Move any furniture off the carpet and out of the room, if possible. Give yourself plenty of room to maneuver and reach stains in tight spaces. Work around furniture you can't move. Move the carpet cleaner around carefully to avoid leaving marks or scratches on the furniture. Pretreat the carpet with your regular carpet vacuum. Make a few passes to remove as much dirt as possible. This prevents the dirt from being worked further into the carpeting later. You can find bottles of carpet shampoo at any general store. Target areas that handle a lot of foot traffic as well as any deep stains you find. The shampoo is either sprayed onto the carpet directly or blotted on with a wet paper towel. You usually need to let the soap soak in for about 3 minutes before operating the carpet cleaner. Using only a carpet cleaner sometimes isn't enough to clean these areas, so a carpet shampoo can help lead to a spotless carpet. Read the instructions on the back of the bottle to find out how to use the shampoo.

Summary: Clear the area of any furniture. Vacuum the carpet thoroughly to remove dirt. Treat heavily stained areas with a carpet shampoo (optional).

Check online or in the phonebook to find studios nearby. Make sure to include tattoo shops, since they usually offer piercing services as well. Ask friends and family for recommendations, referrals, and places to avoid. Make a list of all the studios you want to contact, including their phone numbers and addresses. Before choosing a studio and a piercer, make sure they meet all the criteria for cleanliness, hygiene, and sterility, as well as safety, competence, and experience. Some of this you'll be able to figure out from their websites, but most of it you'll have to find out by asking and visiting the studio. Make a chart or graph so that you can easily record information about each studio. Write down questions like: How do you ensure a sterile environment? Do you use an autoclave (a pressure chamber) to sterilize reusable equipment? Do you spore test regularly to ensure the autoclave is working properly? Do all your piercers have the necessary certifications and qualifications? These will vary depending on the area, but be aware that many places don't have any sort of certification for piercers. Has your studio passed all necessary inspections and does it have all the necessary permits and licences? Again, this will vary depending on the location. You can call your local health department to find out about regulations specific to your area. Do you provide consultations? How much experience do your piercers have with industrials? How much do you charge for an industrial? Have your list ready to ask questions, along with a way to take notes. Pay attention to the feeling you get from the people you talk to, and how comfortable they make you feel about the process. Cross off studios from your list if they avoided your questions, tried to rush you through, gave you an uneasy feeling, or provided answers that weren't up to par. A good studio will take the time to answer your questions and walk you through the process. Keep only the top studios on the list based on the answers they gave and how they treated you. Meet the staff, talk to the piercers, and make sure you feel comfortable with the people and the environment. Ask to see portfolios as well, and see if you can watch the piercers work. Make sure each studio is clean and that they do not allow smoking or drinking inside. Check that the studios use sterilized and individually wrapped needles, and that used needles are placed in a sharps container, which is a container for biohazardous materials. Be wary if a studio uses a piercing gun, since these cannot be sterilized and could indicate an unsanitary studio. Check to see if the piercers and tattooists use clean, reusable gloves with every client. Using all the information you gathered and the studio visits, choose the studio you felt offered the best service, the most sterile environment, the friendliest staff, and the most talented artists. If you have the option to pick a specific piercer, consider who: Provided the best answers. Made you the most comfortable. Had the best portfolio and the most experience. Talked clients through the piercing process as it happened.

Summary: Research piercing studios in your area. Create a checklist. Call potential studios and make a shortlist. Visit your top studios. Select a studio.

This form, numbered FL-100, tells the court why you want a legal separation and briefly identifies the issues the court will need to address, including child custody, child and spousal support, and property division. You can download an FL-100 here. This form, numbered FL-110, gives notice to the other party that you have filed a Petition for Legal Separation. The party filing the petition is the "Petitioner," and the party responding to the petition is the "Respondent." The form informs the Respondent that he or she has 30 days to file a response to the petition, or else a default judgment may be entered against him or her. You can download an FL-110 here. Read this form carefully, as it contains some basic restraining orders limiting what the parties can do with marital debts and assets and residency of any children of the parties while the separation is pending. This form, number FL-105, informs the court of where any children are living and whether they are involved in other court cases. You can download an FL-105 here. California's statewide fee schedule is available here. The fee to file a Petition for Legal Separation is $435 (the fee may vary in Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Francisco counties). If you are low-income and cannot afford to pay the filing fee, you can file a request for a fee waiver, numbered FW-001. You can download an FW-001 here. You may qualify for a waiver if you are receiving public benefits, if your household income falls below a specified threshold, or if the court finds that you do not have enough money to pay for both your household's basic needs and the court fees. Be sure to read the Information Sheet on Waiver of Superior Court Fees and Costs (FW-001-INFO) Some counties require additional local forms for a legal separation. Check with your Family Law Facilitator or your county court's website. You can locate your county court's website by selecting your county on the California court's Find My Court webpage. If you are applying for a Fee Waiver, make only one copy of your FW-001 form. You will be filing the original form and keeping the copy for your own records. The FW-001 is confidential and should not be served on the other party. Have your server serve all of the following documents: Copies of everything you filed with the court (except for a Fee Waiver, if any) A blank Response form A blank Declaration Under Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA), if you have any minor children with the other party Two (2) copies of the Notice and Acknowledgment of Receipt, if the other party agrees to accept service by mail. If the other party does not fill out the Acknowledgment and file it with the court, you will need to have your server serve him or her again, in person.
Summary: Fill out a Petition for Legal Separation. Fill out a Summons. Fill out a Declaration Under Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) only if you have any minor children with the other party. Fill out a Fee Waiver if you cannot afford to pay the filing fee. Fill out any required local forms. File your forms with the court and have them served on the other party.