New carpet brightens a home. It looks warm and inviting for a week or two, then stuff happens -- kids, company, dogs, TV dinners and wine. Soon your new carpet looks like a military drop zone. Don't fret, there's hope. For chewing gum, put ice cubes in a plastic bag and freeze the gum. When it's hard, scrape with a butter knife. For greasy stuff like lipstick, blot up any excess, then use dry clean fluid. For pet stains, blot first with paper towels, then use a mixture of laundry detergent, ammonia and white vinegar. For shoe polish and ink, dab with paint thinner. For fruit juice and soft drinks, mix 1 teaspoon of both laundry detergent and white vinegar in 1 quart of warm water, and sponge well. For burns trim off fibers and, if needed, glue in some extras from the edges. And that's the On The House tip for today.