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Original poster

OMG help - carpet nightmare

107 replies

LigPatin · 03/01/2020 21:58

posting for traffic.
I live with my OH and he's selling the house, where we will be moving to a house we own together.
He has had new carpets fitted really recently, which was a huge deal for him as the upstairs was bare floorboards for about 4 years due to some electrical work that kept getting delayed.

He's mega precious about the house anyway (gets really upset if theres a mark on the wall, if the dog gets mud on the skirting etc) and is spending all day, everyday renovating the house ready for sale.

Also, things are really stressy at the moment because of the new house.

I've just spilt dry PIGMENT on the new carpet in the spare bedroom. PIGMENT! (used for making paint). I tripped and the box fell from my hands Sad

This stuff is evil and it 110% stains (its pthalo green of all bloody colours, one of the most evil pigments).

He's downstairs and didn't hear me fall.

It's dry, so I'm hoping the majority will hoover up but I can't hoover until tomorrow morning when he's out walking the dog, because if he hears me hoovering now he'll know what's happened.
I'm not convinced hoovering will get it all up.

Carpet is dark grey, sort of speckled so at least it isn't white - worst case is I can pay to have someone come and replace it but I'd rather not own up to it if I can help it; he's already really stressed out.

HELP!

Has anyone had anything similar happen? How the fuck do I get pigment out of a carpet?!

OP posts:
BanSprouts · 03/01/2020 22:21

Try your best to hoover it up with the hose at first so as not to rub it in and then use the brush attachment if you have one. Most carpets have some stain resistance now anyway so a carpet cleaner should get it out. I once dropped a broken pink blusher onto a new cream carpet and I got that out no problems. If it makes you feel any better we are renovating our house and my husband accidentally dropped a full pot of 10ltr paint on the floor and it sort of exploded everywhere. We looked at each other in stunned silence for a moment before laughing and grabbing anything we had at hand to mop it up. These things happen, don't sweat it Smile

NickMyLipple · 03/01/2020 22:20

Similar happened to me - I bought a new gel nail kit and I was happily sitting there at the dining table doing my nails when I knocked over the bottle of acetone. I thought I cleared it up, but I didn't see that it had trickled under the placemat and it wasn't until an hour later when I was clearing up that I realised it had taken the whole table with it. I had to get a French Polisher in to fix it, at the cost of about £600! I did tell DP and he was sympathetic but I didn't tell his parents who gifted us the table.....!

Good luck :)

NumbersStation · 03/01/2020 22:20

It shouldn’t have made it worse if you held the nozzle near but not touching.

Original poster
LigPatin · 03/01/2020 22:19

How has it made it worse?!

It's Phtalo green pigment it's really really fine staining pigment, its just made it bigger

OP posts:
nespressowoo · 03/01/2020 22:19

What does it matter if you're selling? My DH would go mad too and I'd rather sort it than tell him so I get it totally. Nothing to do with being scared of him, just easier to sort it than him stressing.

Original poster
LigPatin · 03/01/2020 22:19

He'd be rightly pissed off if you were carrying staining pigment around new carpets without properly securing it

Well yes exactly, though in my defence it was in an airtight sealed box. But even so.

I'm going to have to tell him, but he's going to be so cross and disappointed and it's going to be awful

OP posts:
AhoyMrBeaver · 03/01/2020 22:18

How has it made it worse?! Did you put a revolving brush attachment on it?

Original poster
LigPatin · 03/01/2020 22:16

hoovering has made it ten times worse

OP posts:
notangelinajolie · 03/01/2020 22:14

Can you send him out for a bottle of wine or something?

NumbersStation · 03/01/2020 22:14

Get hoovering. Honestly.

At least he’ll know you tried to remedy the situation.

jimmyhill · 03/01/2020 22:12

He'd be rightly pissed off if you were carrying staining pigment around new carpets without properly securing it. So you should apologise.

But if he doesn't accept your apology / goes mad / to the extent that you expect him to then he's a cunt.

Sicario · 03/01/2020 22:10

Get the hoover on it now! Just use the nozzle bit and hold it very close to (but not touching) the carpet.

mrsbyers · 03/01/2020 22:09

Hoover it now , any moisture in the air will cause the pigment to develop further

MyNewBearTotoro · 03/01/2020 22:09

You need to tell him so you can deal with it now. If you wait until tomorrow to hoover it then it has more time to settle into the carpet and potentially stain and there is more risk of it coming into contact with moisture and causing a bigger problem.

Stop telling yourself you’re hiding this from him to protect him from stress; it’s to do yourself a favour and try and avoid getting found out. Own up to your mistake and sort it out now before it potentially causes more damage by ignoring it overnight.

magicmallow · 03/01/2020 22:09

get the strongest vacuum cleaner you can and vacuum ASAP.

EstebanTheMagnificent · 03/01/2020 22:08

Hoover it up now, for goodness sake.

Weatherwax · 03/01/2020 22:08

Hoover it up as much as possible then dry cleaning solvent if you have any, or I have heard but never tried shaving foam is good for carpet stains. Good luck!

katy1213 · 03/01/2020 22:07

Worst case scenario, it should be covered by your insurance. You might not need to replace all of it, just cut out a section. Anyway, you're moving - you won't have to live with it. And prospective buyers will most likely rip it out.
Whether you want to carry on living with a control freak is another matter.

Hassled · 03/01/2020 22:07

I'd imagine the sooner you hoover the less the staining? Leaving it till tomorrow may be foolish.
I doubt you'll get out of this without him knowing - much better to tell him straight off than make it into a massive deal by hiding things from him. If it was me, I'd have no issue with the accident but would have issues about not being told.

Original poster
LigPatin · 03/01/2020 22:07

I'm honestly not scared of him, he's lovely!

Is it going to make a difference if I leave it before hoovering it up? So long as it stays dry?

OP posts:
Original poster
LigPatin · 03/01/2020 22:06

what kind of carpet is it
It's really new, the salesman told us that its often used for high end rentals but that's all I know.

OP posts:
Angelika321 · 03/01/2020 22:06

Surely the insurance would cover the cost of replacement if it came to the worst?

AllThreeWays · 03/01/2020 22:06

Also, just vacuum it up as quickly as possible

TantricTwist · 03/01/2020 22:05

It is wierd that you can't tell him about it OP.

IndianaMoleWoman · 03/01/2020 22:05

Are you sure you want to live with someone like this? Down the line, having a child would be a nightmare,

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