There is nothing more joyous than welcoming friends and family into your home for the holidays. The beautiful Honest Abe Log Home pictured above shows exactly how welcoming a custom log home can be.
However, with more people and possibly their pets, there will be unexpected wear and tear on your home.
Always try any cleaning ideas on an inconspicuous area before tackling your stain directly. But when the inevitable disasters strike, here are some tips for restoring your carpets, floors and walls.
Red Wine on Carpet
The first step with a Red Wine spill on fabrics or carpet is to “lift” it as quickly as possible. This means finding a way to dilute the staining red and then dabbing/wicking it out of the fibers.
A mixture of white vinegar and detergent will neutralize the purple and red colors. Cover the spill area with the vinegar and then immediately run in laundry detergent (no dyes!!) to help loosen the wine. As you dab at the spill area. When the red / purple color is gone, begin to rinse the carpet area with hot water. DO NOT be tempted to use a heat dryer to dry the freshly cleaned area.
Hardwood Floor Scratches
Guests often bring pets that are not hardwood floor compatible OR they excite any pets you have into racing across floors and leaving some scratches.
While deep scratches (and many scratches) will always require a flooring expert who can sand and reseal the floors, you can try a repair to smaller and lighter scratches. Start be vacuuming the floor. Then cover the scratches with a layer of baking soda. Lightly moisten the baking soda with olive oil. Wait about 5 minutes. Then buff the area gently using a clean soft sponge. Clean the area with a damp cloth and then dry the hardwood with a towel.
Pet Stains on Hardwood
It is always important to clean pet accidents as soon as they happen. But even if you see the pet, it may not always be fast enough to prevent the telltale dark spots. Whether you find the area immediately or days later, begin by cleaning the area with soap and a little water to remove as much as possible. Towel the area to dry it.
Begin by scrubbing the spot with a white cloth that is soaked in hydrogen peroxide. Let the area air dry. If the dark spots are not gone, cover the area with a paper towel and saturate it with hydrogen peroxide. Leave the towel on the stain for a couple of hours, checking every hour to see if the stain is lifting. It is possible that the hardwood may still have some light discoloration which will require some refinishing.
Wall Scuffs
Always be gentle with cleaning a wall so that you avoid making the problem worse by removing inadvertently removing paint.
Minor scuffs can be removed by using a Baking Soda solution which dissolves four tablespoons of baking soda into a quart of water.
Dampen a soft white cloth in the mixture and gently rub the marks. Small residual areas will then come up with a clean, dry cloth.
Many small areas will clean with a mild dish soap and water or you favorite chemical cleaner and some light scrubbing. Remember to rinse the area and dry it with a damp cloth before you allow it to dry. Leaving chemicals on the paint can cause discoloration.
Article by Amy Green, CSllc Consulting
