That time I dropped a can of stain on a client's new white rug

I was working on a big dining table in this fancy house in Scottsdale, Arizona. The floor was covered with one of those huge white rugs, and I had my gear laid out on a drop cloth. I turned around to grab a brush and my elbow caught the open can of dark walnut stain. It went everywhere, a huge splash right in the middle of the rug. My heart just stopped. I grabbed every clean rag I had and started blotting like crazy with mineral spirits. It took me over an hour, but I got almost all of it out. The faint shadow that was left, I told the homeowner the truth and paid for a professional rug cleaner to come out, which cost me about $120. It was a brutal lesson in setting up my workspace better, no matter how careful I think I am. Has anyone else had a close call like that with a client's stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

blair_davis501mo ago

Man, that mineral spirits trick is a lifesaver. Good call having it on hand before the spill even happened.

abby8361mo ago

Oh man, that reminds me of the time I tried to thin some paint with water because I was out of the right stuff. Ended up with this weird, clumpy mess all over my kitchen table (it was a whole thing). Had to scrub for an hour with dish soap and a whole lot of regret.