Dad is sitting on the couch, reading the Sunday paper as he sips on a glass of red wine. Mom is sipping a cup of freshly brewed coffee, after their good old Sunday breakfast, at the same time giving Dad his glass of wine. John, the eldest, just got home from soccer practice, all dirt and dust, and sits on the couch, to play with little Janey. Janey, on the other hand, is drinking milk from her training glass as she is sitting on the couch.



All is going well for the household, except for one – the living room carpet. As the family enjoys the Sunday together, the carpet takes the most punishment from all this. Dad, upon reading about the rising prices of gas and commodities, accidentally spilled some wine on the rug, almost letting the glass fall as well. Mom tried to save the glass from falling, but instead of preventing a disaster, created another, as her coffee spilled onto the carpet as well. To add to the already brewing calamity at hand, John's shoes have been leaving tracks of dirt and dust in the carpet as he walks around with Janey. Janey, being the perky girl she always is, opened her training glass and the milk splattered from half across the room.

The bright Sunday morning is now slowly turning into a gloomy one for the household – and already a dark day for the carpet. The woven textile covering of the living room is no more than a simple rug – dirtied and bruised. What should the Stevens do?

Normally, a professional carpet cleaner will have to be called to resolve this issue. But Momma Stevens has some quick remedies for these stains in the carpet. The Stevens Sunday may yet be saved.

Mom first worked on the red wine stain. These are the steps she did: work on this first because this is one of those tricky stains, which can easily be removed if caught on first. Before the red wine dries, put salt over the spilled area to soak up the red wine. Then, remove as much of the salt as possible, and then blot it with club soda. Remember to always rinse this with clean water, and blot it dry with clean white paper towels.

Mom then worked on the coffee stain, doing the following easy steps: Blot the stain with a solution made from a half teaspoon of mild detergent mixed in two cups of clean water. When this fails, mixing a cup of water and cup of white vinegar may also be tried.

John's dirt tracks are easily cleanable by using a vacuum cleaner, sucking the dirt dry. Preventing further dirt to come in contact with the carpet, Mom says to place an entrance mat before stepping on the carpet.

Janey's milk stain (or other protein stains – blood, eggs) can be easily removed by mixing one cup of water, two tablespoons of ammonia and one tablespoon of mild detergent. Always remember to blot and dry as recommended.

What Momma Stevens did are just a few easy tips on carpet care. As technology progresses, so does the products designed for carpet care. There are designated products for specific stains for carpets. Carpet care can as much as easily done at home without professional care, but of course, when in doubt, it is never a crime to seek for professional advice. Carpets are important accessories in a household, as they serve both as a visual, safety, and comfort tool in the home.