TRADE SECRETS

NEA Today, Mar 2006

The skills you use on the job can help another member with a dilemma on the home front.

THIS MONTH: Head Custodian Sani Umar of the Gloucester Township School District in Camden County, New Jersey, provides simple steps for getting stains out of carpeting.

Stamp Out Stubborn Stains

Just like the cleaning of a school, the cleaning of a home literally begins at the front door. Keep dirt outside by using a good doormat. Doormats of proper length, texture, and pile, can reduce as much as 80 percent of the soil and grime that is tracked into your house. Vacuum high-traffic areas on a daily basis. This prevents dirt from accumulating and getting ground into carpets. If something should spill, clean the stain immediately-don't let it sit and set into the fiber. To clean a stain properly, first determine what type of stain it is.

RED WINE STAINS: Use white wine to neutralize the stain. Pour the white wine over the stain, and blot with a clean, dry towel until the stain is gone.

JUICE SPILLS: Pour carbonated club soda over the stain. The fizz of the carbonation will lift the stain out and the salt in the club soda will prevent the stain from setting in the carpet fiber. Then blot the area with a clean, dry towel.

COFFEE STAINS: Squirt shaving cream onto the stain and with a damp sponge lightly work the shaving cream into the fiber. Rinse with clean water and blot dry with a clean, dry towel.

GOT A TIP TO SHARE?

We're looking for a physical education teacher to help us get fit in time for summer. If you'd like to be considered, ; e-mail dong@nea.org with your name and local, a brief description of what you do, and your top three tips.