Don’t Face Defeat Over Superbowl Party Mishaps

A significant spill can quickly bring down your Super Bowl party. It is tough to tame those sports fans on the biggest game day of the year , and who wants to because half the fun is the cheering and shouting and jumping out of your seat in either happiness or stress. So here is a game plan when food goes down like a sacked quarterback.  

Before your party even begins it is a good idea to have your carpet and upholstery first aid kit ready for action hanging out on the side lines. Some good items to have in this kit are gentle hand washing dish soap such as Dawn, distilled white vinegar, plenty of clean white cloths or a roll of white paper towels, and a spray bottle.

Never leave a spill to deal with later. The faster you treat a stain the higher your chances of removing it from your flooring. Start by blotting with a clean cloth or paper towel to remove the excess stain. Always work form the outside of the stain in toward the center to avoid spreading.

Scrubbing instead of blotting can cause the stain to spread, ruin the carpet fibers or even push the stain further down with the risk of soaking into the padding beneath. There is something that seems to be pre-programmed into us to want to go crazy on a stain and scrub, scrub, scrub until we see that spot disappear. This is the biggest mistake people make when cleaning up spills. Resist the urge to scrub vigorously and always gently blot from the outside in.

After you have absorbed most of the excess stain it is time to get out the cleaner. If you have never used a particular cleaner before it is best to test it on an unseen area of the upholstery or fabric first.

If you have spilled something water soluble such as an alcoholic beverage, berries, cola, etc. –you can use a solution of ½ tablespoon of mild dish soap or vinegar and a cup of warm water mixed together.  

For water soluble stains that are known to be more stubborn like blood, chocolate, tea, wine, mustard, etc. you might need to follow the dish soap or vinegar solution with 1 tablespoon of ammonia and I cup of warm water mixed together. ( if you have wool or wool blend carpet or upholstery do not use ammonia)

For fat or oil based stains try putting a paper towel over the stain and applying a warm iron to the towel. The fat and/or oil should absorb right into the paper towel.

Once the stain has been lifted from the fabric grab some more clean dry cloths or towels and absorb any excess moisture.  

For stains that just won’t come out its time to call in the professional carpet cleaner. They will bring out their “medical cart”  and give your carpet the best care possible.

All Kleen has a team of skilled pros ready to care for your toughest Super Bowl party stains. You can even make an appointment online.