Holiday Spill Hero
You always wanted to be the Holiday Spill Hero, didn’t you?
It’s the time of year for meeting friends and family, exchanging gifts, and…
Spilling things.
Never fear – your Holiday Spill Guide is here to turn you into a holiday spot and spill cleaning hero.
We’re gonna dive right in:
Step 1 – Let’s build a spotting kit
A spotting kit is great to keep on hand all year long, and comes in especially handy during the high-spill Holiday season.
Here is what you’ll need to make your spotting kit:
Spotting Kit
1. White cotton towels – make sure they’re white so the towel doesn’t transfer color. Home Depot and Lowes carry these in multi-packs for cheap (we use these – click here)
2. Dawn dish detergent, regular – the kind made for washing dishes by hand, NOT automatic dishwasher detergent
3. Vinegar, White – not apple cider variety
4. Ammonia, Plain – not Sudsy ammonia
5. Hydrogen Peroxide, 3% – the brown bottle type you find in the Band-Aid aisle
6. Several empty 32 oz spray bottles (these are inexpensive and work great – click here)
7. Goof-Off Professional Strength Remover liquid (for oil, paint, and grease) – found at hardware stores for lifting paint and oil spills (click here for product info)
8. An old metal spoon – make sure the sides are dull and not sharp (for scooping and light agitation)
What we’re going to do first is to mix up 3 solutions in 3 different spray bottles: a General Spotter, a Vinegar Spotter, and an Ammonia Spotter.
General Spotter
In an empty spray bottle mix 1 TB Dawn dish detergent with 32 OZ water. Cold or warm tap water is fine. Shake well.
Vinegar Spotter
In an empty spray bottle mix 16 OZ white vinegar with 16 OZ tap water. Shake well.
Ammonia Spotter
In an empty spray bottle mix 1 TB regular ammonia with 32 OZ tap water. Shake well.
I’ve found it best to keep the items together by putting them in a tool caddy like this one (click here).
That way when you have an emergency spill you’ll have all of the spotting solutions and accessories in one place where you can grab it and go.
A word about our spotting kit product selection
There is a reason why we’ve selected white vinegar, regular ammonia, and peroxide for our emergency spotting solution kit instead of using over-the-counter spot grocery store cleaners.
It’s because each of these products, when properly diluted as explained above, are safe, work extremely well, do not leave a sticky residue, and dry to a neutral state.
You see a lot of the over-the-counter solutions can do a good job at removing some of the items we’re going to cover below, but most of those products leave a nasty residue that may cause further issues with resoiling and other secondary issues.
Our spotting kit combined with carefully following the instructions below won’t cause secondary damage like overwetting, bleaching, or resoiling.
Caution: Goof-Off is a non-volatile dry cleaning solvent and needs to be handled with care as it can break down the latex backing of carpet if over-applied.
Goof-Off always needs to be dissolved and removed with the General Spotter or Ammonia Spotter otherwise it may cause resoiling issues.
Let’s move on to classification of the spills and then to the spotting techniques to turn you into the holiday spill hero that you always wanted to be!
Spill Classification
There are 2 basic types of spills:
1. Water-based
2. Oil-based
There are a few spills/stains that are both water and oil-based. Ballpoint pen ink is one that has both water and oil components. Some types of salad dressing also contain oil and water. Gravy is yet another.
Knowing whether the spill is water or oil-based will tell you what spotter you want to reach for.
As we all recall from general science class, water and oil don’t mix.
So when there is a water-based spill we do not want to grab the Goof-Off because it’s not going to work.
And we don’t want to reach for any of the 3 spotters that we mixed if it’s a heavy oil or grease spill.
Just remember – if the spill is water-based, we’re going to use one, two, or all three of our spotters that we mixed above.
And if it’s oil-based, we’re going to reach for the Goof-Off.
Alright, pretty easy, huh?
Let’s turn the page and make you the spot cleaning hero this holiday season!
We’ll start with water-based spills since that is the majority of spills you’re going to encounter around the Holidays.
But before we proceed I need to add a little disclaimer.
These techniques work very well, but they may not work 100% of the time and some of the spotting items may cause damage if improperly used.
You should NOT perform any of these spotting techniques on extremely delicate fabrics and fibers such as silk, linen, animal skins, and some types of wool.
Also, never rub or scrub a spot as fiber distortion may occur.
As long as you follow the directions closely, these techniques are safe and effective for virtually all sturdy fabrics and fibers including: polyester, nylon, olefin/polypropylene, acrylic, and cotton.
General preliminary spot cleaning advice
- If the spill is solid or semi-solid, like feces, cranberry sauce, warm or melted chocolate, vomit, etc., the first step is to scoop up the majority with the metal spoon in your spotting kit and discard into the toilet or a garbage bag.
- If the spill is liquid, fold up a few white clean and dry towels from your spotting kit, place over the spill, and step on it to coax the spill into the towel.
- Carpet and upholstery always dry from the bottom up which can cause a condition called “wicking” where contaminants in the pad or cushion can rise to the surface as it dries.
- To prevent wicking, after you are done spot cleaning the liquid spill using the techniques below, fold up several white clean and dry cotton towels from your spotting kit, place over the spill, and weight down the towels with something heavy like a brick.Check after 12 hours. If the spill is still there and transferring into the towel, repeat the spotting techniques below and weight down with more clean, dry white cotton towels.Repeat as necessary until the spill no longer wicks into the towels.
- When you work on a spill or spot, always work from the outside in to contain the spot and keep it from spreading.
- If you run into any issues or are just not sure what to do, feel free to call us at 810-225-2184 and we’ll walk you through the steps.
With that, let’s roll!
Water-based spills
Wine
Wine is made of fermented grapes, sugar, yeast, and a few other additives – and it’s always water-based.
1. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel
2. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
3. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
4. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
5. Blot a final time with a dry clean white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
6. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide
Beer
Beer is made of fermented grains, sugar, yeast, and a few other water-based ingredients.
1. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel
2. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
3. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
4. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
5. Blot a final time with a dry clean white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
6. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide
Coffee
Coffee is water-based, of course, but coffee beans contain an oily substance called “tannin”. This tannin releases from the bean and is deposited into the coffee during the brewing process, and oftentimes needs to be treated after the majority of the spill has been cleaned up.
1. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel
2. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
3. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
4. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
5. To neutralize the tannin, liberally spray your Vinegar Spotter onto the area and let soak for 10-15 minutes
6. Blot a final time with a clean dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
7. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide
Tea
Tea is water-based but some types of tea, especially herbal tea, contain disperse dyes which may cause the area to appear darker. Following these suggestions should neutralize and lighten or completely remove tea stains.
1. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel
2. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
3. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
4. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
5. Liberally spray your Ammonia Spotter onto the area and let soak for 10-15 minutes
6. Blot a final time with a clean and dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
7. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide
Juice
While all of the components of juice are water-based, juice oftentimes has food coloring added to it to make it look more presentable.
1. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel
2. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
3. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
4. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
5. If the juice contains food coloring the stain will probably still show. If it does spray liberally with your Ammonia Spotter and blot with a clean white towel
6. Blot a final time with a clean and dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
7. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide
Milk
Milk does contain a little bit of fat, which is indeed oil-based. However, it’s not enough for us to have to use the Goof-Off. Milk will sour over time so it’s best to attempt removal right away.
1. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel
2. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
3. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
4. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
5. Liberally spray your Ammonia Spotter onto the area and let soak for 10-15 minutes
6. Blot a final time with a clean and dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
7. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide
Eggnog
Eggnog, like milk, does contain some fat – but not enough for us to reach for the Goof-Off oil-based spot remover.
1. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel
2. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
3. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
4. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
5. Liberally spray your Ammonia Spotter onto the area and let soak for 10-15 minutes
6 .Blot a final time with a clean and dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
7. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide
Urine
It’s all water based with trace minerals and some other stuff in it. Ick.
1. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel
2. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
3. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
4. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
5. Liberally spray your Vinegar Spotter onto the area and let soak for 10-15 minutes
6. Blot a final time with a clean and dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
7. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide
Vomit
Vomit contains bile, which is very acidic.
1. Scoop up the excess with your metal spoon and discard
2. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel
3. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
4. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
5. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
6. To neutralize the bile acid, liberally spray your Ammonia Spotter onto the area and let soak for 10-15 minutes
7. Blot a final time with a clean and dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
8. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide
Feces
Feces is water-based semi-solid or liquid (diarrhea) protein matter that contains bodily waste materials.
1. Scoop up the excess with your metal spoon and discard
2. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel
3. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
4. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
5. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
6. Liberally spray your Ammonia Spotter onto the area and let soak for 10-15 minutes
7. Blot a final time with a clean and dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
8. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide
Cranberry sauce
100% water-based, but some brands add food coloring to make it look more appetizing.
1. Scoop up the excess with your metal spoon and discard
2. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel
3. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
4. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
5. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
6. If the spill contains contains food coloring the stain will probably still show. If it does spray liberally with your Ammonia Spotter and blot with a clean white towel
7. Blot a final time with a clean and dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
8. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide
Chocolate
Chocolate is mostly water-based but contains some fat in it from milk. Not enough for us to use Goof-Off, though.
1. Scoop up the excess with your metal spoon and discard
2. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel
3. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
4. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
5. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
6. To neutralize the proteins, liberally spray your Ammonia Spotter onto the area and let soak for 10-15 minutes
7. Blot a final time with a clean and dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
8. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide
Candy
Basically contains sugar, water, and food dye. The food dye component may be a little tricky to remove, but the sugar and other water-based additives should come right out.
2. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
3. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
4. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
5. If the spill contains food coloring the stain will probably still show. If it does spray liberally with your Ammonia Spotter and blot with a clean white towel
6. Blot a final time with a clean and dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
7. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide
Gravy
Gravy contains both water and oil-based substances; however it can be coaxed out with our water-based spotting kit solutions by carefully following the steps below.
1. Scoop up the excess with your metal spoon and discard
2. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel
3. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
4. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
5. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
6. To neutralize the proteins, liberally spray your Ammonia Spotter onto the area and let soak for 10-15 minutes
7. Blot a final time with a clean and dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
8. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide
9. Since gravy has a thick viscosity, you may encounter wicking so as a last step fold up several white clean and dry towels from your spotting kit, place towels on the spot, and weight down with a brick. Check progress in 12 hours or so. If the spot is still wicking, repeat step 6. then fold up several more clean and dry white terry towels, place on the spot, and weight down again. Repeat as necessary util the spot is wicked out.
Catsup (and other tomato-based spills)
100% water-based, although some brands use food coloring to make the product look more rich.
1. Scoop up the excess with your metal spoon and discard
2. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel
3. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
4. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
5. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
6. If the spill contains contains food coloring the stain will probably still show. If it does spray liberally with your Ammonia Spotter and blot with a clean white towel
7. Blot a final time with a clean and dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
8. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide
Mustard (Also: turmeric and curry)
Mustard, turmeric, and curry all have a naturally-occurring disperse dye that causes the product to give its yellow appearance. Fortunately yellow is fairly unstable and can normally be removed with patience. Follow directions here closely, please.
1. Scoop up the excess with your metal spoon and discard
2. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel
3. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release
4. Spray the General Spotter on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill
5. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
6. If the spill contains contains food coloring the stain will probably still show. If it does spray liberally with your Ammonia Spotter and blot with a clean white towel
7. Blot a final time with a clean and dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture
8. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide and cover with plastic food wrap (like Saran Wrap) until dry
9. Yellow disperse dyes, like found in mustard, turmeric, and curry, may need multiple treatments of the 3% hydrogen peroxide treatment. Repeat Step 8. until yellow is gone.
Oil-Based Spills
As a general rule Oil-based spills are more tricky to remove than water-based spills. Once oil contaminates the padding or cushion it can be very difficult to completely remove. Following these steps closely will help, but you may need to call us for further instructions at 810-225-2184.
Vegetable Oils (including olive, vegetable, sunflower, safflower, peanut, and other vegetable-based oils)
1. Scoop up the excess with your metal spoon and discard
2. Apply Goof-Off sparingly on the spot and let sit for a couple of minutes
3. Agitate area lightly with the metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward
4. Next, liberally spray the area with the Ammonia Spotter and let sit for 10 minutes
5. Fold up a couple of clean white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much as the spill into the towels as will release
6. Repeat Step 4. until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
7. Fold up several clean white cotton towels, place on spill, and weight down with a brick for 12 hours.
8. If spot remains, let dry completely and repeat Steps 2. through 7 until the spill is completely gone or there is no more transfer into the towels.
Cooking Fat
1. Scoop up the excess with your metal spoon and discard
2. Apply Goof-Off sparingly on the spot and let sit for a couple of minutes
3. Agitate area lightly with the metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward
4. Next, liberally spray the area with the Ammonia Spotter and let sit for 10 minutes
5. Fold up a couple of clean white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much as the spill into the towels as will release
6. Repeat Step 4. until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
7. Fold up several clean white cotton towels, place on spill, and weight down with a brick for 12 hours.
8. If spot remains, let dry completely and repeat Steps 2. through 7 until the spill is completely gone or there is no more transfer into the towels.
Essential Oils
1. Scoop up the excess with your metal spoon and discard
2. Apply Goof-Off sparingly on the spot and let sit for a couple of minutes
3. Agitate area lightly with the metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward
4. Next, liberally spray the area with the Ammonia Spotter and let sit for 10 minutes
5. Fold up a couple of clean white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much as the spill into the towels as will release
6. Repeat Step 4. until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
7. Fold up several clean white cotton towels, place on spill, and weight down with a brick for 12 hours.
8. If spot remains, let dry completely and repeat Steps 2. through 7 until the spill is completely gone or there is no more transfer into the towels.
Butter
1. Scoop up the excess with your metal spoon and discard
2. Apply Goof-Off sparingly on the spot and let sit for a couple of minutes
3. Agitate area lightly with the metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward
4. Next, liberally spray the area with the Ammonia Spotter and let sit for 10 minutes
5. Fold up a couple of clean white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much as the spill into the towels as will release
6. Repeat Step 4. until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
7. Fold up several clean white cotton towels, place on spill, and weight down with a brick for 12 hours.
8. If spot remains, let dry completely and repeat Steps 2. through 7 until the spill is completely gone or there is no more transfer into the towels.
Candle Wax
1. If still in liquid state, scoop up the excess with your metal spoon and discard
2a. If dried and not very thick, use your dull metal spoon to carefully break away chunks and discard
2b. If dried and very thick call us for detailed instructions @ 810-225-2184
3. Apply Goof-Off sparingly on the spot and let sit for a couple of minutes
4. Agitate area lightly with the metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward
5. Next, liberally spray the area with the Ammonia Spotter and let sit for 10 minutes
6. Fold up a couple of clean white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much as the spill into the towels as will release
7. Repeat Step 4. until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
8. Fold up several clean white cotton towels, place on spill, and weight down with a brick for 12 hours.
9. If spot remains, let dry completely and repeat Steps 2. through 7 until the spill is completely gone or there is no more transfer into the towels.
Ballpoint Pen
Ballpoint pen ink often consists of water/dyes and oil-based ink. This can be a tricky one to remove so please take it easy and don’t overdo it by causing secondary damage to the fibers or latex (if on carpet). Warning: Please follow these directions exactly as ordered- but please understand that even if you do the ink may have left a permanent stain no matter what you try.
1. Blot up the excess with a clean dry cotton towel
2. Apply Goof-Off to the edge of a white clean dry cotton towel
3. Blot the Goof-Off dampened towel to the center of the spot being careful not to spread the ink stain.
4. Use a clean and dry part of the cotton towel to move the outside of the ink stain towards the center of the stain as the Goof-Off application will likely make it a little larger. Try to keep working outside towards the center
6. Continue steps 2. and 3. until no more ink transfers into the towel. Keep rotating to a fresh edge and replace with a new clean dry white cotton towel often. Do not reuse soiled edges of the towels
7. Next, liberally spray the area with the Ammonia Spotter and let sit for 10 minutes
8. Fold up a couple of clean white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much as the spill into the towels as will release
9. Repeat Step 4. until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
10. Fold up several clean white cotton towels, place on spill, and weight down with a brick for 12 hours.
11. If spot remains, let dry completely and repeat Steps 2. through 7 until the spill is completely gone or there is no more transfer into the towels.
Oil-based Paint
1. Scoop up the excess with your metal spoon and discard
2. Apply Goof-Off sparingly on the spot and let sit for a couple of minutes
3. Agitate area lightly with the metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward
4. Next, liberally spray the area with the Ammonia Spotter and let sit for 10 minutes
5. Fold up a couple of clean white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much as the spill into the towels as will release
6. Repeat Step 4. until there is no more spill transferring into the towels
7. Fold up several clean white cotton towels, place on spill, and weight down with a brick for 12 hours.
8. If spot remains, let dry completely and repeat Steps 2. through 7 until the spill is completely gone or there is no more transfer into the towels.
- Should I get my new carpets professionally cleaned after construction? - January 8, 2019
- What is the Best Carpet Cleaning Method? - December 12, 2018
- How Often Should I Get My Carpets Cleaned? - October 30, 2018
Tags: eggnog spill, Holiday spills, ink stain, milk spill, spot clean carpet, spot guide, wine spills