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Stains, Mopping, Wiping, Ironing, Cleaning/Questions

SubjectDate AskedExpert
beer or rum mixed with water on an antique table1/7/2012Todd Malin
  Q: I have an antique table with a varnish finish. It is dark wood. After removing a vinyl tablecloth ...
  A: Karen, It's possible that the alcohol ate thru the varnish. Alcohol has a solvent base which is ...
carpet cleaning11/14/2011Todd Malin
  Q: within the past month i had a very reputable carpet service come to my condo,in which i rent.i ...
  A: Donna, Without looking at the carpet, I will do the best I can to explain what you might be dealing ...
Carpet Rejuvenation9/14/2011Bern
  Q: What tips and tricks would you recommend for a house that pretty much is carpeted throughout and is ...
  A: Sorry to be so long getting to this, I was having heart surgery last week and forgot to forward this ...
wine stain7/31/2011Todd Malin
  Q: I have a wine stain on a cream colored vinyl covering for our boat. It has turned a darker color ...
  A: Amy, Try white vinegar. Get the corner of a towel damp with the vinegar and then like you're ...
awful smell from new pair of pants7/25/2011Todd Malin
  Q: but no category seems to cover any thing close to my issue and I noticed you did answer a question ...
  A: Janelle, Nothing you did should have caused anything to smell, especially if they were not still ...
Unslightly glue between vinyl tiles6/27/2011Bern
  Q: I have a finished basement that has vinyl floors. My mom trusted someone she has known and he did ...
  A: The only way I know of to do this is to use a glue remover. It seems one of two things has ...
Bath Towels6/16/2011Bern
  Q: I'm at my wits end buying bath towels that shed...on me, in the washer,the dryer, etc. Can you ...
  A: This is not really a STAIN question but I'll try. Buy a GOOD brand. Buying a somewhat expensive ...
iodine spillage on cotton shirt6/16/2011Todd Malin
  Q: on the logo i managed to get a dark black patch about 6 inch diameter. the patch was iodine and it ...
  A: Jazz, Unfortunately, Iodine is almost impossible to remove. They do make chemicals specifically to ...
cleaning hardwoods6/12/2011Bern
  Q: Can I use a small steam cleaner on hardwood floors?
  A: Well, First of all are you sure you have a steam cleaner. OR, is it an extraction carpet cleaner. ...
Outdoor carpet6/9/2011Todd Malin
  Q: My father glued indoor /outdoor carpeting on his front steps a couple years ago. It looked nice for ...
  A: Doing it by hand probably won't remove the mold. Spray some lysol on it which will kill the mold. ...
pen and fabric stain6/8/2011Bern
  Q: My Mr. Wonderful left a ball point pen in his pocket that made it clear through to the dryer where ...
  A: You say PEN all over them but I think you meant INK. In my business I have an ink remover. It ...
flag restoring5/28/2011Bern
  Q: I recently purchased a 48 star flag. It has a medium amount of mildew on the edges and some of the ...
  A: Here's the problem we have. If I had the flag in front of me I could test it for colorfastness and ...
gloss table5/14/2011Todd Malin
  Q: i cleaned my white gloss table with bleach and it has left a yellow smear on it.It is faint i have ...
  A: Pauline, Bleach can change the color of the table. Yellow usually means it has done that. There's ...
towel stain5/10/2011Todd Malin
  Q: I had a towel come out of the dryer with a white oblong stain. This stain has hardened and became ...
  A: Andrew, The only thing I can think of that might have happened is the residue from the hair spray ...
Butter on couch5/9/2011Todd Malin
  Q: Butter was spilt on and has now absorbed into my couch. I have tried cleaning it with some washing ...
  A: Claire, Butter is oil based, so no water based cleaner will remove it. You need to use a solvent. ...
Laminate floor5/6/2011Todd Malin
  Q: We had a laminate floor installed a couple of years ago. I was vacuuming and then using a Swiffer ...
  A: Myra, There's nothing in a swiffer that should cause streaks, unless it removed some of the finish ...
removing baby oil out of shirt5/1/2011Bern
  Q: i recently damaged my brand new shirt by staining it with baby oil, so now its got dark patchy marks ...
  A: What is the shirt made from? Baby oil is mineral with some fragrance in it. Any good detergent ...
damaged spanish tile4/27/2011Bern
  Q: We recently bought a foreclosed home. The spanish tile has been water damaged and has a white ...
  A: I am going to work on the assumption you are talking about Mexican clay tile that has no glaze on ...
laminate flooring and how to make it shine4/26/2011Bern
  Q: What is the best product to use to make laminate flooring shine and kept it shining I have tired ...
  A: Barb: The beauty of laminate flooring was that it didn't NEED shining. You really need to ask ...
laminate flooring4/22/2011Bern
  Q: can a rubber backed mat under a rolling chair be used on laminate flooring.
  A: Sorry to duck this but honestly it's all going to depend on the brand and type of flooring and the ...
keorsene spill4/8/2011Bern
  Q: A kerosene lamp got knocked over and wasn't noticed right away. About 2 ounces of fuel spilled out ...
  A: You've done the right things. My best guess is the kerosene has seeped into the cushion below the ...
cleaning off-white carpet4/6/2011Todd Malin
  Q: i clean houses & have a client whose sliding bedroom closet doors left metal shavings on their ...
  A: Sharon, usually what you're describing comes from the graphite off the doors. You need to use a ...
Fire place flue4/4/2011Bern
  Q: We have a newly installed stainless steel chimney flue inside our home. We left the protective film ...
  A: A basic rule of cleaning is you get it OUT (or off) the same way it got on. Particle soil is ...
Fire place flue4/4/2011Todd Malin
  Q: We have a newly installed stainless steel chimney flue inside our home. We left the protective film ...
  A: Deveash, Different kinds of plastic act differently when they are heated. Some plastics melt and ...
permanant marker removal from microfibre sofa PLEASE HELP!!!!3/27/2011Bern
  Q: I tried lemon juice and vinegar on my new brown microfibre sofa on a permanent marker dot because I ...
  A: If you can send a picture that might help but, my guess is you didn't discolor it you have scrubbed ...
Black pen on photos3/21/2011Bern
  Q: I wrote on the back of some 10 photos(gloss print) with black pen and put them away, only to get ...
  A: This is not my specific area of expertise but, I think there is very little you can can do. ...
carpet stain3/21/2011Todd Malin
  Q: About two weeks ago my son spilled tomato sauce (Chef Boy-Ar-Dee) on our beige Berber carpet. I used ...
  A: Patricia, A couple things. First, when you use products like Oxy-Clean, it makes it look like the ...
carpet stain3/21/2011Bern
  Q: About two weeks ago my son spilled tomato sauce (Chef Boy-Ar-Dee) on our beige Berber carpet. I used ...
  A: Given what you told me I think you may have left a good amount of soap in the carpet. THAT is what ...
Leather Bed2/22/2011Todd Malin
  Q: I bought a leather bed a few months ago, and have noticed a strong almost fishy smell coming from ...
  A: Toni, Very sorry this took so long. I didn't get the question. Cleaning probably won't do much. ...
Paw prints on porcelain floor2/10/2011Bern
  Q: We can't remove the paw prints from our porcelain floor without tremendous effort. It's not a ...
  A: OK Well I did some research and I have seen it a lot just never knew the difference between that ...
red dye removal1/24/2011Todd Malin
  Q: After researching red stain removal Procedures I've used two to get out of the carpet throughout the ...
  A: The spot dyeing is very tricky. It rarely looks better. I didn't realize you meant the carpet ...
red dye removal1/24/2011Todd Malin
  Q: After researching red stain removal Procedures I've used two to get out of the carpet throughout the ...
  A: Lakiiesha, Red dye is very difficult to fully remove, but as you saw it can be partially removed. ...
red wine on linen12/30/2010Todd Malin
  Q: We try oxy clean for red wine stains in bright white linen but it's not work well. So how to do it. ...
  A: Yolande, If oxy clean didn't work, try a solution of vinegar & water. Put 3 tablespoons of white ...
Cleaning sofa12/23/2010Todd Malin
  Q: How do I clean my Hella Jongerius sofa. The model is called Polder. Kindly, Tellef Ogrim Oslo
  A: Tellef, To answer this, I need more info. What material is the sofa? If it's something that can ...
Couches12/9/2010Todd Malin
  Q: I have 2 couches that are in good shape but the armsare terribly stained from certain peoople eating ...
  A: Janice, Sorry this took so long. Holiday season is a very busy time for my business. Try taking a ...
cleaning adhesive off box spring11/29/2010Todd Malin
  Q: Is it possible to put some sort of Scotch Guard fabric spray on a silk couch to protect it against ...
  A: Mary Ann, Take a plain white towel and put some acetone or paint thinner on a corner of it. Then ...
protectant for large silk sectional couch11/29/2010Bern
  Q: Is there some way to spray something on my silk couch to protect it from spills? Can I do it, or is ...
  A: In nearly 30 years I've dealt with silk upholstery only a few times. It's very touchy and should be ...
protectant for large silk sectional couch11/29/2010Todd Malin
  Q: Is it possible to put some sort of Scotch Guard fabric spray on a silk couch to protect it against ...
  A: Mary Ann, It is possible to do yourself, but I would suggest hiring someone. It has to be a ...
pet urine11/20/2010Todd Malin
  Q: My 13 year old cocker spaniel urinated on my sofa! I washed the cover but the inside is a thick foam ...
  A: Mary, You can wash the inside, but not in the washer. Make yourself a spray bottle using a couple ...
Carpet protectant11/15/2010Todd Malin
  Q: What is a good carpet protectant to apply after shampooing my carpet? I would like something to put ...
  A: Donn, So sorry this took so long. My computer was being repaired. If you're going to use a ...

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Stains, Mopping, Wiping, Ironing, Cleaning

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Todd Malin

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I can answer just about any question relating to carpet & furniture cleaning and spot removal.

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I have owned Maverick Cleaning Services for 16 years, and have a total of 24 years in the industry.

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I have taken many seminars and classes.

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