If you’ve already started with the big spring clean, or you’re just about to, you might have noticed the toll lockdown (with or without children) has had on your home. While you might now have a little time to concentrate on getting your house back to some semblance of normality, before we hopefully get to have friends and family over later in the year, you might discover some rather awkward stubborn stains take more than a little elbow grease. Fear not; our guide below offers some fantastic tips on how to remove stains!
THE PROBLEM: BALLPOINT PEN
Home schooling hasn’t just taken a toll on our sanity. In many homes it’s also taken a toll on the furniture. If your dinner table is looking like a work of (unwanted) art now you’ve removed the schoolbooks from it, you might be wondering how to get it back to its best.
THE SOLUTION:
While methylated spirits will work well on this type of stain, you may worry about the impact on glossy surfaces such as your dining table – and the smell. If so, you could always opt for the Doktor Power Multi-purpose cleaner. This foaming sponge can remove stains on almost any surface you can think of, with no unpleasant odours and no damage either.
THE PROBLEM: BATHROOM MOULD AND MILDEW
If you’ve neglected the bathroom cleaning recently or forgotten to air out the bathroom as often as usual, you’re not alone. However it doesn’t have to mean you need a full renovation to remove mildew stains that have appeared as a result.
THE SOLUTION
Whack on some rubber gloves, open the windows and fill a spray bottle with 1 part bleach to 15 parts water. Spray all over and wait 5 minutes for the bleach to kill the mildew. Take an old tooth brush and scrubbing brush and get to work.
THE PROBLEM: BLOOD STAINS
Accidents happen in all sorts of ways in the home. Whether it’s during a spot of DIY, or because you’re trying to clean up a smashed glass, blood can be a difficult thing to get rid of.
THE SOLUTION:
We would always advise you to work on blood stains while stains are still wet, wherever possible. There are a number of methods you could try, including:
- Cold water blotting – spray cold water on the stain, then blot it. Use a cotton towel and remember not to rub, just carry on blotting until the stain disappears.
- Salt paste – this could work on dried blood. Make a cold water/salt paste and blot it, as above.
- Dish soap – mix together 1 tablespoon of dish soap with two cups of cold water and blot.
- Ammonia or hydrogen peroxide solutions – while these could work on dry bloodstains, we’d recommend a patch test to ensure it won’t damage surfaces or discolour them. Remember to wear gloves when working with chemical cleaners, only use chemicals in well-ventilated rooms and carefully check how much is needed before you begin.
THE PROBLEM: NAIL POLISH STAINS
We’ve all missed the nail salon during lockdown, with many of us trying a DIY mani/pedi for a little self-pamper session. If your at home attempts at a manicure have decorated your upholstery as well as your nails, you may be wondering how you’ll ever get remove the stains.
THE SOLUTION
Check the label on your upholstery first. If the fabric contains modacrylic, acetate or triacetate, you might need the professionals, if not, try a test patch on a hidden seam with acetone-free nail polish remover and a cotton bud to make sure it won’t discolour where the stain is. Providing the test goes ok, dab some remover on the stain and dab it with a white cloth. Work from the outside in to transfer the colour onto the white cloth. It may take some time, but it could save your sofa.
THE PROBLEM: PAN STAINS
No matter how well we try, or how good our dishwashers are, some stubborn stains can ruin the look of our pans. You can, however, get yours looking back to their best with a little elbow grease.
THE SOLUTION
As baking soda isn’t abrasive, you can use it to thoroughly clean your pans without destroying them.
- For enamelled pots, fill them with boiling water, then add 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Stir with a wooden spoon and let it get to work on a simmer. It may take several minutes to lift the stain. Once it has, rinse the pan and you’re good to go.
- For copper bottom pans, sprinkle baking soda on the bottom and rub with a cut lemon, then rinse.
- On non-stick pans, use a layer of baking soda and water paste, let it sit for a few hours, then rinse.
While stubborn stains may take a little elbow grease to get rid of, they don’t have to be permanent. Hopefully, these tips will help you on your way to a successful spring clean, no matter what stains you have to tackle.
THE PROBLEM: PET STAINS
Unfortunately, whether you have a puppy, an older dog, a cat or a hamster, this can not only leave you fighting stains, but fighting odours too.
THE SOLUTION
While it might be tempting to mask the odours with perfumed sprays, these could effectively be doing more harm than good to your pets. Instead, opt for a cleaner with a built in deodoriser that will neutralise pet odours while it tackles the stain.
THE PROBLEM: RED WINE, OR JUICE!
We’ve all heard the tale of getting to these stains while they’re still wet, but sometimes that just doesn’t happen. If you’ve noticed an old wine or juice stain, you may be contemplating getting a new carpet, but this may not be necessary.
THE SOLUTION
Products such as Oxiclean can get to work on even ground in carpet stains. If you’re not sure as to how colour fast your carpet is, make sure to choose a product that is chlorine and bleach free, just to cover all bases.
THE PROBLEM: SCUFFED FLOORS
If all those lockdown kitchen discos have left your floors a little scuffed, it can leave your kitchen looking a little drab.
THE SOLUTION
A magic eraser is all you need to rid your floors of scuff marks. Simply add water and rub over the scuff mark. You can use one of these for lots of other jobs around the house too, including crayon on the walls!