Pet Blog

If your cleaning company is responsible for carpet spotting or overall carpet cleaning, you are eventually going to run across gum that is smashed into the carpet fibers. You may be cleaning up just a piece or two or if you are cleaning the carpet in a school or bowling alley, you may be removing gum every few feet. So is there a fast, easy way to remove these rubbery pieces of goo?

Begin by using a bone scraper and gently, but firmly scrape up as much of the gum as possible. This may remove the bulk of the gum, but don’t forget you still need to remove any sticky residue that remains. For any pieces remaining, use a product such as Unbelievable Goo D-solv-r Pro (from Core Products).

Spray the chemical on a white blotting cloth and then blot the gum - do not spray it directly on the gum or the carpet. Once you have removed the gum rinse thoroughly with hot water. This will remove any of the chemical that is left on the carpet and help to prevent it from resoiling. Some people have found that after using the bone scraper they can use a volatile dry solvent and hot water in their extraction machine to remove any remaining pieces of gum. The heat helps to soften the gum and remove any remaining residues. Or you can use a citrus gel, which is a non-volatile dry solvent. Just remember that you’ll need to rinse the citrus gel to remove any residue. No matter which process you decide to use, do not apply too much chemical.

Another way to remove gum is to “freeze” it. Fill a plastic bag with ice and rub it over the gum. Then chip away the frozen pieces with your bone scraper. After removing the pieces of gum you will still need to use your extractor to remove any remaining residue. There are also aerosol sprays on the market that will “freeze” the gum. Use these products with caution, as they can damage the carpet fibers. The process you use will naturally depend on how much gum you need to remove. If the area is heavily caked with gum it may be easier to use a bone scraper and then a good solvent with an extraction machine as opposed to the time it would take to either “freeze” or clean each spot with D-solv-r Pro.

As you are cleaning up the gooey mess from gum, remember to do a thorough job and remove as much of the residue as possible or the carpet will resoil quickly and you may be called back by an unhappy customer who notices the carpet looks dirty!

Steve Hanson is co-founding member of The Janitorial Store (TM), an online community that offers weekly tips, articles, downloads, discussion forums, and more for anyone who would like to learn how to start a cleaning business. Visit The Janitorial Store’s blog and get inspired by reading cleaning success stories from owners of cleaning companies.

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First the bad news: Not all urine stains are removable. The types of damage caused vary according to the urine content. This is determined by the pet’s diet, age, sex, and any medications being taken. If it is removable, the following steps may get it out.

1. Blot up the urine as soon as you discover it. Use plain white paper towels to avoid dye transfer.

2. Mix 1/4 teaspoon liquid dishwashing detergent (non-bleach and non-lanolin) in a cup of warm water. Apply this to the spot.

3. Blot up the moisture, rinse with warm water, and apply more of the detergent mixture. Rinse, and continue the process until you don’t see any urine transfer to the paper towels.

4. Mix two tablespoons of ammonia in a cup of water. Apply this to the spot, blot it up, rinse with warm water, and repeat. Blot the area dry.

5. Mix one cup of white vinegar with two cups of water. Apply this to the spot, blot it up, rinse, and repeat. Rinse well when you are done, and blot the area to remove as much moisture as possible.

6. Put a stack of plain white paper towels on the spot and weigh them down with something flat and heavy (something that won’t lose its color if it gets wet). Change the paper towels occasionally, until the spot is dry.

The faster you get to the spot, the more likely it is that it can be removed. When urine spots develop over time, and are not noticed right away, the dyes and carpet fibers may be permanently damaged. In beige carpet, the stains will appear red, yellow or orange. Color can sometimes be restored by treating with a solution of two tablespoons of clear, non-sudsy ammonia in a cup of water.

Getting Urine Odor Out Of Carpet

To get urine odor out, it’s often necessary to remove virtually all the urine - especially in the case of cat urine. Many products simply mask the odor, and fail even at that during times of high humidity. Some pet stores and veterinary offices now have enzyme treatments that work better, and professional carpet cleaners can apply these for you if you aren’t sure how to do it.

If odor persists, you may have to remove that section of carpet. You can replace it with scraps if you have saved them, or cut a piece from an area that isn’t visible. Unfortunately, sometimes the padding and even a section of flooring has to be removed to totally eliminate odor from old urine stains. Try the simple steps above before you lose hope though, and good luck.

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

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The dry foam procedure is called dry because the content of moisture is very low - 90 percent air and 10 percent liquid. The dry foam machine has a pressure tank. In this tank you will pour a solution of water and shampoo.

The solution is converted into foam by compressor. Using a revolving cylindrical brush, foam is dispensed all over the carpet. The brush will comb the foam through the piles of the carpet so that every fiber of the carpet is cleaned.

To get the best result, the bubbles being produced must be of uniformed size so the foam can finish the cleaning process before it is dispersed. Once the carpet has dried, it is methodically vacuumed to remove the dried crystals of dirt.

The dry foam procedure:

1. To begin with, vacuum the carpet and remove all the stains.
2. Prepare the dry foam solution as indicated by the manufacturer.
3. Shampoo the carpet; once it has dried, vacuum the carpet.
4. Groom the pile to speed the drying process.
5. Use a furniture leg pad to eliminate furniture stains or rust.

Advantages - The process of dry foam cleaning covers a lot of area in a short amount of time. You cannot over saturate the carpet simply because the moisture content is very low.

Disadvantages - The dry foam procedure can remove average levels of soil. However, there is a possibility of excessive residue and soil build up if the machine has inadequate extraction capabilities.

Dry foam is the perfect procedure if you have older carpet. You can rent a machine if you do not think you will use it enough to buy it.

Protect your carpet against paint drips, snow, mud, dirt, stains, and heavy traffic conditions. Read about plastic carpet protections as well as temporary carpet protections.

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