funny, but going to be a tough clean up...

Our contractors were here again today laying the subfloor for our hardwood floors. Arnold kept getting in the way, so Patrick put him on his leash and attached him to a chair in the den. Well, you can't keep a good dog down...

Arnold chewed through his leash and before anyone could catch him, ran through the tar on the floor, and then all over my tan foyer floor and beige hallway carpet!

I came home to little black Arnie prints ALL OVER!!!

Anyone know how to remove tar from linoleum and carpet?? (Both of which I detest, but they'll be here for at least 6 months before we are ready to replace them, so I'd rather have them clean than dirty.)

here is what I did


Floor Carpet Cleaning Tips
Proper care of your floor prevents damage, extends its life and keeps it looking new for years. How do you properly care for your flooring?


Vacuum your carpet regularly, and do not use liquid carpet shampoos to clean them. Ever wash your hair and forget to rinse out all the shampoo? The same thing happens to your carpet. The shampoo can’t be completely rinsed out leaving a sticky residue. That residue acts like a big old magnet pulling the dirt from the bottom of your shoes. Now you have clean shoes and even dirtier carpets. Use dry carpet cleaners instead. Stores selling vacuum cleaners carry one called Host and so does Sears.



Getting out old shampoo becomes the trick. Rent a shampoo machine that cleans with water. Mix 1 cup vinegar per 2 ½ gallons of water and clean according to directions. Go back over the carpet with warm water only. The vinegar pulls out the old shampoo cleaning the carpet as well. It may take a time or two, but your carpets will be soft and free from grime. The hot water reactivates the shampoo already in the carpet providing the needed cleansing action.



Stains in carpet can be the ****ens to remove. Never rub a stain, just blot. Rubbing breaks down the fibers and spreads the stain. Remove most food stains with shaving cream. Spray on and resist the temptation to rub it in then let it set 15 minutes. Rinse with a vinegar and water solution.



Club soda generally removes red wine stains. Remove red dye stains (found in drink mixes, Popsicles, dog and cat food) with a 30/70 solution of peroxide to water. Remember peroxide is bleach so test an inconspicuous spot first for color fastness. Apply the mixture, wait 30 minutes then remove as much moisture as possible and rinse with a vinegar/ water solution. If the stain remains add a bit more peroxide to the mixture and retreat.



Brake cleaner also does a good quick job of removing most food stains. Dab a little on a clean cloth and gently blot the stain. Rinse with soap and water. Brake cleaner contains the same chemical professional dry cleaners use to clean stains in clothing. Do not pour brake cleaner directly into the carpet. It could dissolve the adhesive holding the fibers in the carpet.



Oops, the dog had an accident and the stain and smell refuse all attempts at removal. First try an enzyme product. Pour on enough to saturate to the pad and treat an area twice as large as the stain. Urine hits the pad and spreads. Let it set a couple of hours. You’ll find enzyme products at Pet stores, RV or marine stores. They are used in the holding tanks to dissolve solid material.



Should that not remove all the stain or odor, baking soda and peroxide remain your best hope. Mix a 30/70 solution of peroxide to water adding 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda per cup of mixture. Yes it bubbles and fizzles, but not before removing the stain and smell. Always test a spot first for colorfastness. Peroxide is bleach and may discolor the carpet. Blot up what you can with an old towel and rinse well with 1/3-cup vinegar per quart of water.



If you see red spots on your carpet where your pet just lost their lunch switch food to a neutral colored food. The red dye in pet food is the culprit behind those spots. Dogs and cats are colorblind, they can’t tell the difference. Again, use the 30/70 peroxide and water combination for removal.



Oil, grease, magic marker and ink can be the ****ens to remove. Most janitorial companies or WalMart carry a product called DeSolvit. WD40 or Orange Clean all work wonders removing these stubborn stains. Rubbing alcohol removes ink. Blot on allow to set 30 minutes and blot to remove. Rinse with sudsy water. Magic marker is generally permanent and you may not be able to remove it.

Gum - Freeze gum with ice cubes and chip off what you can with the blunt side of a kitchen knife. DeSolveit removes the rest.



Wax - Freeze with ice and chip off what you can with the blunt side of a knife. Wax needs heat for removal. Some of the newer carpets are quite sensitive to heat and scorch easily. So test an out of the way spot first. You can also use a hair dryer set to the hottest setting.



Set your iron to a low to medium heat. The less heat you use, the less chance of scorching your carpet. Take a white paper towel or paper bag with no writing on it (the dye will transfer to the carpet) Put the towel down on top of the wax and iron the towel for no longer than 2 seconds. Move the towel and redo if necessary. Generally once is enough..

Mary Findley spent 12 years professionally cleaning homes and Stains in carpet can be the ****ens to remove. Never rub a stain, just blot. Rubbing breaks down the fibers and spreads the stain. Remove most food stains with shaving cream. Spray on and resist the temptation to rub it in then let it set 15 minutes. Rinse with a vinegar and water solution.

and this
I had to look this up two nites ago


Removing carpet stains


Your carpet should last for years and you want it to look nice. When it gets stains on it you’ll want to take care of it immediately.


To remove a stain of coffee, red juices including grape, wine, ink and tea stains from your carpet, use the following procedure:



1. Immediately blot (do not rub) up any excess stain or liquid with a white paper towel or use a wet/dry vacuum to remove as much of the liquid as possible.


2. Sprinkle the stain with 7-Up, club soda or tonic water. Let set for a few seconds, then blot up using a white paper towel. Repeat this process no stain appears on the paper towel.


3. Rinse with clean water and blot up again until no stain appears on a white paper towel.


4. Mix together 1/4 teaspoon of dishwashing soap and one quart of water. This will go a long way. Use a small amount of this solution and using your fingers, press into stain. Blot excess liquid. Repeat until no stain appears on white paper towels.


5. Sprinkle stain with 3% hydrogen peroxide and let set for four hours. Blot with white paper towels. Reapply hydrogen peroxide and let set 24 hours. Blot. If there is still a stain visible repeat this step.



For oily stains, crayons, and tar, use the following procedure:


1. Apply a non-oily, non-caustic dry cleaning solvent to a damp white cotton or terrycloth towel, blot (do not rub) as much of the stain as possible. Repeat until all the stain is removed.

2. Rinse with clean water and blot up again until no stain appears on a white towel.

3. Sprinkle stain with clean water and blot with folded white cotton or terrycloth towel.


For chocolate, glue, ice cream, and latex paints, use the following procedure:


1. Gently scrape up excess stain.

2. Mix one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid with one cup of water.

3. Using a damp cotton or terrycloth towel, apply detergent mixture to stain and blot (do not rub) as much of the stain as possible. Repeat until all stain is removed.

4. Rinse with clean water and blot up again until no stain appears on a white towel.

5. Sprinkle stain with clean water and blot with folded white cotton or terrycloth towel.


For candle wax, use the following procedure:


1. Gently scrape up excess stain.

2. Cover completely with a brown paper bag or brown paper.

3. Using a warm iron, iron the stain through the brown paper bag.

4. Use a clean paper bag and repeat until all stain is removed.


For vomit, urine and feces (human or pet), use the following procedure:


1. Immediately blot (do not rub) up any excess liquid with a white paper towel. For non-liquid stains, gently blot up excess stain.

2. Mix one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid with one cup of water.

3. Using a damp cotton or terrycloth towel, apply detergent mixture to stain and blot (do not rub) as much of the stain as possible. Repeat until all stain is removed.

4. Using a different white cotton or terrycloth towel, apply undiluted household ammonia.

5. Using a different white cotton or terrycloth towel, apply undiluted white vinegar.

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6. Immediately blot (do not rub) up any excess stain or liquid with a different white cotton or terrycloth towel.

7. Using a damp sponge, apply water to the stain.

6. Blot with folded white, cotton or terrycloth towel.

Thanks Tammy!

See, this is why I don't want a dog. I don't ever care to know all of those cleaning tips. But since I think Keith is going to win the 'dog war' thanks for all of the tips, Tammy, because I am sure I will be needing them.

Let me know what works, Jenn.

If you have that good nature about Arnie getting TAR all over your floors Then that's a SURE sign that youre going to be a DAMN good mommy !!!!!!!!

(well you already ARE a mommy to Arnie, I meant the little one! )