Red Stains Bane of My Existence

It feels so good to have pretty carpets again! It took 4 hours to get it all done, but it was so worth it. Not only did I accomplish a lot, it was a great workout. My hip and thigh muscles are sore this morning. I guess I was literally working my tushy off!

I can't quite let the carpet thing go. That (thankfully easy to remove) red carpet stain I found yesterday brought back some BAD memories! The stain of all stains. Red Kool-Aid! The most evil stain on the planet. Okay, bleach stains are worse, but we'll get to that.

I'll never forget the day I discovered it -- the stain that became the bane of my existence. My cute little 3-year-old daughter was going through a sneaky phase. I didn't see it happen. I didn't see her sneak her drink into the bedroom.

If I had discovered it right away, maybe I would have stood a fighting chance. But the stain sat there for a week before I found it. How did I not see it? A cleverly placed blanket and pillow, that's how. That was her favorite place to take a nap, or so she said. Little did I know she was hiding the evidence.

I immediately attacked the offender with my steam-vac. Nothing. I ran to the store and bought three different carpet stain removers. It wasn't even phased. The thing began to mock me. Not only did I spend $30 on useless cleaners, I knew this evil stain would eventually make me lose my security deposit.

When expensive stain removers didn't work, I turned to alternative methods. I became a crazy woman. I tried hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, I tried dish soap, lemon juice, fingernail polish remover. I even got so desperate as to try WD-40! Now don't panic, I hadn't completely lost my noodle. I did a spot test before each attempt.

After a frenzied week of failed attempts, I gave up. It was over. I fought the stain, and the stain won. Every time I passed it, I cringed in disgust.

For two years I suffered its unrelenting taunts. Then came the day I had to face the music. We were moving. Panic set in. What was I going to do? I scoured the internet for any obscure remedy I might have missed. I dove head first into the murky depths of YouTube tutorials and nearly drowned in a cesspool of useless information. But alas, I found something I hadn't tried. And how much would it cost me for this remedy? . . . A dollar!

What was this so-called miracle remedy? Ammonia and a hot iron. I did a spot test to make sure it wouldn't hurt the carpet, then I carefully followed the directions.

Step 1: I opened a window! (actually I forgot. NEVER do that!! You definitely need airflow.)

Step 2: I filled a bottle half way with ammonia, then filled the rest with warm water.

Step 3: I heated my iron and got it nice and hot.

Step 4: I sprayed the offending stain with the ammonia and water mix. I made sure the carpet was wet, but not overly saturated.

Step 5: I got a rag wet with hot water, rang it out, folded it in half, and laid it over as much of the stain as I could cover.

Step 6: I UNPLUGGED the iron. This is very important! Burn holes are worse than stains. Then I set it carefully on the rag.

Step 7: I let it sit there for about 5 minutes -- guarding the area with my life. I didn't want the kids to get anywhere near it.

Then came the moment of truth. I held my breath, a feeling of desperation catching in my throat. Would it work? A red stain that had been setting in for two years?

I couldn't believe my eyes. The stain had jumped off the carpet and right onto my rag!

All that was left by the time I was done was a faded memory.

A month later, just before we left, I went over it again and got even more out. The best solution was also the cheapest solution. Who knew?

So what is the lesson I learned from this? Enforce the sippy cup. Oh yeah, and stop letting your kids drink Kool-Aid! . . . And that is going to be our first dietary change.