12/15/2010 – Removing Christmas Tree Sap from Carpet

Borrowed from the Internet Nothing says Merry Christmas like gingerbread, hanging wreaths, the smell of a fresh cut tree…and tree sap all over your carpet. Yes, sap. Everywhere. If you dragged in a freshly cut pine tree and accidentally left a trail of sap through your living room, you’re probably feeling more panic than Christmas spirit right about now. Tree sap is notorious for being tricky to remove. Here are a few ways to remove tree sap from your carpet. Freeze the stained area with an ice cube. The hardened sap will be easier to pull or chip off. This won’t remove what’s left deep in the carpet fibers but will take care of the stickiest section. Citra-Solv is a natural degreaser that can help lift off the excess sap. Drop some (undiluted) on the sap and let it sit for a minute. Wipe it away with a paper towel. Any degreaser should work; rub it in with a nylon brush for added cleaning power. As always, make sure you test any solution on a hidden area of carpet before using it in a more visible spot. Vodka is both an adhesive remover and a stain remover so it’s not such a stretch that this multi-purpose alcohol would work wonders to remove sap, the most adhesive stain of all. Rubbing alcohol and/or hand sanitizer (which contains alcohol) can harden and help break up sap stains in carpet fibers pretty efficiently. Just soak a microfiber cloth and blot at the stain; don’t rub too hard or you’ll work the sap deeper into the fibers. Allow the sap to dry in between periods of blotting; this will make it easier to pick the sap out of the fibers. Download the Word Document