Actually, I was *on* it, man, so there’s no need for any further carpet cleaning, thank you.
In fact, I developed a new method of getting the ketchup up that resulted in almost no leftover stain, right from Step 2 (Step 1 is to photograph it, which was all Jill’s idea. I kind of stole that from her. I shoulda let her post this. Sorry Buhbee). The secret is to get under it and lift up, instead of trying to come at it from the top down with a paper towel, which just pushes it further into the carpet. So I got a tupperware container and turned it on its side (putting the upper lip under the edge of the spill), and scraped across it, pulling it towards me while pushing down. Think ice cream scooper. After a single pass over the site of each spill, I had three large dollups of ketchup in the tupperware, and but the echo of three faint red stains on the carpet, which was easily taken care of by Resolve. Viola! Never know it had happened, ‘cept I told you.
My god. I just typed an entire paragraph about removing a stain from the carpet, and I was serious.
Dear Hints from Heloise, or, possibly, Dear Hints from Heaton,
I thought since you are now obviously full into this clean-up, spot removing effort, you might enjoy the e-mail a friend of mine recently sent praising the abilities of WD-40 and listing 43 applications where it is said to excel, many of them having to do with removing unwanted marks and stains. This is the e-mail:
I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do. He said probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open.
Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck. I’m impressed!
WD-40 who knew?
Water Displacement #40. The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts.
WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company.
Its name comes from the project that was to find a “water displacement” compound.
They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40.
The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.
Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.
When you read the “shower door” part, try it. It’s the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It’s a miracle! Then try it on your stovetop… Voila! It’s now shinier than it’s ever been. You’ll be amazed.
Here are some of the uses:
1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4) Gives floors that ‘just-waxed’ sheen without making it slippery.
5) Keeps flies off cows.
6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7) Removes lipstick stains.
Loosens stubborn zippers.
9) Untangles jewelry chains.
10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13) Removes tomato stains from clothing. (Ketchup from rugs?)
14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes
18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn’t seem to harm the finish and you won’t have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19) Bugs will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20) Gives a children’s play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31) Removes splattered grease on stove.
32) Keeps bathroom mirrors from fogging.
33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35) Removes all sticky traces of duct tape
36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37) Florida’s favorite use is: “cleans and removes bugs from grills and bumpers.”
38) The favorite use in the state of New York WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time.
40) Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42) Washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a Load of laundry? No problem! Saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is gone !
43) Water in your distributor cap? (If your car has a distributor) ISpray WD-40 over/in the distributor, it will displace the moisture and allow the car to start.
Wow, I can’t wait to try some of these. I want Bill and Jill to try #20 and have the camera ready. You should get some great shots (plus if the boys land in a nest of fire ants, they’ll be all set!)
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We’re all too familiar with toddler messes. Cool Photoshop work.
So when will you be over to borrow the carpet cleaner?
Actually, I was *on* it, man, so there’s no need for any further carpet cleaning, thank you.
In fact, I developed a new method of getting the ketchup up that resulted in almost no leftover stain, right from Step 2 (Step 1 is to photograph it, which was all Jill’s idea. I kind of stole that from her. I shoulda let her post this. Sorry Buhbee). The secret is to get under it and lift up, instead of trying to come at it from the top down with a paper towel, which just pushes it further into the carpet. So I got a tupperware container and turned it on its side (putting the upper lip under the edge of the spill), and scraped across it, pulling it towards me while pushing down. Think ice cream scooper. After a single pass over the site of each spill, I had three large dollups of ketchup in the tupperware, and but the echo of three faint red stains on the carpet, which was easily taken care of by Resolve. Viola! Never know it had happened, ‘cept I told you.
My god. I just typed an entire paragraph about removing a stain from the carpet, and I was serious.
You’ve come a long way, baby.
Dear Hints from Heloise, or, possibly, Dear Hints from Heaton,
I thought since you are now obviously full into this clean-up, spot removing effort, you might enjoy the e-mail a friend of mine recently sent praising the abilities of WD-40 and listing 43 applications where it is said to excel, many of them having to do with removing unwanted marks and stains. This is the e-mail:
I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do. He said probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open.
Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck. I’m impressed!
WD-40 who knew?
Water Displacement #40. The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts.
WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company.
Its name comes from the project that was to find a “water displacement” compound.
They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40.
The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.
Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.
When you read the “shower door” part, try it. It’s the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It’s a miracle! Then try it on your stovetop… Voila! It’s now shinier than it’s ever been. You’ll be amazed.
Here are some of the uses:
1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4) Gives floors that ‘just-waxed’ sheen without making it slippery.
5) Keeps flies off cows.
6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7) Removes lipstick stains.
9) Untangles jewelry chains.
10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13) Removes tomato stains from clothing. (Ketchup from rugs?)
14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes
18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn’t seem to harm the finish and you won’t have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19) Bugs will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20) Gives a children’s play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31) Removes splattered grease on stove.
32) Keeps bathroom mirrors from fogging.
33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35) Removes all sticky traces of duct tape
36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37) Florida’s favorite use is: “cleans and removes bugs from grills and bumpers.”
38) The favorite use in the state of New York WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time.
40) Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42) Washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a Load of laundry? No problem! Saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is gone !
43) Water in your distributor cap? (If your car has a distributor) ISpray WD-40 over/in the distributor, it will displace the moisture and allow the car to start.
P.S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.
Wow, I can’t wait to try some of these. I want Bill and Jill to try #20 and have the camera ready. You should get some great shots (plus if the boys land in a nest of fire ants, they’ll be all set!)
Ah, the lovely, it “looks like we just had a bender but in reality my kids when on a sugar bender and tore the house to hell” weekend.