How To Remove Stains

Household Tricks for Easy Stain Removal

It’s a fact of life that we all have stains. The best defense is a good offense. Since we can’t prevent every day’s spills or accidents from happening, the next best thing is to attack those pesky stains right when they happen and do not allow them to stick around. Use these tips for removing stains quickly and easily.

Mold and Mildew Stain Removal

Mold and mildew is everywhere, but especially in the bathroom. Liquid chlorine bleach mixed in a spray bottle at ratio of 25% bleach to 75% water will make short work on mold and mildew stains. Let sit for about 15 minutes, then rinse off. You can also substitute either hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, the difference in products being that the hydrogen peroxide does not work as fast but it smells nicer than bleach. The alcohol will quickly kill the mold and mildew, but it will not bleach the stain.

Stained Furniture and Carpeting

There are several ways to remove ink stains. First, always pretest the method you select by checking in an inconspicuous place to check for colorfastness.

Hairsprays, do a great job of removing ink before your eyes. If this method works for you, remember to rinse after application with cool water on a damp sponge or rag. Rubbing alcohol also does a great job too. The same caution applies to rinse the leather in cool water to remove the rubbing alcohol after application.

To remove gum or wax stains on the carpet or the furniture, first remove as much as you can by manual methods, (i.e. scrape off gently, pry it off or cut as much of the substance off as possible). Then put some ice cubes in a plastic bag and then place it on top of the stain for about 1 hour (change the ice cube bag if needed) or until the remaining stain has hardened and become slightly brittle, chick or scrape away the remainder.

Coffee, Tea, Juice Stains on Carpet or Furniture

Mix the below ingredients to remove coffee, tea, and juice off your carpet or furniture. Mix these ingredients and put in a spray bottle for quick stain cleanup.

1 TBL dishwashing detergent
1 cup hot tap water
1 cup plain white vinegar

Removing Clothing Stains

Food stains on clothing can be easily removed with the following recipe. Put it in a spray bottle and keep it handy for emergencies.

1 TBL dishwashing liquid
1 cup hot water
1 TBL household ammonia

Tricks of the Trade For Stain Removal

For sticky burned on yuck on your iron, heat up the iron and rub it on white paper with salt. .
Use the bubbling or foamy type bathroom cleaner on your bricks around the fireplace to remove soot.
Place cornstarch on the stove after cooking something greasy to absorb the grease and make clean up easier.
Put WD-40 on a cloth to quickly wipe up scuff or heel marks on your floor. Mr. Clean magic erasers also a great job with scuff marks.