Back to School Flooring Care Tips

When your family is heading back to school, what does that mean for your carpeting or hardwood flooring? With less time spent in the yard or at camps, dirt and mud become lower priorities than school project supplies like watercolors. But carpet that is cared for can last from when they start school to the graduation party.

Ink Carpet Stains

The best way to remove an ink stain depends on the carpet fibers. For wool carpets, blot the stain our and set with hair spray for 30 minutes, then flush with water; repeat with ammonia until stain is gone. With Acrylic or Cotton fibers, follow the hair spray with a soak in solution of 1 quart warm water, 1/2 teaspoon dishwashing detergent, and 1 tablespoon white vinegar (rinse after 30 minutes).

If you are unsure what materials your American Flooring carpet is made out of, or the best way to treat a stain, call American Flooring in Lansing, Holt, or Okemos to speak with our team.

Tape or Adhesives on Hardwood Floors

The most gentle way to start removing adhesive marks from your wood floors is to use a pencil eraser. The best option for remaining adhesive—heat (hair dryer), rubbing alcohol, WD-40, or otherwise—depends on the hardwood floor finishing, such as oil-based or water-based finish.

Crayon Carpet Stains

Vacuum as much crayon as you can, and scrape at the excess wax with a spoon. Depending on how embedded the crayon wax has become in your carpeting, a professional carpet cleaner may perform a heat-extraction process.