Stain Removal Toolbox
November 23, 2011, By Greg Hoard 1 comment
This all started with a stain and a girl—a chemistry major. The stain was on an Oriental rug. We thought it was mud, but the dog was old. The dog was revered and loved by the family. But after 17 years she was failing. Every day brought warm memories, growing grief and the mounting realization that her end was near. She was a Lab, as black as a moonless night, yet shimmering and shiny.
"It might be mud," my daughter, the chemistry major, said. "It could be something else."
She knelt down and smelled the area on the rug. "It's mud," she said, "and a little something else. We'll need some Dawn detergent, warm water and a brush, a soft brush. I don't want to mess with the piling." She added that when we were done, Febreze might help.
We followed her instructions. We have learned to appreciate her counsel. She has learned these things from grandmothers and teachers. When it comes to stains, she is most always right—or close. We call her Lady Macbeth.
I once saw her attack a grease stain by reaching into the refrigerator and grabbing a lemon. "Citrus juice," she said, "is the enemy of grease."
She has this old plastic toolbox in her room. It has all sorts of products in it. Some you would not expect. One night, during my wife's book club meeting, a guest spilled a glass of red wine on a white tablecloth. My daughter rushed in. She held a clean, damp towel and a tiny bottle of vodka, the kind you get on an airplane or from a hotel mini bar. She cracked the seal and poured a small amount on the stain.
NEXT: Vodka Stain Remover
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