My Martha Stewart Moment

[JPatrick]

Several months ago Cutthroat recommended a carpet cleaning product called "Folex." If I remember correctly he may have also posted a solution to pantyhose runs Anyway, in preparing the Mcmansion for sale recently I used several bottles of Folex to tidy up mucho yards of near white carpet.  It works great!!  The price is right and Wally World sells it--Thanks CT

At the same time I discovered a floor wax, also at Wally World, called Quick Shine.  You can use it on wood, tile and vinyl.  I have used it on vinyl and tile with great results.  The new house has several rooms with rough tile so I am applying it with a paint brush.  Looks great even if it ain't much fun.
Hey guys, can we get together tomorrow and share recipes?? : :

 

[Scrooge]

I am sure my carpet will thank you for the update, but to be honest, after reading the subject line I thought you may have been briefly imprisoned 

 

[Martha]

For general carpet cleaning (no so much stain removal) I like to use the dry carpet cleaner Capture.  You spray a light solution on the carpet, sprinkle the capture on it, lightly work it in with a scrub brush, wait a while and vacuum.  I find it gets carpet nice and clean.  Plus you don't have to use a steam cleaner or hire someone to do the cleaning. No soapy residue left to attract dirt either.

On wood floors I use the swiffer and then a damp cloth to wipe over them.  Sometimes a bit of vinegar on the cloth but usually nothing but a bit of water. 

I posted my window cleaning recipe a while ago.  Works wonders on very dirty exterior windows. 

 

[shiny]

Who needs Martha Stewart when we have our own Martha!

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Spray on regular laundry oxyclean spot remover, rub with a cloth, and run over it with the steam cleaner once or twice about 10 minutes later.

Works every time.

Or I just wait until the rest of the carpet is just as dingy, then rub a little dirt on the clean spots to even it out.

 

[yelnad]

Oxyclean spray bleaches my khakis!

 

[laurence]

I dump a scoop of oxyclean in the carpet cleaner, squirt the big stains with a squirt bottle of oxyclean, run over the whole thing with the carpet cleaner, looks brand new....for about a month.

 

[audreyh1]

Who needs Martha Stewart when we have our own Martha!

Ditto!

Audrey

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

...for about a month.

Lucky SOB...I get about 3 days. But then you probably dont have 350lbs of dogs, 50lbs of cats (although you've got the ~25lbs of baby) ready willing and able to smear, spill, barf or do some other magical messy thing within moments of putting the carpet cleaner away.

 

[laurence]

Cats and baby, no dogs. And the cats are strictly indoors, since everyone with indoor/outdoor cats loses them within a year to a coyote buffet. We take our shoes off when we get home, and we do some spot cleaning, but yeah, considering the carpet is that typical off white they love to put in homes, no complaints here.

 

[Sarah in SC]

We got home yesterday from 5 days away...not only were the wood floors and leather sofa covered completely in dirt, the white walls in the hall are smeared with mud up to border collie shoulder height.

Peculiar...don't know how I'm going to clean them...any ideas?

My Dad comes over 2x day when we are gone, but he won't clean! The dogs and cats have a pet door for ingress/egress while we are gone, and I think the dogs only go outside long enough to get the desirable complete dirt/mud coating and come back inside to dry off in the a/c!

Wall washing advice?
Sarah

 

[Martha]

Flat paint (oh no!) or semi-gloss/satin?

My inclination would be to use a bit of plain ammonia in water and don't scrub hard if the paint is flat.

 

[Sarah in SC]

yeah, it'd be the flat wall paint. I'll try the ammonia, thanks!

Hmmm, maybe a new paint job would be easier than cleaning...or that nice beadboard paneling to a chair rail I've been wanting for the hall and entry. D@#%% dogs!
Sarah

 

[shiny]

I've used "Method" all surface cleaner on a painted surface and it did well. It was the grapefruit (pink) one, I got it at Target.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

For anyone looking to do interior painting, check out the 'eggshell' finish instead of 'flat'...its partway between flat and semi-gloss. MUCH easier cleanup, a lot like a semi-gloss, but just about as flat in appearance as regular flat.

 

[bpp]

The dog isn't allowed back into the house without getting clean first. Paws at least are always at least wiped with a damp cloth, sometimes sprayed with a hose if needed.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

We are talking about a dog here and not you, right?

My wife keeps trying to spray me with a hose before letting me in the house. Maybe she's confused me with the dogs.

 

[bpp]

You know, I thought the rule applied to everyone in the house, but now that you mention it, I haven't noticed anyone other than me and the dog getting hosed down...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Next time, grab the hose and spray back. Bet all y'all have a good laugh afterwards.