Merry Maids of Uxbridge
Serving Durham North & Eastern York Region
STAIN REMOVAL
Pet Stains
Fresh, old or dry pet stains are hard - sometimes even impossible - to clean or
remove from carpets. With the use of a bacteria/enzyme digester and a few
cleaning steps your carpet will be back to normal in no time.
Things You'll Need: Towel or Absorbent Rags, Bacteria / Enzyme Digester,
Plastic Wrap, Vinegar & Water
How to do it:
1. First, blot up any liquid by placing towels or absorbent rags over the spot and
stepping on them. Start with gentle pressure and increase it up to putting your
full weight down. Change to fresh rags or towels, until no more liquid comes up.
2. Apply a bacteria/enzyme digester from a pet store to the stains by following the
directions - it's the only way to deal effectively with both the stain and the odor.
Bacteria/enzyme digesters work slowly, so leave the solution on as long as the
directions say. Urine has probably penetrated into the carpet and pad, so use
enough solution to reach as far down as the stain.
3. Once the solution is applied, put plastic over it, and step on the spot several
times until the area is well saturated. Then, leave the plastic on the whole time
the digester is working to make sure the spot doesn't dry out.
4. If it's a popular accident site, the bacteria may produce enough ammonia in the
course of breaking down the stains to create a super-alkaline situation that
interferes with its own action. In this case, you may need to neutralize the spot
after the digester has been working for about four hours.
5. To neutralize stain odors, mix a solution of one cup of vinegar to a gallon of
warm water. Rinse the area with this solution and apply a fresh batch of
bacteria/enzyme solution.
Tip: If after cleaning the pet stain or odor remains, call a professional deodorizing
specialist. A complete cure will probably involve cleaning the entire carpet by
extraction and replacing the pad underneath, if not replacing the carpet.
How To Clean Up
Spills
Merry Maids does not provide carpet or upholstery cleaning, so we suggest that you
contact our sister company, ServiceMaster Clean®, which provides carpet, drapery
and upholstery cleaning, as well as fire and flood cleanup. Visit the ServiceMaster
Clean website and ask their experts.
Merry Maids of Uxbridge, 15 Brock St., W., Suite 201, Uxbridge, ON L9P 1P6
Tel: 905-852-7743, Email: merrymaidsofuxbridge@powergate.ca Web: www.uxbridgemerrymaids.ca
Remove Stains
from Clothes
Merry Maids doesn't provide laundry service, so we can't expertly address stains
you find on fabrics. However, most experts like Tide® suggest that the most
important aspect of stain removal is pre-treating as soon as possible. The sooner
you can soak or pre-treat a stain, the better your chances of being able to remove it.
Here are a few tips from Proctor & Gamble - www.pgeveryday.com/article/removestains-on-the-go
Club Soda: Club soda has been rumored to have the ability to take on any stain
you could possibly manage to get. Whether it’s because of its fizziness, its
carbonation or acidity, club soda or seltzer water reigns supreme when it comes to
removing stains in a pinch and when simple water won’t do it.
Lemons: If you don’t have any club soda on hand, try a lemon. Many people have
sworn up and down that using lemon juice and salt on a stain will lift nearly anything
after a quick rinse and dry.
Hand Sanitizer: Strangely enough, those little bottles do more than just keep your
hands clean. The high alcohol content (which is what kills germs) also lifts up and
breaks down stains. These gels also work on ink - one of the most dreaded stains
of all. Just blot some onto the stain. The alcohol will cut through the grease, which
stops it from leaving the fabric translucent, and should lift out anything problematic.
Be sure to rinse the spot, however, and to use a non-moisturizing sanitizer or you
could just be adding to the problem. Likewise, the alcohol in hair spray helps
remove stains, too.
Artificial Sweetener: Aside from sweetening up coffee and other beverages,
powdered artificial sweeteners’ can actually absorb stains. If you happen to find
yourself staring at an oil-based stain (liquid foundation, mascara, etc.), cover the
area with some of the powder, let it sit and then brush it off. With a little persistence
you should be able to get most, if not all, of the stain off.
Bread: This gem helps get one of the harder stains -lipstick off with amazing
proficiency. White bread can even go as far as loosening and removing lipstick off
wool. Just tear off the crust, bunch up the rest and blot the stain until it’s gone.
Tide is a registered trademark of The Procter & Gamble Company.
Merry Maids of Uxbridge, 15 Brock St., W., Suite 201, Uxbridge, ON L9P 1P6
Tel: 905-852-7743, Email: merrymaidsofuxbridge@powergate.ca Web: www.uxbridgemerrymaids.ca