Laundry Detergent Spills

Even the tools and items that are supposed to help us clean can occasionally cause some of the biggest messes. Unfortunately one of the more difficult or frustrating types of cleaning tool mess is laundry detergent spills. Often it seems like forever before you can get all of the dust or liquid out and until you do, this stuff will continue to collect more and more dirt and grime until you have huge matted mess. Here are a few methods that you can use to get rid of the problem once and for all.

• Vacuum if possible. If you are lucky enough and the laundry detergent is the powdered kind, you can simply clean up the mess by using a vacuum. However, if you were unlucky enough to have spilled some liquid laundry detergent then you will need to use a different kind of vacuum. Ideally, if you were able to catch the spill early enough, you can deal with most of the spill by using a wet/dry vacuum. While this will be able to get most of the detergent, you will still need to use one of the other methods to help clean up laundry detergent spills.
• Sponge and blot. One of the more traditional methods for cleaning up such spills is to sponge and blot it. Simply get a large bowl or bucket of water, a sponge, and several clean towels or rags. Dip the sponge in the water, wring it out so that it is damp, and begin to sponge the stain up. Periodically replace the water in the bucket with some fresh water. Once you stop seeing bubbles, or making bubbles in the bucket, you can begin blotting the area dry.
• Carpet cleaner. For a quicker method of removing laundry detergent spills simply rent a carpet cleaner, such as a Rug Doctor. Use the machine according to the directions that come with it, except make one small change. That change is to not add any cleaning agents to the tank, use only water. As you use the machine be sure to change the collection tank frequently until you no longer see any soap bubbles coming from the carpet. To help dry the carpet, simply operate an oscillating fan over the area for at least ours, or until the affected area has been completely dried.