After vacuuming the floor, I decided to run the hose across the bathroom counter too. Get all the stray hair and loose make-up powder, right? Seemed like a good idea at the time.
Never. Again.
I was being careful, avoiding the things that could get sucked up, but apparently I wasn't careful enough because WHOOSH there went my white plastic wristband. The one I got in my BYU ward for indexing 100 names. The one I was so very, very proud of. And since I was using the hose, I couldn't get to the vacuum fast enough to turn it off before it chopped up and gobbled my wristband.
And then the vacuum started smelling bad. I flicked it off and took the hose off. And what was I greeted with? Gooey blue plastic-y gunk. I tried to wipe if off, but instead it just spread around. YUCK.
So, in times of distress, what does any 21 year old default to?
Call the parents! Quick!
Dad said to clean it up as best I could then try running the vacuum again. If it still smelled bad, stop and leave it alone.
Ok, Dad!
But first, I had to lament the loss of my wristband. So this was my Facebook status:
that stinky moment when the vacuum eats up your awesome Indexing wristband. UGH. that's what I get for trying to clean the house.
Then I reapplied the typical vacuum attachment, turned it on, and pushed the vacuum forward . . . and back. And ended up with a fine vacuum and . . .
a blue streak of goop on the tan carpet.
WHAT?
There had been a spot of the gunk on the carpet that I had not seen. When I ran the vacuum over it and then back, the vacuum smeared it in one big old long streak. Yaaaaay.
Remember how I said it just spread around, didn't wipe up? Yup. And now I had a good 4 feet of the stuff on the carpet.
Part of me was thrilled Mom was out of town. Maybe I could get it cleaned up before she got home?
Well, my attempts seemed fruitless. I got the Zout fabric stain-remover, nothing. Dog Pee Cleaner, nothing. 409, baking soda, hairspray, nail polish remover . . . Nothing really worked. It just got messier. And I ended up with this FB status:
white makes blue....???? yeah, does NOT make sense.
Seriously. I am still at a loss for how my WHITE wristband created this BLUE mess.
And then this FB post after a couple more hours of spraying, wiping, rubbing, and breathing in chemicals:
it's still blue. this is gonna make the best blog post ever. sheesh.
But then (thank you Google!) I read to get wax off your carpet you (ready for this?) iron it.
Well, it was worth a shot. I had tried everything else.
I put a paper towel (good thing we had a lot) on the blue mess of the carpet and started ironing. Literally sat there for two hours. It seemed to be slowly, very slowly, making a difference.
And after another hour of ironing it today, I ended up with this carpet:
Success!!!!! Somehow, a combination of Zout, 409, baking soda, hairspray, dog pee remover, nail polish remover, and heat took my carpet from blue to tan again. It took off my nail polish and stained my fingers blue in the process, but that is a price worth paying for getting the carpet back to normal. And all before Mom gets home, too.
I think this gives me all rights to being called an adult now.
But I'm still baffled over the white wristband creates blue mess conundrum. If anyone figures that one out, please let me know.
You may all call me Carpet Master.
And I don't think I'll use the vacuum hose on a bathroom counter, or any counter for that matter, ever again.
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