See spots go away—on your floor

By Patricia Nugent

Monica Guhde-Rosa, of Guhde Flooring America in Lake County, offers these stain-removing dos and don’ts for floors and carpets.

Do

• Act immediately. The faster you start blotting up a spilled material, the better your chances it won’t leave a stain. Use a white cloth or white paper towel. Don’t scrub, just continue blotting until the area is dry. The exact method used to remove a stain depends upon the spot itself. Visit our website for specific spot-cleaning instructions.

• Grab a Magic Eraser. For stains and marks on flooring and dirty grout, this old standby works fine. Be sure to test an inconspicuous area first. We also offer several heavy-duty cleaners for bigger jobs.

Don’t

• Use stand-up rental carpet cleaners. These are not approved by carpet manufacturers and they often utilize harsh cleansers. It’s easy to oversaturate the carpet fibers with too much water. Always go with a professional. Not doing so every 12-18 months could void your warranty.

• Treat pet accidents like other stains. You need to remove the stain and the scent so your pet won’t use the same spot again. We have two wonderful products in our store—a dry powder system and a pet odor and stain remover spray.

Guhde Flooring America is located at 1880 Mentor Avenue in Painesville Twp. Hours are Monday and Thursday, 10:00 a.m.-8 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; and Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Call 440-639-1990. Check out the handy chart of Spot Removal Procedures at GuhdeFlooringAmerica.com.