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the area you want to clean, using the lemon as a sponge. Once the stain has been soaked up, rinse clean and let it dry.

How can I get up chewed gum?

Chewed gum is inevitable when you have kids. The worse part is stepping in it and dragging it through the rest of the house. To prevent this from happening, as soon as you discover the gum, squirt it with window cleaner. This will loosen it up. Use a paper towel to lift it from carpet.

Another simple gum removing method is ice. Rub an ice cube over the gum. This will freeze the gum and you will be able to pull it up easily and properly dispose of it.

How do I get up ink?

Ink pens are great but ink on the carpet never is. For ink stains and spills, try spraying the spot with hairspray and then wiping it up. If this doesn't work, use the juice from a fresh tomato. Just squeeze it onto the stain, and let it do all the work.

For dried on ink stains, make a paste of milk and cornstarch. Mix both parts equally and rub it onto the stain. Let it harden on the stain and then dust it off.

Do these items really work, and how bad do they smell?

None of these cleaning suggestions will put off a bad odor. If you are not comfortable with the smell, you can use a product such as Fabreeze to bring a fresh scent back into your home.

As far as whether or not they work, of course they do. Not all stains are created equally so everything won't work every time. The only way you can truly know what will work is to give it a try. If it doesn't work, try other things until you find the right method. If it does work, then share the information with family and friends. They will be tickled with the new shortcuts you have discovered, and so will you!

Learn more about this author, Laura Leigh Fields.
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