Now that we're finally starting to feel the heat of summer it's much easier to embrace the fun of the season we remember so fondly. Thoughts of popsicles, swimsuits, fans whirring, and the smell of SPF 50 fill our minds as the sun shows itself more consistently. And while we may not get to enjoy as many hours of these nostalgic pleasures ourselves with grown up jobs and responsibilities, our children can! Sometimes watching them get excited about summer is just as much fun.
To celebrate all the fun of a childhood summer and to hopefully help out those parents who have to clean up after it, we're going to be exploring a few of our favorite summer activities. Over the next few weeks we'll help you care for your floors and keep them looking beautiful all summer long! And what better way to kick off the series than with one of our favorite summer sweets?
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM!!!
1. Getting Ice Cream Your Carpet
Let's start with our toughest contender. Because ice cream can actually stain a carpet, you'll want to act fast. Working from the outer edges in, scoop up as much of the ice cream as you can, being careful not to rub any into your carpet. Sponge the area with cold water, then blot the wet spots with a dry cloth.
Mixing 1 tsp of dish soap in with your water, go over the stain again with your sponge and then blot it as you did before. That should take care of the stain, but if the mess persists you can use a bit of ammonia (1/2 Tbsp with 1 cup water) to finish the job. Dry the area thoroughly.
2. Getting Ice Cream Off Your Hardwood Floors
While ice cream won't stain a hardwood floor the way it will a carpet, it does tend to leave a revolting, sticky residue on your boards. To remove this, wipe up any remaining ice cream. Get as much as possible now, because it will make the cleaner you use more effective.
From there you can mix one part vinegar with 32 parts water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray lightly over the ice cream goo. Allow it to soak for a few minutes. Finally, wipe up the mess with a damp towel. Viola! Stickiness gone!
3. Getting Ice Cream Off Your Laminate
Follow the same steps for laminate that you did for removing ice cream stains off hardwood! Easy peasy!
4. Getting Ice Cream Off Your Vinyl
Once again you can use the vinegar-water method for vinyl floors, but let's say your kiddo's favorite ice cream is hyper-pigmented (blue moon, raspberry, etc.) and actually leaves a stain. For instances like this you can soak a cloth in 1 part bleach to 4 parts water. Lay the dampened cloth over the spot for an hour and then remove it to see your stain gone!
Enjoy your ice cream!