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Cleaning Up Kid Messes:

Children tend to make huge messes, and some of these messes can seem very difficult to clean. This isn't true, though, if you just know the proper cleaning methods that are necessary.

• Cleaning crayon marks—there are many different ways to clean these off walls, tables, cabinets, and more. One way is to use plain white toothpaste (not gel). This can work wonders in removing marks made with crayon or pencil. Another product that can work great is glass cleaner. Even if the mark isn't on glass, glass cleaner can remove pencil, crayon, and sometimes pen ink. There are also some products on the market that are specifically made for removing crayon marks, and these can be found in the home improvement section of many stores.

• Cleaning stickers—children tend to love stickers, and they love to stick them where they shouldn't be, such as on glass windows, mirrors, the television, and more. When you try to remove the sticker, the back (sticky) part will usually stay behind. You can scrape all day and still not get that sticky stuff all the way clean. There is a way to deal with this stuff, though. One method is to use a store-bought product that is specifically for this, and these can usually be found in the carpet cleaning section of many chain stores. Another way is to use products that you likely already have on hand, such as baby oil or lemon oil. Scrub the sticker with either of these, and they are much easier to remove. The oil helps the adhesive release, and then you can scrape it off easily with a razor blade.

• Gum in hair—this can be a very difficult one to clean out, and you risk making it worse, which will lead to the child's hair being cut. The first thing you may want to try is baby oil. This will often help the gum release from the hair and then you can slide it off. If this doesn't work, you may want to try using an ice cube. Hold this on the gum, and it will cause it to harden, which will make it brittle. This way, you might be able to take it out in little pieces. This obviously isn't the best option, but it is better than having to cut the child's hair.

• Cleaning carpet stains—when a child spills on the carpet, it is most often a bright colored drink that seems impossible to get out. These can be gotten out, though, if you catch them in time. First, you should absorb them as best you can with a towel when you first see the spill. Then, you should spray a carpet cleaner on the spill and let it soak for a few minutes. After you have done this, you can scrub it with a towel, and it should be noticeably better. If you can still see any of it, it will likely still come up later with a steam cleaner. Another way to try to prevent bad stains is to keep a small shop vacuum on hand (the kind that is a wet/dry vacuum). These can suck up liquid before it even has a chance to penetrate the carpet.




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