We all get a sweet tooth every now and then. Sometimes all you need to put a smile on your face is a little piece of chocolate or some gummy bears. Halloween, Easter, Valentine’s Day, even Christmas are all known for candy and treats. Birthdays feature cake and ice cream. Face it; candy and sweets are a part of our lives. But what happens when they become part of your carpet? Don’t let this deter you from enjoying a treat every so often. Here are some cleaning tips to get out almost anything you might happen to drop while satisfying that sweet tooth.
As you may already know, cleaning stains and spills from your carpet can sometimes be hard enough as it is. So you can imagine that adding sticky, colored, or melted to that could increase the difficulty. Well knowing a few basic techniques will help make the task of cleaning sweets out of your carpet less difficult than resisting the urge to have them to begin with. As with any other spill or stain, the faster you act, the better your chances. But remember, do not tug, pull, or try to forcefully remove any candy that has adhered itself to your carpet. This will irreparably damage the fibers.
Hard Candy. Pour a little bit of water over the candy to dissolve the sugar. The sugar is what has adhered itself to the fibers. Once the sugar has dissolved you should be able to scrape the candy off carefully with a spoon or dull scalpel. Next, apply a liquid detergent or your favorite stain remover to the area. Blot it, do not rub, with a clean towel or sponge. Continue this until the area is clean. When you have successfully cleaned the area make sure to give it a good rinse and dry thoroughly. If the stain is giving you problems then apply a little vinegar and blot again with a clean towel, rinse, and dry.
Ice Cream. We all scream for ice cream, especially when it falls on the carpet. The first thing you want to do here is scoop up what you can. After that you should use a towel to dab the area to try absorbing as much as you can of the remnants. Once you’ve removed as much of the ice cream as you can you want to use a mixture of water and liquid detergent on the area. Apply with a spray bottle or just pour a little bit at a time. Blot the area with a clean towel. Repeat this until the area is clean. Once it is clean, rinse and dry the area thoroughly.
Chocolate. Now if you are eating a candy bar, you should be able to gently pick up any particles without leaving behind any type of staining. But if you missed that little piece that fell, and it melted a little, here is what you need to do. First, allow the chocolate to dry or harden. Then you need to scrape off what you can with a spoon or blunt knife. Vacuum up what you can of the remaining particles. What’s left should basically be a dark stain. Heat up an iron on the lowest setting. Now you want to cover the area with wet paper towels or some wax paper. Iron over the paper or towel. The heat should cause the chocolate to melt from the fibers and transfer to the paper/towel. Once the paper/towel gets soiled replace it with a fresh piece. Repeat this until the stain is gone. Once you’ve removed all you can with this process you can go back and use a stain remover or one of the methods mentioned above to finish off the cleaning.
Remember to act fast. And when you are using any cleaning solution, apply only a little at a time. It’s always better to use just a bit and to repeat the process rather than douse the area. Always test your solutions in a small area before using them. You’re supposed to be cleaning the accident, not creating another one.