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Most stains can be removed from carpet using an oxygen cleaner.
You can patch a small tear in a carpet using an adhesive.
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Carpet is one of the most popular floor coverings in homes and apartments. It's relatively inexpensive and easy to install, it's easy to care for—just run a vacuum over it—and it looks good. However, like everything else, carpet gets damaged or needs repair. It needs a visit from the Fix-It Club.
Carpet is a floor covering made of heavy woven or felted fabric. It is stretched over a subfloor and secured at a room's edge using tack strips. Rooms with dimensions greater than 12 feet. typically require a seam to connect two pieces of carpet. Most carpet flooring has a pad underneath to soften the texture and, in some installations, to protect the carpet backing from moisture.
Fabrics used in carpet include wool, nylon, polyester, acrylic, polypropylene olefin, or (more commonly) a blend of two or more materials. In addition, most carpet materials are treated with a stain fighter to reduce absorption by staining fluids. Carpet pad materials include polyurethane foam, bonded polyurethane, rubber, and natural or synthetic fiber. Pads are graded by their density or weight.
To remove chewing gum from a carpet:
- Scrape away as much of the gum as you can with a spatula, then vacuum away any loose pieces.
- Rub any remaining gum with a plastic bag filled with ice until the gum is frozen.
- Use the spatula again to chip away the frozen gum.
- Carefully apply a small amount of dry-cleaning fluid to dissolve any remaining traces of the gum. Blot up the dry-cleaning fluid.
- Blot the area with a solution of 1/4 tsp. of mild dishwashing liquid and 1 cup of warm water.
- Rinse the area thoroughly, but don't soak it.
- If necessary, use scissors to trim out any fabric that still has gum on it.
To patch a carpet:
- Use a circular carpet patch tool (available through a flooring retailer) to remove a small section around a deep stain, burn, or tear.
- Peel the cover tape from a piece of double-faced adhesive patch tape. Cut it larger than the hole, and fold it to insert it into the hole in the carpet.
- Use the carpet cutter or utility knife to cut a patch piece from a carpet remnant, then press the patch firmly over the adhesive.
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