Common Household Stains & How to Remove Them
Accidents happen. No matter how careful you are, you are bound to get some stains in your home, whether it’s from you, your kids, or your pets. But have no fear! You don’t have to stress out when you find a stain in your home, as most common household stains can be easily removed by the following home remedies.
Also, keep in mind that if you ever find that your home is too dirty to clean on your own, a professional cleaning service provider, like ServiceMaster, will get your house looking brand new.
Red Wine
So there you are, relaxing and unwinding after a long day with a nice glass of red wine and then tragedy strikes. You spill your wine all over your carpet or rug and you know you must act fast! Step one, remain calm. Step two, spray a mixture of water and dishwashing soap on the stain and gently rub down the stain with a very soft-bristled brush.
Next, use another mixture of white vinegar and water on the stain and continue to rub. Alternatively, another route you can take is to dab the stain with paper towels, then spread salt over the stain, followed by club soda. Wait overnight, and vacuum the salt away. The process for white wine is similar.
Pet Stains
One minute your dog is your best friend, the next he/she is going to the bathroom right on you favorite rug. But that just comes with the territory of owning a dog! So it’s important to know how to clean up after your pets, especially for younger pups who aren’t yet house-trained.
First, absorb the stain with paper towels. After that, soak the stain with vinegar and add a just a little amount of baking soda. Let it sit overnight, and then vacuum up the baking soda. Then use an odor remove for the finishing touches.
Coffee
I myself have been found guilty of spilling coffee on more than one occasion. If it’s just a little splash that fell on your carpet, you can dab it up with a wet paper towel and that should take care of it. However, if you spill an entire mug of coffee, then you’re going to have to put a little more effort into cleaning up.
Once again, blot as much of the coffee out of the carpet with a paper towel. Next, use a small amount of water on the stain and blot. Repeat this step at least twice. After that, mix 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of dish soap and 1 and a half cups of warmer water. Take a towel and apply the solution to the stain and then blot it out with a clean paper towel. You may have to repeat these steps at least 2-3 times before you start seeing the stain disappear.
Juice
If you have young kids, then there is not doubt you’ve had to deal with juice stains before. When it comes to cleaning up juice stains the first step is, and that’s right – you guessed it, to blot it up with a paper towel. Spray the stain with water and continue to blot multiple times until all the juice is removed.
If that doesn’t get rid of the stain, then add dishwashing soap to 1 and a half cups of warm water and use a sponge to get the solution into the stain and blot with a paper towel, finally rinsing the area by spraying water.
Mud Stains
After your kids or dog are done playing outside after a rainy day, you know that no matter how hard you try to avoid it, there will be some mud tracked into the home.
When this inevitably happens, allow the mud stain to dry and then vacuum the dirt up. Take a quarter teaspoon of dishwashing detergent and add 1 cup of warm water and dab the solution onto the stain with a cloth. Finally, soak up the remaining liquid with a different dry cloth.
Grass Stains
Grass stains aren’t only a pain to get out when they are on your pants, but also when they are on your carpet. If you ever find that that outdoor grass stains have transferred onto your couch or carpet, then mix half a tablespoon of laundry detergent and 2 cups of cold water. Take a cloth and dip it into the solution and blot the stain. Simply repeat the steps until the stain is gone!