Out Of Chaos

A smart person who really wanted a simple life, would not have light colored carpet. She especially wouldn’t have that cream colored carpet if she has five cats in the house! In fact, she would not have those darned cats!

I didn’t tell you that I was a smart person…did I?

I can’t get rid of my cats! They are “family.” But, they sure are rough on the carpet. Mine are litter box trained, and very good about using the box instead of the floor. However, they are not very fastidious about getting the tiny bits of litter out of their paws before they leave the cat room. Those tiny bits of litter get ground into the carpet and make a stain.

Then, there is the issue of the occasional cat barf. I can’t even think about it! Just my luck that they won’t go hide behind the sofa to throw up. They get right in the middle of the family room to do their business, so the whole world will see the stain they leave behind. I’m probably lucky they don’t throw up behind the couch, because I would never find it.

I think success at removing stains on the carpet depends mostly on how quickly you find it and how fast you can dash. I’ve tried blotting the stain and washing it with just plain water. I’ve tried various carpet stain removers, but they are certainly expensive and not always efficient. Yesterday, I noticed some older stains and decided to try club soda.

First, I brushed the carpet to remove any loose matter. Then, I vacuumed the area. I sprinkled a dab of that club soda on the stained area and scrubbed at it with a clean, white cloth, and ran the vacuum over it again after it dried. Actually, it worked pretty well, although there were a few places that I had to treat more than once.

Maybe plain water would have done the job, but I was pleased with the results of the club soda. I plan to keep some on hand, because I found some other uses for club soda. And, I thought it was just for mixing with Scotch. I had no idea it was so versatile!

I wish I hadn’t chosen light carpet. I can’t afford to replace it with a different color; I’m pretty much stuck with what I have. Next time, I’ll know better. If I install carpet again, my choice of color will be “Dirt.” Better yet, I’ll have a cement floor with a big drain in the middle, so I can just hose the place out!

Tags: Floors, cleaning, simplified life //