As long as they are picked at the correct time, its difficult to fail with them. Its fun if you can, to pick several blooms
from different bushes, as it will provide a nice variety of colors to the wreath. After they are dried, pick off any dead / discolored brown blooms.

Now, pick the type of base you want to use for a wreath. My personal favorites are either Styrofoam or grapevine type wreath bases. Take some floral wire and wrap it around the wreath, then form a loop of the
wire to hang from the wall, and then wrap the wreath again. You might try hanging it from the wall at this point to make sure it lies correctly, and then make any
needed adjustments while the wreath is bare.

To do a Styrofoam wreath, use a low melt point hot glue gun. Separate each bloom into smaller florets. Hot glue each floret into the wreath base, actually poking the stem down into the Styrofoam base. With each bloom, space it out over the surface of the wreath, for example; a floret at the top, next left side, bottom,
then right side, then inside the circle of the wreath, and outside of the wreath. Continue to do this with each bloom until you fill it.

Balance is what you are looking for. Balance in shape, you dont want any sticking out way above the others, you dont want one side of the wreath to be
fuller than the other. Try stepping back and looking at a distance and just think balance of shape.

The second area to look for is balance of color. This is the purpose of doing each bloom all over, then filling in, so you achieve that balance of color. Give another once over to check on that.

Now, this wreath is either finished, or you can add perhaps add small sprigs of dried babys breath to it. Really depends on the look you want. Sometimes the simplicity of only the hydrangeas is stunning.

For a grapevine wreath, its the same principal but a different look. You can tie a bow on the wreath if you want (if you do, do so before adding flowers), or
ribbon. I like to leave bare spaces on these to be able to see the grapevine portion as well. Again, look for balance. You can also add dried roses to it or any other type of dried flowers or grasses too. You can get really creative with these and come up with very different looks. Experiment to your hearts
content.

Many times people expect dried floral arrangements to last forever, and are disappointed when they start looking bad after a few years. This is a misconception. Expect them to look good for about a year, thats really about all they were meant to last.

If they are in direct sunlight it will be a much shorter time. However, the next year, feel free to strip the old flowers off, and make another with the same base for another years worth of a gorgeous hand
made wreath!

By Valerie Garner-Mother, grandmother and candlemaker / owner of Joyful Designs in Soy. She loves to write on a variety of topics with a warm, and engaging style.
http://www.joyfuldesignsinsoy.com
 

Choosing a Carpet Cleaning Company

Choosing a Carpet Cleaning Contractor
When choosing a carpet or upholstery cleaning company, most customers have no idea what questions to ask. Inevitably the only question you can think of to ask is can you get the dirt out and how much does it cost? Well any cleaner is going to answer yes to the first question and shopping by price can be a big gamble. So what should you look for?
Is the company certified?
There are several certification organizations available to carpet cleaners. The largest is the IICRC or the Institute for Cleaning Restoration Certification. A company that is certified by one of these organizations is more likely to have proper training and participate in ongoing education.
Do they offer a guarantee?
Most companies will offer at least a 14 to 30 day guarantee. If you have any problems with the work they should agree to come back to re-clean your carpet at no charge.
Whats included in their price?
Prices should include all of the basic steps in the process. Some cleaners may not include vacuuming in their price and that is okay, but the price should include pre-spraying or pre-treating the carpet and basic spotting. Services like pet odor removal, wax removal or tough stains may be at additional cost.
Who will do the work?
Find out if the owner themselves does the work, if they use employees or if they use subcontractors. If they use employees find out if they are uniformed and if they run background checks on them. If they use subcontractors you may want to determine how they choose them and who is ultimately guaranteeing the work.
What method do they use?
There are a variety of different carpet cleaning methods. Some have advantages over others but all will get the job done. Here are the basic carpet cleaning methods.
Steam Cleaning: The most common method in which a detergent solution is sprayed onto the carpet, allowed to dwell for a few minutes and then extracted with hot water. The cleaner may either use a portable unit which they bring into your home or a truck mounted unit where they bring only hoses into your home. Some consider this to be the most thorough method. Drying time is generally between 4 to 6 hours.
Bonnet Cleaning: The second most common method in which a pre-spray is applied to the carpet and then is absorbed with cotton or synthetic bonnet pads attached to a floor machine. This method is often superior to steam cleaning on berber carpet. Drying time is generally between 1 to 2 hours.
Dry Powder Cleaning: A semi moist natural or synthetic powder is applied to the carpet and agitated with a machine with counter rotating brushes. The powder is agitated and then vacuumed up. Drying time is usually less than 1 hour.
Shampoo Cleaning: A shampoo is applied to the carpet and then agitated with a brush mounted on a floor machine. The solution absorbs soil and crystallizes as it dries. Soil and shampoo are then removed through vacuuming at a later time. This method is also referred to as encapsulation. Drying time is generally between 1 to 2 hours.

As you can see, there are many important things to ask when choosing a carpet cleaner. You can significantly improve your chances of finding a qualified company by just asking a few questions.

James Carlson has over 10 years of experience as a professional carpet cleaning contractor. For more information, you may visit his site http://www.carpet-cleaners.info

Carpet Stains - How To Remove Them

Your short lesson on how to remove carpet stains: act fast. Carpets today (most) come with stain-resistant treatments, so spills can be removed if you get to them quickly. The longer you wait, the more difficult removing carpet stains becomes. And no, there are no stain-proof carpets - yet.

Spot Cleaning Carpets

Professional carpet cleaners will tell you that "spots" are removable, and stains are permanent. In any case, the appearance of carpet stains can be improved even when the stain cannot be fully removed. Follow these guidelines :

Blot up liquids, don't rub them in! Just use a clean white cotton cloth or plain white paper towels. When you have removed the liquid, rinse the spot with water and blot again until dry. Repeat this if necessary to remove more of the stain, but don't scrub, or you might damage the carpet and set the stain in more permanently.

With semi-solids, such as peanut butter, pudding and such, scrape and lift gently with a spoon. Rinse out the remaining spill and blot dry.

Dried solids can be broken up and vacuumed. Repeat this until it's all gone, then rinse with water and blot dry.

Stain Removal Guidelines

When you're not sure how to get out specific carpet stains, try water first, before you try carpet stain removers.

When you use a cleaning solvent, apply it to a cloth, then work it in from the outside of the stain to the center, so you don't spread the spot. The procedure is this: apply the cleaner, extract (blot), rinse, extract, and repeat until you can't get out more of the stain. Always extract solvents completely, then dry the carpet quickly when you are done. If any of the stain remains, deeper down in the carpet, quick drying prevents it from wicking up to the surface.

Carpet Stain Removal Secret

One of the best tools for removing carpet stains is a shop-vac. A wet/dry vacuum cleaner can quickly suck up spills, and more importantly, you can repeatedly flush the area with water and suck it out. This is more efficient than blotting with a cloth, AND less likely to cause damage to the carpet.

Steve Gillman has worked in the carpet cleaning industry for years. For more carpet-care information, and specific stain-by-stain removal instructions, visit http://www.HowToRemoveCarpetStains.com