Seeing Spots on Your Carpet

 

 Dear Homeowner,

 

      If you're seeing spots on your carpet, you can probably make use of these simple tips for removing common carpet stains.

 

Tar, grease, chewing gum and wax

Remove as much as possible by gently scraping with a dull knife, then treat the stain with dry-cleaning fluid. For chewing gum, try applying ice cubes in a plastic bag to harden the gum before scraping.

 

Cigarette burns

Patching is necessary for complete repair, but you can mask the damage. Snip off the darkened fiber ends, then blot the area with a solution of 1 teaspoon detergent and 1 teaspoon vinegar in a quart of warm water.

 

Lipstick

Gently blot with a dry-cleaning solution, then rinse with a solution of 1 tablespoon ammonia in a cup of water.

 

Animal stains, fruit juices

If the stain is still wet, try repeatedly sponging with lukewarm water. Then, blot dry and treat with a solution of 1 teaspoon detergent and 1 teaspoon vinegar in a quart of warm water. After waiting 15 minutes, blot again and sponge with clean water.

 

Paint

Oil-base paints can usually be removed with turpentine. Water-base paints clean up with water.

 

Ink

Blot ball-point-ink with denatured alcohol as soon as possible. Permanent ink can't be removed, but you can minimize the damage by blotting with water.

    

 

For more home-and-family tips, contact Val Ogletree (209) 559-5725 or email at valo@valogletree.com

 

 

Less-Mess Grilling

Dear Homeowner,

      If you'd rather replace your old grill rack than clean it, try these hassle-free tips for less-mess grilling.

Before grilling

• Spray the cold grill rack with a nonstick vegetable spray coating.

• Line the inside of the firebox with heavy foil. When you're finished grilling and the ashes have cooled, you can bundle up the foil and throw it all away. Heavy foil is stronger and less likely to tear.

After grilling

• Remove the rack after you're done cooking as soon as it cools down. Fill a large tub with hot, sudsy water and put in the rack to soak. An alternative is to cover both sides of the rack with wet paper towels or newspapers and let stand while you eat. Later, the burned-on food should wash right off.

• To remove stubborn burned-on food, sprinkle dry baking soda on a damp sponge and lightly scour the grill rack. You can also scrub with an abrasive-type cleaning pad, crumpled foil or a stiff grill brush. Read your grill's cleaning and care instructions before using any cleaning products or abrasives.

For gas grills

• Clean the inside of your gas grill by turning on the gas burners to the high setting. Close the hood and let the grill self-clean about 15 minutes. Let the grill cool, and then wipe off burned food particles.

• Once a year, remove the grill rack, briquettes and rack from the gas grill so you can brush out the bottom.

For more home-and-family tips, call Val Ogletree Real Living Sugar Pine Realty at (209) 559-5725 or email at valo@valogletree.com