No one wants to toss a perfectly good shirt because of a stain that won’t come out! Next time, try these tried & true techniques to remove almost any stain.
1. Hydrogen peroxide for grass stains
After rinsing the stain in warm water, douse the stain in hydrogen peroxide and let it sit. After 30 minutes, gently rub the stain to really work in the peroxide and toss it in the washing machine.
2. Coffee or tea stains
On vinyl flooring: Fill a container with water and add a few drops of lemon juice. Dunk a sponge into the solution, dap to remove the stain and dry with a cloth
On ceramic (and grout): Tile is usually a breeze to clean, but grout is not. If coffee has discoloured the grout, apply white toothpaste and scour with a brush
On wood: Soak a cloth in white vinegar and gently press onto the stain until it is lifted. If the wooden floor is waxed, use liquid black soap or ammonia mixed with water
3. Blood stain
To remove spots of blood from clothing, use 3 percent hydrogen peroxide — the kind you find in the first-aid section of the drugstore. Soak the stain with the peroxide, use your fingernail or the blade of a butter knife to help loosen and scrape away the blood, then rinse it away with more hydrogen peroxide. Then launder as normal. In most cases, you’ll have better luck removing stains — especially blood stains — if you treat them immediately after they happen, before the stains have a chance to dry.
4. Lipstick stain
You should carefully scrape any extra lipstick off. Then, put down some paper towels on a hard surface. Place the affected area on the paper towels with the stained side facing down. Then, take a dish detergent with grease-attacking properties and apply it to the back of the stain. Next, flip the garment over to stain side up. Carefully scrub the area using a clean toothbrush. Do not rinse the piece. Instead, put it in the washing machine on the gentle cycle and wash as normal. Repeat the steps until the stain is a thing of the past.
5. Oil stain
Oily stains on pillowcases can be removed with plain shampoo or even liquid dish detergent. Simply apply to the area, rub it in and allow to sit for a little while. Rinse it out and then launder as you would normally. It’s that easy!
6. Ink stain
If you get ballpoint pen ink on a piece of clothing, put a paper towel under the stain. Then, apply some standard rubbing alcohol to the affected area. Larger stains may need to soak for up to 15 minutes. Blot/sponge at the stain with a clean cloth until you notice that ink is no longer being transferred. Rinse, apply a pre-treatment (if you have one) and wash as usual in hot water.
7. Sweat stains
Mix of one part dish soap, two parts hydrogen peroxide, and a sprinkle of baking soda. Scrub the mixture into the sweat stain with an old toothbrush. Let it sit for an hour before washing.
8. Remove stains with an iron
Stain removal has tested the willpower and intelligence of homeowners since carpets became the thing you own to tie a room together and you’ll encounter several schools of thought on the matter. The one we present right now is a three-step process.
First, you vacuum the stained area to get rid of hard particles and leave you focusing only on the stains at hand. This is crucial prep work.
Second, treat the spots with a mixture of water and vinegar with a ratio of 3:1. You need to let this mixture to work its way into the stained textile. Five minutes should be enough.
Three, place a towel on top of the stained area and apply a heated iron. The pressure and the heat cause for the stain to be transferred into the towel much like a reverse temporary water tattoo.
9. Clothing grease stains
Do you know that dish soap also works perfectly on clothing grease stains? It works perfect for many case.
How it’s done: Rub dish soap into the stain, let it sit for a minute, and wash.
10. Fluff your carpet with the power of vinegar
Vinegar has its many uses similar to baking soda when it comes to carpet care and one of the most interesting uses is to fluff up high-traffic areas where the carpet just looks worn out and the fibers have been flattened. You dilute vinegar in equal amounts of water and then spray it on the affected area. Once the material has absorbed the mixture, take a regular spoon and run it sideways along the carpeting to loosen the fibers and restore their original texture.
11. Fluff your carpet with the power of ice cube
This trick is meant for those impressions left on carpets from furniture, especially when it’s both heavy and not moved often. These impressions are annoying to see, if you decide on a completely different arrangement. But don’t despair, because as it turns out you can restore your carpet to its former glory with an ice cube. Place a regular ice cube on these dents and leave them to melt. Afterwards, blot the excess water and iron the area until dry through a towel. Once the fibers are almost dry, they’ll be pliable and you can fluff these areas by hand with ease.
12. Using baby powder
Pour and press the baby powder firmly on the affected area which will allow the baby powder to absorb the grease. Let the baby powder sit on the affected area overnight and then wash the article of clothing as you typically would.
13. Shampoo is one of the best choices
This one may require a little elbow grease: First, soak the stain with warm water and then apply the shampoo to the stain. Once the soap soaks into the fabric, scrub the area very hard until the stain starts to disappear.