Stains on Linoleum Flooring

                                                 

GARY: I’ve got a linoleum floor …

 

TOM: (overlapping voices) OK.

 

LESLIE: (overlapping voices) OK.

 

GARY: … and I bought my wife a bike trainer and it had these nice things to protect the floor, made out of rubber.

 

TOM: Aha.

 

GARY: (chuckling) I knew Tom was going to say that.

 

TOM: Let me guess. You have a nasty stain now where that rubber was pressed into the linoleum. Is that correct?

 

GARY: Yes, it is.

 

TOM: Yeah. What you’ve experienced here, Gary, unfortunately, is a chemical reaction between the different types of materials that has changed the composition of the linoleum; hence the difference in color.

 

LESLIE: In color, yeah.

 

TOM: And unfortunately, it is not reparable. It is permanent.

 

LESLIE: How about an area rug?

 

TOM: Yeah, now there’s an idea.

 

LESLIE: Without a rubber backing. (Gary chuckles)

 

TOM: Now normally we hear the same story when people buy the rubber-backed …

 

LESLIE: Bath mats.

 

TOM: … bath mats or the little soft mat that goes in front of your kitchen sink where you stand to wash dishes all the time.

 

GARY: Yes.

 

TOM: And they peel that up after a couple of months and find the discoloration. Whenever you put those two materials together – in fact, some of the manufacturers will actually warn against this particular condition. You really have to be very, very careful.

 

But you could use a throw rug; perhaps one that doesn’t have a rubber back. (chuckles)

 

LESLIE: Or a Sharpie.

 

TOM: (laughs) Or a Sharpie, yeah. (Gary chuckles) And that’ll solve it. But the good news is your wife is in good shape, right? (Leslie chuckles)

 

GARY: (chuckles) Yeah.

 

TOM: She’s getting lots of exercise on that thing.

 

GARY: Yeah. Only problem is this is an apartment.

 

TOM: Uh-oh. (Leslie groans)

 

GARY: Yeah.

 

TOM: So you could be held responsible for the damage, huh?

 

GARY: Yep.

 

TOM: Big throw rug, Gary, big throw rug.

 

LESLIE: When you are moving out and you get that final sort of bye-bye …

 

GARY: Yeah.

 

LESLIE: … make sure you both stand over the stains. (Gary chuckles)

 

TOM: (laughing) Gary, good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.