Dad is in an excited mood. Today is his annual 'oiling of the hinges' in which he oils all the hinges in the house. But dad's mood soon changes when he spills black oil all over mum's precious carpet. Now dad has to find someone to clean the carpet without mum seeing. His plan: to get the cleaner into the house through the garage, while the family all go out to a restaurant. Unfortunately, the carpet cleaner, an elderly, bad-tempered man who is charging double for the job - arrives just as the family are leaving the house to go to the restaurant.