One of my lodgers has fessed up to spilling her dinner on a newish wool carpet in her bedroom...long after it's dried in. It's not lumpy but a healthy turmeric colour.
So...is it possible to get it cleaned out well? Research suggests not.
WWSTWD? She's about to leave, having bought her own place, and a new carpet would be a good few hundred quid. I don't want to be a dick about it but buying a rug to go over it seems a crappy solution.
I keep seeing some crap about shaving foam being good at lifting stains on my FB timeline. No idea if it works but can't hurt to try
Tell her to pay for the cleaning and if she cant get it out advise tara to her deposit
Tell her to pay for the cleaning and if she cant get it out advise tara to her deposit
Good luck with that.
I think you need to suck it up. If you want a pristine carpet then don't have lodgers.
If you want a pristine carpet then don’t have lodgers.
Interesting, and I can see the point on a practical level, but surely she's only allowed wear and tear - not curry throwing damage. What that means in this instance, I don't know.
UV light i have heard can be used for tumeric stain removal (Which this stain probably is)
Firstly I would have fitted a synthetic carpet for tenants for easy cleaning.
Imo she needs to pay for cleaning and if that does not work I'd probably charge half replacement cost
I have found getting the carpet wet, sponging it until very damp then putting course salt grains on top works well. Course is important as finer stuff gets absorbed by the water and is absorbed by the fibres rather than sucking the damp stain out of the fibres.
I have never tried this on an old stain, but I guess the carpet is ruined so it shouldn't make the issue worse as long as you keep the moisture in the stain area and not let it spread out.
You could try some wool clothes detergent mixed with the water to help get the turmeric into solution.
Good luck - i've seen plate enamel stained by turmeric!!
fwiw I've knocked over almost a full glass of red wine onto a cream carpet and managed to get rid of the stain. The secret obviously is to treat immediately!
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon washing up liquid
1 tablespoon 3% hydrogen peroxide
Put ingredients into small glass bowl and mix. Using rubber gloves pour a teaspoon of mixture onto stain and scrub with an old toothbrush.
Add more of mixture as required. When stain has gone blot the area with a wet cloth to remove any excess. Allow to dry then vacuum to remove any bicarbonate of soda residue.
May be worth a try?
I recently got a substantial dried in tomato sauce stain out of my carpet using Troubleshooter 1001 and the scrubber attachment of a steam mop.
Turmeric is a bit of a different beasty, though
Long term or short term renter? Always paid her bills on time or you had to chase her up?
Isn't that what insurance is for?
Thanks folks. I never think of insurance 😁
I have asked a pro but I might try myself depending on what he says when he sees the pic. Doesn't seem rocket science.
(For red wine I use "wine away" - it is really good).
Starting at the outside of the stain, gently dab it with a naan bread.
Then crumble poppadoms over it and finish with onion bhaji.
Cynic-al is Fergus Wilson!?😉
I'm kidding op. Hope you get it sorted.
Another example of someone that being a landlord, when they clearly are not prepared for it.
You're thinking the wrong way. Ask what curry it was buy two or three portions spread over entire carpet to get a nice even colour.
You’re thinking the wrong way. Ask what curry it was buy two or three portions spread over entire carpet to get a nice even colour.
... And then throw pickle trays all over the walls and you've got yerself a masala sex chamber to rent out.
When we had acccidental damage insurance on a new sofa a few years back, the only thing excluded was spilled curry stains...
Turmeric - I thought I’d ruined my favourite t shirt with curry when I was 16. Good wash then line dry in the sunshine worked wonders.
I guess (carpets being slightly harder to line dry) you could lift as much as possible using soap and water then put a UV light on it. Careful not to use anything that acts as a mordant for turmeric.
If it won't come out, bill tenant for at
standard synthetic carpet replacement. Unless of course it's an 8 bedroom mansion and your new tenants paying £3k a month expect a posh carpet (and a marble floor in the hall) 😉
Isn’t that what insurance is for?
Depends on whether accidental damage is included with policy and, in any case, a claim will inevitably increase the cost of future policies. Also, would assume that specific landlord insurance is dearer anyway.
Really, what's the cost of replacing a carpet for one room (factor in policy excess) and personally would rather pony up. It depends on how you view carelessness which this is really especially as the person failed to 'fess up as soon as it happened when there would have been a genuine opportunity for dealing with the stain.
If still newish carpet can you not buy a piece cut out and insert new piece, I'm sure most decent carpet fitters can do this.
Accidents, wear & tear are part of being a landlord, before putting an inurance claim in did you inform them that the room was being rented, could invalidate your insurance if not.
We had a Tennant who's cat wee'd on every carpet In the house staining them orange. She had to pay for new carpets.
We also were tennants in a flat and a friend managed to crush a biro into the carpet, we had to pay for new....
Essentially, she should pay.
I think she should pay, but I’d probably have a go with a stiff brush and a variety of cleaning chemicals first, mainly because I hate being defeated by stuff like this 😀
We use a commercial carpet cleaning firm, they can do anything. Get a local refferall.
I also agree with TIAGAIN that if you have tenants you should use a polypropylene 'landlords carpet'. The ones we install respond to cleaning every time no matter how bad.
EG https://www.flooringsuperstore.com/olympia-berber-carpet.html?
Interesting, and I can see the point on a practical level, but surely she’s only allowed wear and tear – not curry throwing damage. What that means in this instance, I don’t know.
I think that the fact it's a lodger makes a difference. Unless you've provided a private dining area for her to eat in then you have to accept that she'll eat in the bedroom.
You haven't actually lost money here - it won't stop you getting another lodger.
I don't see your logic Flaperon. There's a shared kitchen and living room. That's the basis of the let.
Room with minging carpet = less rentable.
Sounds like a partridge style dirty protest. Did she also get some on the valance?.
Ugh carpets how disgusting. Hope that helps.
No beer she won't let me look in the drawer.
HYD sure, if you are minging.
Hire a rug muncher, seem to clean owt.
Is the depoist lodged with the DPS? You could try and get some money back via a dispute, but they are not the most efficient, so be prepared for a long wait, they also tend to come down on the tenants side.
Its lodger, so DPS not valid, lodgers have no rights really. She has to to sue you if you don't give her the money back.