Every group home has had the dreaded stain on the carpet. From everything from red juice to pen ink. Group home support staff especially dreads light colored carpets and the stains that are dark colored. With prompt attention and using one of the following stain removal remedies, group home staff can get rid of nasty carpet stains. Always test cleaning solutions in a corner, closet, or other hidden area on the carpet.
Here are some cleaning tips for the following common stains:
- Kool Aid/Juice stains
- Ink stains
- Coffee/Tea stains
- Urine stains
Kool Aid/Juice Stain Removal: Immediately after the spill. Take some Dawn dish washing soap ( the original ) and then place five drops in two cups of warm water. Then use a cotton cloth and dip into the solution and just lay it over the stain. Then take an iron and set it on low. Then leave on for 15 minutes and don’t press on it. The stain will come up with the cloth. When removing the stain using this method, be sure the residents are out of the house or can be monitored by a second staff so the iron is not left unattended causing a safety risk. Any drink with red dye in it will be especially challenging. There is special red dye remover available from janitorial supply stores.
Ink Stain Removal: When you remove ink from carpets make sure that you clean the area first. Use water and then dry up the water as much as you can. Use rubbing alcohol but don’t pour the alcohol on the ink stain directly. Use a cotton cloth and dab the stain. Rinse with water and then repeat if necessary. Make sure that you get all of the water extracted from the carpet. Use old dry towels that you no longer need.
Coffee/Tea Stains: If you get coffee stains on your carpet you can go to a janitorial supply store where they sell coffee stain remover or you can try using white vinegar. Gently heat the area and then dab the stained area with vinegar on a hot damp cloth. Then rinse the area and extract the solution with a dry absorbent old cloth. Repeat if necessary.
Urine Stains: In order to effectively get urine out of the carpet. You really must act very quickly. First blot (do not rub into the carpet) and dab the carpet with paper towels or a cotton towel. If you have a shop vac or a wet vac then try using that right away. Now, you want to create a mixture that includes ¼ tsp of dish washing soap with warm water. Do not use laundry soap or soap with bleach. Apply the mixture carefully and dab with a towel and repeat if necessary. With a clean wet cloth “rinse” the area. For stubborn smells of urine, try using a solution of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water then “rinse” with clean wet cloth.
If you work in a group home that regularly has carpet stains keep the following on hand to clean stains as soon as possible:
- Commercial carpet cleaning solutions
- White vinegar
- Dish soap (without bleach, preferably Dawn original))
- Rubbing alcohol
- Shop vac or small hand held carpet machine
When the carpet is wet, be sure to keep the group home residents from stepping on it. It can create a new stain from dirty feet or shoes and also create a slipping hazard when stepping from the wet carpet onto a non-carpeted surface.
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