The Real Casualties This Christmas

Media Release
4 December 2008
The Real Casualties This Christmas

Heavy duty partying is taking its toll on singles this festive season.

A survey carried out for New Zealand carpet maker Cavalier Bremworth on what type of stains people are most likely to have on their carpet shows a whopping 19% of respondents admitted that body waste, such as urine or vomit, was the last thing they had to clean off their carpet.

While those with children under five were most likely to have to deal with body waste stains, single adults followed closely behind.

The Cavalier Bremworth survey identified teenage girls to be the highest risk category for make-up stains, while teenage boys are most likely to track mud and grass into the house.

Tea, coffee and red wine were by far the biggest category for household spills, with 30% of respondents saying it was the cause of their most recent carpet stain. Following close behind body waste at 19% was soft drink, juice and beer at 18%.

The survey also revealed:-
· The higher the income bracket, the more likely you are to spill red wine, tea or coffee – accounting for 42% of all carpet stains where the personal income was over $80,000. This group was the least likely to spill beer or juice.

· Teenagers aged 15-19 were by far and away the most likely to spill flavoured milk – 9% of all teenage-inflicted stains. 10% of them dropped gravy or sauces on the carpet, 13% had make-up issues, and 21% admitted to spilling either soft drink, beer or juice.

· Women were more likely to drop butter, vegemite or jam on the carpet while men were more likely to drop sauces or gravy.

Christmas casualties shouldn’t include your carpet

Cavalier Bremworth Marketing Manager, Desiree Keown, has some simple advice for ensuring your carpet remains looking as good as it did before the relatives descended for Christmas.

She says the most important thing is to ensure that any accidental spills and stains are dealt with immediately to avoid permanent damage.

“Liquid spills should be blotted up straight away using a paper cloth, towel or chamois, and any solids scooped up immediately – use a knife, spatula, spoon or whatever implement is at hand. The main thing is don’t panic!"

“Whatever the situation, don’t EVER rub the carpet pile – we’ve been alarmed to see this advice given on some stain remover products. Rubbing will permanently distort the pile of the carpet and can spread the stain further. Drowning the carpet in water is also a no-no."

Keown advises to dilute liquid stains with warm (not hot) water and re-blot thoroughly, ensuring the stain is not rubbed. You can continue to apply water and re-blot. The wool pile will not be damaged by water as long as the carpet doesn’t become over-wet - this may cause watermarks on the surface and may damage the backing.

Most oily or greasy stains can be removed, even after a period of time. However, certain stains may have a chemical reaction with the fibre and can cause irreversible damage. Cavalier Bremworth produces a top selling stain remover which is available through supermarkets and their warranted dealer network. This was rated by Consumer Magazine as the top-rated dry stain remover product in their 2007 survey.

ENDS

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