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HELP!
Here's a few useful hints to help you through those first panic moments.
Blood – use a mixture of baking soda and water or soap and water, then rinse thoroughly with clean water. If this doesn't work, you can try hydrogen peroxide, but be careful which surface you're using this on, as it's a bleach. Candle wax – if there's a lot of wax, then freeze it with ice, then chip away the majority of it with a blunt knife. The use an iron on a very low heat to melt the remaining wax and blot it with newspaper. Keep replacing the newspaper with fresh sheets until the wax is gone, and clean any remaining stains with vinegar and water. Carpet smells – sprinkle baking powder onto the carpet, leave it for a few hours and vacuum it up again. Carpet spills – always act fast, and remember to dab and wipe, never rub or scrub. Soak up spillages with kitchen towels or cloth and remove solids with a blunt knife. Then rinse thoroughly with cool or cold water. Blot up the water, rinse again and keep repeating until the stain has gone. Chewing gum – like wax, use ice to freeze the gum and chip it off with a blunt knife. Then use rubbing alcohol, and if you haven't got any, try neat, colourless alcohol, such as vodka. Coffee – rinse with soap, followed by white vinegar and water. Crayons – lighter fluid or WD-40 will usually remove crayon stains, followed by soap and water to get rid of the last of the colouring. Food on a saucepan – baked-on food can be painlessly removed with baking soda and hot water: leave it to soak for a few hours, then wash as normal. Food on fabric – soap and water is usually the best option, especially for oil-based food. Wine or highly-coloured food on a tablecloth is best treated with a generous helping of salt: leave a pile on the stain to draw out the liquid, then wash as normal. Glass shower doors – wash with a mixture of vinegar and water. Ink – rubbing alcohol will get most ink stains out, but always make sure you launder any clothes quickly. Make-up – mascara, lipstick, nail polish: try nail polish remover. If that fails, try WD-40. Microwave – to get rid of baked-on food, cook a large bowl of water for 5 minutes. The steam will soften the food and make it easier to remove. Mildew - to get rid of mildew from a bath's rubber surround, soak cotton balls in bleach and leave them on the stains. Motor oil – WD-40, lighter fluid, cooking oil, paint thinner and nail polish remover will all dissolve motor oil. Mustard – mustard contains turmeric, which stains a very strong yellow. Try lighter fluid or paint thinner, and if that doesn't work, use vinegar or hydrogen peroxide (but remember, hydrogen peroxide is a bleach, so wash it off quickly and rinse thoroughly. Pet hairs – to remove pet hairs from upholstery, put on a rubber glove, wet it, then run your hand over the surface. If that doesn't work, wrap sticky tape around your hand (sticky side out) and dab it over the fabric. Rust – a vinegar and water mix, or lemon juice and water will remove most rust stains from fabrics. Scorch marks – scorch marks are often difficult to remove from fabrics, but it's always worth rubbing a raw onion and leaving it to dry, then rinsing it off. Scratched windows – try a very small amount of toothpaste. It's an abrasive, so go gently! Scuff marks on paint – try a pencil eraser to get rid of scuffs on skirting boards. Silicon-based erasers usually work best. Shower curtains – soak in a bucket of vinegar, water and salt to kill off any mould, then wash with soapy water. Sink smells – bleach first, and afterwards, a mixture of boiling water, dishwasher liquid and lemon juice. Smoky rooms - a bowl of vinegar left overnight will absorb the smell of cigarette and cigar smoke. But make sure you have time to let the vinegar smell dissipate before your guests arrive! Stale room smells – spray furniture polish or fabric softener onto a sheet of kitchen paper and drape it over a radiator. Sweat stains on clothes – thoroughly rub shampoo onto a grimy short collar before washing it. Tarnished silver – to clean the tarnish from silver cutlery, put a sheet of aluminium foil into a large bowl, fill it with very hot water and add salt and baking soda, then place the silver into the bowl. The tarnish will transfer from the silver to the foil. Urine or vomit – ask a parent! If there isn't one around, try mild soap and water to get rid of most of it, then blot with vinegar and water, and finally a string detergent. Wine – white wine traditionally removes red wine stains. Don't be afraid to use plenty of it – you want to drench the stain. If it's a small splash, then a liberal dose of salt will usually absorb the stain from a tablecloth. Wood scratches – rub a freshly cut walnut on the scratch: the oil in the nut will soak into the wood and can often hide nasty scratches or scuffs.
If you have any useful household tips, please tell us and we'll add them to the list! |
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However careful you are, accidents happen – spills and accidental bumps can often leave stains on carpets or upholstery, and you often need to act quickly to stop any damage setting in before you call in the Well Done Group for a permanent solution.