It is good to remember a family is an organization. In fact, it is the basic organization of society. This is just one of the reasons I am such a proponent of family meetings. You wouldn’t think of running a successful business without a plan, goal setting meetings, team building sessions and clear missions and expectations. As such, everyone in the family should have an equivalent of a job description. Each person’s job description helps him define his roles and responsibilities in the family.

Just like in the workplace, the clearer the job description and the more input is solicited from the participant, the more ownership is established. If you have ever worked in a workplace where no one knew what their job was day to day and rules were arbitrary, you will recall how chaotic and frustrating it was for everyone.

The following information on structuring a family council has been compiled in part from information contained in The Parent’s Handbook by Dinkmeyer & McKay, as well twenty five years of personal experience.

WHAT IS A FAMILY COUNCIL?

A family council is a regularly scheduled meeting of all family members. Its purpose is to make plans and decisions, to provide encouragement, and to solve problems. It is very much like a team building or staff meeting held in the workplace. Plans and decisions made during a family meeting remain in effect until the next meeting.

FAMILY MEETINGS PROVIDE OPPORTUNITES TO:

Be heard
Convey positive feelings about one another
Give encouragement
Distribute chores fairly
Set goals for the family unit and assist in personal goals
Express concerns, feelings, and complaints
Settle conflicts and dealing with recurring problems
Plan family recreation
Have fun

GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE FAMILY MEETINGS;

Establish a specific weekly meeting time.
Rotate chairperson and secretary.
Establish and stick to time limits.
Make sure all members have a chance to offer ideas.
Encourage everyone to bring up issues.
Don’t permit meetings to become gripe sessions.
Distribute chores fairly.
Plan family fun.
Use your communication skills. Use “I” statements
Evaluate the meeting.
Maintain an atmosphere of mutual respect and honesty.

A TYPICAL AGENDA FOR FAMILY MEETINGS

Share positive feelings about good things that have happened during the week.
Read and discuss the minutes from the previous meeting.
Discuss old business. Evaluate how assignments went for the week.
Bring up new business (focusing on family fun as well as on plans and problems).
Summarize and evaluate the meeting.

Agreements as well as logical consequences for not following through with assignments should be discussed and agreed upon by the family. All members should be encouraged to participate in family meetings as equals. Family meetings are essential if families want to build strong relationships.

Good luck and God bless. You do the most important work in the world.

© 2005 ArtichokePress.com

Parent educator and PBS “Ready to Learn” consultant, Judy H. Wright works with Head Start staff, child care resource centers, schools and parent organizations internationally. As a powerful and popular presenter for adults who work with children, Judy’s also authored over twenty books. For more information on books, clients and testimonials or to book Judy for your next event, call 1-877-842-3431 or go to www.ArtichokePress.com.

The furniture in a person’s home says a lot about personal style and taste. In effect, most of us spend endless hours searching for the perfect piece of furniture before we actually make a purchase. With the availability of furniture from so many different time periods and schools of design, the choice can sometimes be daunting.

Furniture can reflect many personality characteristics, from fun and flirty to classy and sophisticated to modern and edgy. How do you choose the right piece?

Showrooms generally sort furniture by room, and within these rooms the pieces are further distinguished by style. If you are looking for a Chippendale sofa, for example, you will certainly find it with living room furniture, but it probably won’t be placed next to the black suede chaise. Sometimes it can take a lot of patience to browse through furniture showrooms. Because your furniture will brand you, though, it will be worth your while to take your time and wait until you find what’s right for you.

There has a been a trend recently toward “studio furniture.” This furniture is built in a studio environment, not by a large factory manufacturer, and therefore tends to be more unique. Studio furniture makers view themselves as artists or craftsmen. Many learn their craft not through apprenticeship but through university-level design and art courses. Of course, original style often equals higher prices. Just as we pay more for designer clothing, we pay more for carefully crafted furniture. Studio furniture tends to be more contemporary but may be influenced by more traditional furniture styles.

Many buyers are drawn to antiques. Antique furniture often creates a regal air in a home. If combined creatively with more modern pieces, antiques can add flavor to even a contemporary styled room. Mixing and matching different styles of furniture is quite fashionable these days, if done correctly.

Regardless of style, it is imperative that the furniture you choose is solidly built. Spending a little more may be worth your while if the furniture is made with better materials, as it will prove more durable in the long run. There is always room for practicality in a furniture purchase.

Jeff Lakie is the founder of Furniture Resources a website providing information on Furniture.

Is there a difference between lazy and unmotivated? Why do some children move as if in slow motion? Is this normal or are they just trying to irritate you? You may be surprised to learn that a great many factors come into play when a child appears to be lazy; stage of growth, hormones, hunger, motivation, lack of clear directions and maybe even sleep deprivation.

I have never taught my workshop of “Kids, Chores & More” when there hasn’t been at least two parents of 11 year old boys lamenting that their sons are so lazy. Actually, they aren’t lazy. They are growing. It takes so much energy for young boys to develop muscles, long bones etc. that they don’t have much left over to run the vacuum or take out the garbage.

FOOD AND REST MAKE A BIG DIFFERNCE.

I also found, with our son at that age, that what I regarded as an attitude problem was solved somewhat by making sure he had plenty of food and adequate rest. He was growing so fast that it took many more calories to just get through the day than it had months before. It was a real eye opener to us to find that he needed 3,000 calories a day and ten hours of sleep.

MAKE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS OF THE CHILD

While no two children and their families are exactly alike, careful studies and reports of thousands of normal children have made it possible to somewhat monitor the ages and stages of a growing child. While doing research on motivating kids to help at home, it was obvious that parents were frustrated by the lack of willingness to pitch in and do their share of household maintenance.

In my books and workshops I stress the importance of evaluating the physical, mental and emotional levels of each age group. Perhaps the task is too hard, or even too easy. It may be that your child is overwhelmed by the assignment or even unchallenged. Surprisingly, children like a project that they can succeed with but that allows them some creativity. So instead of just assigning the dishes to be unloaded, how about asking for the dish cupboards to be cleaned and rearranged.

ALLOW THEM TO OWN THE PROBLEM

Parents frequently complain that the children are not doing their tasks, but what they really feel is that they are not being done “the right way” which is their way. When the child knows that the parent will complain, redo or criticize the work, it is easier to not start. While it is not necessary, nor honest to praise work that is done sloppy, it is not our job to redo or to criticize the worker. If the job truly belongs to the child, then allow them to do it in their way.

In any new endeavor, it takes about five months of consistent, daily
attention before it becomes automatic action. In order to change habits, we
may have to try many different tactics. Children easily become bored, and we
forget to follow through.

Most children thrive on structure, routine and schedules. When we set limits and realistic expectations it gives a sense of security and boundaries which are actually comforting to the child. Many parents, me included, often think our children dislike limits because they test them so often.

However, children are just testing the boundaries and rules because they seek frequent reassurance that we mean what we say and are prepared to enforce the limits. Hopefully, we have discussed the rationale of said limits in a family council and there is a clear understanding of the rules and consequences and they understand that our role is not a slave driver, but rather a kind and loving parent who will give loving guidelines which will enrich their life and teach them to self govern.

DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY

Many of the irritating things a child does on daily basis at home happen because the child doesn’t know any better, is incapable of handling the task or because he or she is trying to get our attention. If we can combine appropriate working principles with positive and encouraging attention, our homes are bound to be more functional and happy.

So, don’t give up! Be determined to work as a family to become more aware of what needs to be done to keep daily life running smoothly. Make a conscious effort to gather the tools, learn new skills, practice innovative methods and face each day with a positive expectancy that you and your family will succeed.

Good luck and God bless. You do the most important work in the world.

Judy H. Wright, Parent Educator

© www.ArtichokePress.com

This article has been written by Judy H. Wright, a parent educator and PBS consultant. You will find a full listing of books, tele-classes, and workshops listed at www.ArtichokePress.com. You have permission to use the article providing full credit is given to author. She may be contacted at 406-549-9813 or JudyWright@ArtichokePress.com

Gain some insight into how your favorite feline actually feels about you and life in general with these enlightening quotations about cats…

1. “Dogs come when they’re called; cats take a message and get back to you later.”–
   Mary Bly

2. “I love cats because I love my home and after a while they become its visible soul.”
   – Jean Cocteau

3. “What if it was cats who invented technology… would they have tv shows starring rubber sqeak toys?”
   – Douglas Coupland

4. “In a cat’s eyes, all things belong to cats.”
   – English Proverb

5. “Women and cats will do as they please. Men and dogs had better get used to it.”
   –Robert Heinlein

6. “Cats regard people as warmblooded furniture.”
   – Jacquelyn Mitchard

7. “When the mouse laughs at the cat, there is a hole nearby.”
   – Nigerian Proverb

8. “It’s funny how dogs and cats know the inside of folks better than other folks do, isn’t it?”
   –Eleanor H. Porter

9. “A kitten is chiefly remarkable for rushing about like mad at nothing whatever, and generally stopping before it gets there.”
   – Agnes Repplier

10. “There are two means of refuge from the misery of life - music and cats.”
    – Albert Schweitzer

11. “Dogs believe they are human. Cats believe they are God.”–
    Unknown

12. “Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a function.”
    –Unknown

13. “In ancient egypt, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this.”
    –Unknown

14. “Cats are smarter than dogs. You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.”
    –Jeff Valdez

15. “If a dog jumps in your lap, it is because he is fond of you; but if a cat does the same thing, it is because your lap is warmer.”
    –Alfred North Whitehead

Resource Box - © Danielle Hollister (2004) is the Publisher of BellaOnline Quotations Zine - A free newsletter for quote lovers featuring more than 10,000 quotations in dozens of categories like - love, friendship, children, inspiration, success, wisdom, family, life, and many more. Read it online at - http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8364.asp

Searching for affordable family health insurance can be a long drawn out affair. Most agents normally represent a few of their most popular companies and market their products. Where that of course falls short is in truly getting a fair shake at finding the best buy for the money you’re going to spend. Affordable family health care insurance requires some serious getting after on your part.

Shopping for coverage has been simplified and made more effective due to data bases to shop from online. Many services with the know how make their money in providing free quotes to the shopping public and are paid a fee when someone buys a product. The money paid to these helpers is far less than commissions paid to individual agents and it reflects itself normally in the ultimate rates.

The other advantage in buying online is the carriers are able to keep their acquisition and marketing costs down thereby keeping rate increase to an absolute minimum. Most rate increases are due to the ongoing increased costs of the health benefits provided which are not controlled by the insurance companies.

Whether a policy is affordable is in the eyes of the beholder as each person sets priorities in their lives differently. What may be ok to one person may be outrageous to another.

Tailoring coverage’s to reflect your priorities is the best way to extract the best value to you and your family. Placing emphasis on your major concerns and minimizing others may be the best way to do that. When you’re finishing you have a sense of well being in that the primary focus is that of your most urgent concerns rendering the best value and policy for you. Today you can access all sorts of coverage’s, costs and companies. Finding affordable family health care insurance is much easier today because you can go online and use enormous resources developed for your use.

Learn more about insurance and free quotes

Obese and morbidly obese women are more likely to have pregnancy complications and caesarean sections than women of average weight, according to a study published in the April 2004 American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The controlled study is one of the largest ever to look at obesity in pregnancy, following more than 16,000 pregnant women at 14 medical centers across the country.

Compared with women of normal weight, obese and morbidly obese pregnant women were at greater risk for gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, fetal birth weight greater than 4,000 grams, and fetal birth weight greater than 4,500 grams, the study finds.

Morbidly obese women who undergo gastric bypass weight loss surgery and lose weight report a higher rate of normal births and healthy deliveries if they lose weight prior to becoming pregnant.

In a study by Dr. Alan C. Wittgrove, past president of the American Society of Bariatric Surgery and pioneer of the laparoscopic technique, post-gastric bypass pregnancy indicates fewer risks than commonly reported by women who are obese during pregnancy. His study was conducted with nurse-practitioner Leslie Jester who had a low-risk pregnancy and delivered a healthy baby after gastric bypass surgery.

The Wittgrove Center has an active patient list of over 2000 people. The patients are informed to contact the Center when they become pregnant. In the study 41 women in the patient population became pregnant. Using personal interview, questionnaire, and review of perinatal records, pregnancy-related risks and complications were studied.

The study found less risk of gestational diabetes, macrosomia, and cesarean section than associated with obesity. There were no patients with clinically significant anemia.

Kaye Bailey © 2005 - All Rights Reserved

An award winning journalist and former newspaper editor Kaye Bailey brings expertise in writing and personal experience with gastric bypass surgery to EzineArticles.com. Having spent most of her life overweight Ms. Bailey is strongly empathetic toward the obese, particularly overweight children. This compassion compelled her to found the website http://www.livingafterwls.com, a fast-growing resource of information, understanding and support for the weight loss surgery community.

The LivingAfterWLS.com site is complimented with daily blog. The blog, http://livingafterwls.blogspot.com offers readers the chance to comment or leave feedback about fresh content added daily. This site contains success stories and recipes, general information and WLS inspired topics. Complementing the site is a monthly newsletter titled “You Have Arrived” available exclusively to people who subscribe through the website or the blog.

Here are 7 classic kid birthday party game ideas that are always successful. And you can easily make all of them fit your party theme.

Incredible Musical Statues

They’ll have lots of fun with this one and they’ll even be still for a short time.

Have all your party guests move to the center of the room. Start playing some music related to your theme. Have your guests start moving in silly positions and dancing around. Then stop the music and have all your guests freeze like statues. Anyone who moves is out. Start the music again and have your party guests start moving in silly positions and dancing again until the music stops. Have them freeze like statues again. Keep repeating this until only one person is left. The last remaining party guest is the winner.

Crazy Mixed Up Message Relay

A kid birthday party game idea that will have them laughing!

Have all your guests sit in a circle. Have your birthday child think of a silly phrase or sentence related to your party theme. Your birthday child whispers the message to the child on thier right. That party guest whispers the message to the child on their right until the message goes all the way around to the person sitting just to the left of your birthday child. That guest repeats the message out loud… The birthday child then tells everyone what the original message was. Everyone then gets a turn to come up with a message. The more the message gets mixed up, the more fun it is.

Pass The Gift - Open The Gift

Hot Potato In Reverse!

Before your party, wrap up a small toy or some candy that all the kids will want. Then wrap it up again and again and again, over and over again in layers. You can even wrap up boxes within boxes. Anything to make the game go on for a while to build excitement. Have all your party guests stand in a circle. Start playing your theme related music and have the first child unwrap the first layer. Then the second child unwraps the next layer until one of the guests unwraps the last layer and the gift is revealed. That child wins the gift.

What In The World Am I?

A great kid birthday party game idea for everyone.

Tape a picture on each child’s back. You can cut out pictures from magazines or just about any other source. The pictures can be characters from your birthday party theme, or it can be pictures of animals or bugs. Have your guests start asking each other questions to find out “what in the world they are”. But the questions can only be answered with a “yes” or a “no.” Questions like “do I have wings?,” “am I brown,” or “do I have legs?” The child who guesses “what in the world am I” first is the winner.

Lots A Socks

How many socks can you put on?

Get a whole bunch of socks. They don’t even have to match. Place the same number of socks in two bags, or two baskets or two boxes. Line up your party guests in two teams. Start your party theme music and give the first players on each team just 30 second to put on as many socks as they can. When you stop the music, they must stop putting on socks. Then count each child’s socks. The one with the most socks wins. Keep track of each teams sock count and when the last two party guests have played, the team that put on the most socks wins the prize. Have your party guests remove thier shoes before you play so they can put on the socks. This kid birthday game is always a favorite.

Silly Musical Hats And Wigs

Crazy hats and wigs make lots of fun!

Place a couple of chairs in the middle of the room and put hats and wigs on the chair seats. Have all the kids form a circle around the chairs. Make sure you have one less hat or wig then children playing the game. Start your party theme music and have the children walk around the chairs. Then stop the music and have the children grab a hat or wig and put it on. The player without a hat or wig is out. Now take out a hat or wig and start the music again. Repeat this until there is only one player left… Always remember to have one less hat or wig than you have players. The last two players will be trying for only one hat or wig. A terrific game!

You can pick up some silly looking wigs and hats at a party supply store.

Funny Chin-To-Chin Pass

A birthday party classic that’ll have um laughing.

No hands allowed… Line up your party guests in two teams and start your party theme music. The object is to have each team pass a balloon, a rubber ball or an apple or an orange from chin-to-chin down the line to the last player. If the object being passed is dropped, that team has to start over at the begining of the line. The first team to pass the object all the way to the end without dropping it wins! Remember, no hands allowed.

For more game ideas take a quick look at Fun-Kid-Birthday-Parties.com

These kid birthday party game ideas are all proven winners and your birthday child and all their guests will have a wonderful time playing these classic games.

Mike Dougherty has years worth of experience putting together fun birthday parties for his children and now his grandchildren. Mike is webmaster for his web sites http://fun-kid-birthday-parties.com and a movie themed site http://best-dvd-movie-club.com

There is a new stage of development for parents to consider.

The stages of development are roughly the following: children move from infancy, to early childhood and onwards to middle childhood. These stages take roughly the first ten or so years of life. Our children then move into a long stage known as adolescence (with a number three sub-stages) that is a transition phase into adulthood. That’s it, right?

No, it seems that we have another phase that links adolescence with adulthood. The twenty-first birthday used to signify a move into adulthood and all its accompanying privileges and responsibilities. Now the years from 18 until 25 and beyond seem to have become a distinct stage of life, where young people seem to have lodged for a while, staving off the responsibilities of full adulthood. This phase has been dubbed the Twixter stage.

This group has been on the radar for some years but it seems only now that they are reaching significant status of a sub-culture. They have been variously dubbed ‘permakids’, ‘boomerang kids’ and ‘adultescence’. Their babyboomer parents don’t want to grow old - they don’t want to grow up.

Twixters have put many of the traditional markers of adulthood on hold - home ownership, marriage and children, if they have them, have been delayed until well into their 30’s. Entering the workforce later than previous generations and knowing they will live into their eighties this group has plenty of time to play.

This group can afford to take their time to grow up as they have the luxury of having relatively affluent, cashed-up parents who act as a safety net or a financial back-up in times of need. Oh, and a large number of them still live at home.

It is not as if living at home presents any significant hardship to Twixters. Both parents and twixters hold each other in high regard and maybe both groups gain significant benefits from living with each other longer, rather than having young people flee the nest at the first opportunity.

A recent US Gallup poll found that 90 per cent of young people report being very close to their parents, which contrasts with 40 per cent of babyboomers in 1974 who said that they would be better off without their parents. Twixters and their parents get on with each other.

If young people are delaying partnering and beginning their own families then they are seeking and support networks elsewhere. This is where friends and family of origin play an important role.

Twixters have a special gift for friendships and their culture revolves around strong friendship groups. The American sitcom Friends and its Australian counterpart The Secret Life of Us! showed how friends are a type of surrogate family for twentysomethings - where you go to for emotional support and acceptance.

The point is Twixters will not go away. Biologically, it seems that the human brain is still developing well into the 20’s so a young person’s neurological development at 18 is still a many years from being complete.

There is little doubt that adulthood is delayed in a communal sense. One survey recently found that most people believe that the transition to adulthood should be completed by the age of 26, on average and the number is going up.

So, if your eldest is a toddler then you had better make sure you get on because he or she will be around for a couple of decades yet. It may be a scary thought! It certainly challenges us all to rethink the way we parent young people, rethink the notion of adolescence itself and its transitions and rethink how we organise our personal lives to accommodate the demands of these Peter Pans.

For more great ideas from Michael Grose to help you raise confident kids and resilient young people subscribe to Happy Kids, his fortnightly email newsletter. Just visit http://www.parentingideas.com.au and subscribe. Receive a free report on Seven ways to beat sibling rivalry in your email box when you subscribe

Michael Grose © http://www.parentingideas.com.au

Michael Grose - helping you raise confident kids and resilient teenagers

Australia’s most popular parenting educator. The author of six books and presenter of over 100 presentations every year

Have you ever read a comic book before? I imagine just
about everyone, at some time in their life, has read at
least one comic book. But do your interests and enjoyment
level go beyond that? You may have said to yourself, at
sometime or another, I would like to start comic book
collecting some day. Heck, you may even have several comic
books lying around that you have just never organized.

What do I do to start comic book collecting and what all do
I need? Well, as I am sure you realize, you need to start
with a passion. You have a comic book collecting passion,
you say, but you don’t want to be labeled a “comic book
collecting geek” and remain alone in your enjoyment. Well,
my suggestion to you is “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” and
believe me, you are not alone. You would be amazed at the
multitudes of individuals who have a passion for comic book
collecting. And there are a plethora of related sites on
the Web.

I couldn’t get enough of these colorful action-packed
little devils when I was young. But like any supposedly
responsible individual, I lay my comic book collecting
passion aside when I got older and went to college and got
a good job. Well in the last several months, I have
rekindled that childhood passion and have spent a good
share of my time researching and creating my own comic book
collecting website. And what a rush it has been
reintroducing myself to myself. I am finding quite an avid
interest in all the new comic book hero movies Hollywood is
cranking out. I have even started my own comic book hero
DVD collection. And this is big business, so I know there
are throngs of people out there with my same comic book
collecting interests and I hope to connect with many of
them through my comic book collecting website.

I ran into a major thrill the other day glancing through
the want ads of my local newspaper. Lo and behold, someone
was selling a comic book collection. A quick call and a
meeting in the shopping mall parking lot and I was the
proud owner of 189 comic books kept in beautiful condition.
And get this; it cost me $50.00 for the whole comic book
collection. I have as yet to determine the actual worth of
the collection, but it has got to be substantially more
than what I paid for it. As time goes on, I will be
organizing all of these comic book collecting items in a
spreadsheet and using my trusty copy of the Overstreet
Comic Book Collecting Price Guide to determine my new comic
book collection’s total worth. As I do that, I will be
reporting results on my website.

Through all my research over the last many months, I have
even created an ebook product on how to start comic book
collecting, which is filled with Internet resources. I want
to have an inexpensive resource available to help others,
with the same passion I have, to get started. If you care
to see what the book is about, you can check it out at

http://www.comic-book-collection-made-easy.com/comic-book-collection.html

and let me know what you think.

When you start your comic book collecting, you will need to
start thinking about sources to purchase your comic books
from. You will want to start learning about comic book
supplies to help preserve and organize your magazines. You
will want to learn how the rest of the industry goes about
grading physical condition and what your individual comics
are worth. Personally though, I believe some of the
greatest worth in a comic book is what it means to you and
the enjoyment you receive from owning these little pieces
of art. You may even what to find where all the great comic
book conventions are and if there are any close to you. All
of this information is available on the Net and I am hoping
to build a central hub to all this other great info.

Want to start comic book collecting? Come on over and visit
me. Kick your shoes off and stay for a while. I don’t think
you will be disappointed. You may even want to bookmark my
site. Have something of value you want me to add or a
question that needs an answer? I am all ears. So start
scanning the want ads and I will see you at my site. Flame
on! Or was that “Up, Up and Away”?

Dave Gieber owns and edits a website built
around one of his childhood passions. Learn the basic
essentials to comic book collecting success at:
The Comic Book Collecting eBook

Out of all the carpet stain removers available, water is the one to try first. Almost all the others can damage your carpet. Many are caustic, like bleach, and will remove the dye from the carpet if not used properly. Also, they generally don’t become inert, meaning they continue to damage your carpet over time if not rinsed out completely. Try water first.

When Water Won’t Remove Carpet Stains

Many commercial carpet stain removers work well. Some, however, are formulated for particular types of stains, so read the lable. Some also work better or worse on particular types of carpet, so pre-test the product in an inconspicuous area.

To pre-test a product, apply several drops of the solvent to your carpet, then press a white cotton cloth on the area for about fifteen seconds. Examine the cloth and the carpet. If there is color transfer from the carpet on the cloth, or color changes or other damage to the carpet, try a different stain remover.

To clean a spill or carpet stain, apply the cleaning agent to a white cotton cloth. Work it into the spot gently, from the outside towards the center, so you won’t spread the spot, and don’t rub too hard. Blot up the stain after a few minutes, and re-apply the solvent.

If you have a shop-vac, it will work better than blotting. Repeat the process until you no longer get a transfer of the stain to the cloth. If this doesn’t remove all of the spot, you can try other carpet stain removers.

Once you remove as much of the stain as you can, rinse the area with cold water. Use your shop-vac or blot up the water with a clean cloth. Repeat this until all of the stain remover is out.

Use a stack of plain white paper towels with a weight on them to soak up the last of the water. A fan will also help speed up the drying time. Fast drying is important. It prevents any remaining stain that is deep down in the carpet from wicking up to the surface.

A Cheap Carpet Stain Remover

Dawn dishwashing detergent makes a decent carpet stain remover. Use a few drops in a cup of water. It especially works well on greasy stains (maybe a teaspoonful to a cup of water). Use the original blue Dawn, and just follow the process outlined above.

Steve Gillman has worked in the carpet cleaning industry for years. For more carpet-care information, and specific stain-by-stain removal instructions, visit http://www.HowToRemoveCarpetStains.com