ANSWER: What you will need to do is make a recipe that requires products from around the home. Into a two-cup measure drop one teaspoon Dawn dish soap and two cups of water. Stir. Next, pour the solution onto the stain. Lay a white cloth onto the area and press with an iron on medium setting. Make sure that you do not scorch the carpet by leaving the iron in one place for too long. Replace the white cloth with a new white cloth and press. Repeat until the stain is gone.

ANSWER: With such a wide variety of hardwoods available, what works for one floor will not necessarily work for another. Here are a few effective options to try: into a bucket combine one gallon warm water and two tea bags. Wipe the floor (the tannins in the tea will leave the floor looking clean). Option two: into two gallons warm water drop three tbsp. household ammonia, and one-quarter teaspoon dish soap. Mop the floor to dampen (no need to rinse). Option three: purchase hardwood floor cleaner by Bona. Clean with a good quality microfibre mop (test all applications on a small, inconspicuous area first).

QUESTION: Here is a challenge that the carpet cleaners couldn't help me with. My 75-pound dog stepped on a glue trap (for mice). In an attempt to get the trap off, he stomped it into my off-white acrylic berber carpet. The trap pulled away but not without leaving some residue behind. The hot steam has left the surface loops stiff and discoloured. Any ideas before I have it cut out?