7 Minute Read

While cleaning various stuffs and place generally seems like an extensive job, removing stains on them puts another seething annoyance to the higher level. Subconsciously, we always tend to use chemicals of higher complexity to remove stains, thinking that stains are hard to remove. So, ‘’hard-spelling” chemicals must be used to strike them out – but that is not the case always. We can follow cheaper ways to do the same work using natural, household ingredients. Stain removal is a part of cleaning the household but its application to commodities are so vast that we had to make an article about this separately. We will try to cover every type of stain there can be. So, please bear with us:

Mud Stains

The easy way to remove this easy stain of mud from clothing is simply to use laundry soap and a brush directly on the fabric. The stained area has to be soaked first with water and then rubbed with soap and a brush. If you are in a hurry, brush is not really needed. Just fold the stained area once as less as you can and then rub two sides of the fold against another, given that you have already got the stain wet and rubbed with laundry soap.

For thicker fabrics like rugs and furniture like upholstery, wet the stain fully with water, use laundry soap and a brush (yeah, a brush is really needed here) to remove the mud, then spray vinegar and water mixture on the area so that the soap can be dissolved. Eventually, soak it with a clean dry towel.

Grass Stains

Simple laundry detergent is enough to treat grass stains. Just work the detergent into the wet fabric with your fingers. Wait for 15 minutes and then wash the stain. If the stains remain or are older, you might have to get a big gun like oxygen bleach and add cold water and allow the garment to soak overnight, then finally wash it.

Ink Stains

Use rubbing alcohol. Dip cotton swabs in it and gently “brush” the stain from the outside edge toward the center to keep it from spreading. Remember to swap swabs as soon as each swab absorbs the ink moderately. Don’t wait for them to absorb the ink fully because that might backfire and smudge the fabric with more ink remains. Use multiple swabs. In case of permanent ink, it is too bad that this might be actually permanent on fabric.

Tea/Coffee Stains

To remove the stain, use hot water directly through the fabric. If the stain sets, spot treat it with a mixture of vinegar and water in 1:1 proportion, then use a brush and a little laundry soap to remove the vinegar.

For thick and stationary fabric like rugs and whatnot, use 1:1 mixture proportion of dishwashing detergent and warm water. Dip a clean cloth, sponge, or soft brush in the solution. Work from the outside edge of the stain toward the center to stop it from spreading, work the cleaning solution into the stain. Blot with a dry cloth to absorb the solution.

Deodorant Stains

Soak the stain directly in a mix of hydrogen peroxide and water in 1:1 proportion for 30 minutes and then add a cup of hydrogen peroxide to the mix. For tough yellow stains, make a paste of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and baking soda and rub it into the stain. Leave it on for 5 minutes before laundering.

Urine & Feces Stains

Do not wash in warm water. This will trap the bad smell. Soak in cool water and then wash in the washing machine with an additional mixture of half a cup of hydrogen peroxide and half a cup of baking soda.

Another way is to wash the item with laundry detergent and hot water. To remove the smell, add one cup of white vinegar to the rinsing water. If the stain is old with strong smell, make a mixture of two cups of white vinegar with cold water. Completely dip the fabric and allow it to soak overnight.

Grease & Oil Stains

As much as it seems difficult to remove grease as stains, it’s actually easy. Use a mixture of vinegar and water on the stain. Apply fully and then treat with laundry soap and water. Also use vinegar on the spot if the stain still remains there.

Just a little caveat: Until the stain is gone, do not put the fabric in the dryer machine.

Another way is to sprinkle the stain with dry baking soda to remove oil or grease stain and brush it off. Then soak in white vinegar for 15 minutes and rinse and scrub with liquid dish soap before washing.

Wine Stains

Hold the fabric wrong side of the stain and run cold-water to force the stain out. Mix a solution of oxygen bleach and cool water (or use a product with those ingredients) and soak the entire clothing for at least one hour. The longer hour you can take, the better. Giving it overnight will be perfect. Then check the stains and wash.

Dabbing a solution of water and bleach alternative on the stain and follow up by dabbing it with a towel of clear hot water. Then, use a clean towel dry up the wet area. If the carpet is white or a light color, it will appear bleached but if it is left for a few weeks the color will even out once again.

Warning: Hydrogen peroxide can bleach out the darker color carpets and upholstery furniture.

Another way is to sprinkle it fully with salt. The cheaper the salt, the better. Let it absorb the liquid and then brush away before washing the item. Remember to wash it out, otherwise salt can leave white stains on the fabric.

Blood Stains

Rinse the stained area with cold (don’t use hot) water as soon as possible. Hot water might affect the protein in the blood, making it more difficult to remove from the fabric. Treat the stain with a bit of liquid laundry detergent, use a soft-bristled brush to work it on the fibers. Wait for 15 minutes and then wash in cold water. If the stain remains, add a mixture of oxygen bleach and water and dip the entire garment into it, allowing it to soak at least four hours. Repeat this process if the stain still remains.

For thicker garments like rug, carpet and upholstered furniture, mix two cups of cold water to one teaspoon of liquid hand dish washing detergent. Dip a white cloth or the brush in this mixture and start working from the outside edge of the stain toward the center to stop spreading. Lightly scrub the stain and soak up with a dry paper towel to absorb the moisture. When the stain is gone, dip a clean white cloth in cold water and rinse the area to remove all cleaning mixture. Allow the carpet to get dried in direct sunlight.

Paint Stains