Saturate the carpet with cleaning compounds.
Apply heat to the stain.
Vigorously scrub the stain.
Leave stain until later.
Not remove the dry excess stain proir to cleaning.
Not pretesting the carpet or stain.
Tomato Based Stains from Clothes
Tools & Chemicals:
- Laundry pre-treatment
- liquid detergent
- all fabric bleach
- bleach
- dry cleaning fluid.
1. Soak the stain with a laundry pre-treatment. Let sit for several minutes. For stubborn stains, rub with a heavy-duty liquid detergent. Launder immediately.
2. If stain remains, soak the clothes in a solution of all-fabric powered bleach. Be aware that all the colors may lighten.
3. If the stain remains, and the clothes is white or colorfast, soak in a solution of liquid chlorine bleach and water. Read the label regarding the use of bleach. Bleach can damage some dyes and prints, and bleaching damage is irreversible. If the stain is not removed in 15 minutes, it cannot be removed by bleaching and further bleaching will only weaken the fabric.
4. If the stain remains, apply dry-cleaning fluid to back of stain over absorbent white paper towels. Check product label for instructions and follow carefully. Let dry; rinse. Launder as usual.
If all else fails soak your clothes in a vat of tomato sauce and at least you will have a consistant color!
Tomato Sauce on Carpets
General Info:
Be sure to check the helpful hints for the Do’s and Don’ts of Stain Removal and Six Sure Ways to Set Stains.
Tools & Chemicals:
- dish washing or fine fabric detergent
- white terry towels
- white vinegar
- warm water
- measuring cup
- spoon
- vacuum
Technique:
- Work on removing the stain as soon as you notice it. The longer the stain is left on the carpet the greater the chances are of the stain setting.
- In every case remove all excess wet or dry material before attempting to clean. Blot wet materials using a white terry towel (check helpful hints for a detailed description of blotting).
- Vacuum excess dry materials or gently scrape up materials with a spoon.
- Mix 1/2 tsp. of dish washing soap or fine fabric detergent into 1 (8 oz.)cup of warm water.
- Apply a small amount, blot or tamp and repeat until the stain is removed.
- Be patient. Complete removal may reqiure repeating the same step several times. Tamp down on the carpet, do not scrub as this may disort the texture of the pile.
- Cover the stain with the towel and press down repeatedly to absorb the stain material and detergent.
- Once the stain is completely removed, rinse the area with cold water; blot with a dry white terry towel until all moisture is removed.
- Repeat this process several times to remove cleaning solution residue. (Residue can attract soils).
- If the spot or stain turns brownish when dry, mix 1 part white vinegar and two parts water. Apply a small amount and blot. Repeat only once.
Precautions:
Never use a stronger concentration than is recommended. Never laundry detergent or automatic dish washing detergents because they may destroy or dye some fibers.
Tobacco Juice Stains
General Info:
Be sure to check the helpful hints for the Do’s and Don’ts of Stain Removal and Six Sure Ways to Set Stains.
Tools & Chemicals:
- dish washing or fine fabric detergent
- white terry towels
- white vinegar
- warm water
- measuring cup
- spoon
- vacuum.
Technique:
- Work on removing the stain as soon as you notice it. The longer the stain is left on the carpet the greater the chances are of the stain setting.
- In every case remove all excess wet or dry material before attempting to clean. Blot wet materials using a white terry towel (check helpful hints for a detailed description of blotting).
- Vacuum excess dry materials or gently scrape up materials with a spoon.
- Mix 1/2 tsp. of dish washing soap or fine fabric detergent into 1 (8 oz.)cup of warm water.
- Apply a small amount, blot or tamp and repeat until the stain is removed.
- Be patient. Complete removal may reqiure repeating the same step several times. Tamp down on the carpet, do not scrub as this may disort the texture of the pile.
- Cover the stain with the towel and press down repeatedly to absorb the stain material and detergent.
- Once the stain is completely removed, rinse the area with cold water; blot with a dry white terry towel until all moisture is removed.
- Repeat this process several times to remove cleaning solution residue. (Residue can attract soils).
- If the spot or stain turns brownish when dry, mix 1 part white vinegar and two parts water. Apply a small amount and blot. Repeat only once.
Precautions:
Never use a stronger concentration than is recommended. Never laundry detergent or automatic dish washing detergents because they may destroy or dye some fibers.
Plastic Wrap Stuck on Fibreglass Bathtub
This question was submitted from Cassidy.
“I have a fiberglass bath tub that has been in the original heavy plastic wrap for a couple of years. I finally removed the wrap and some of it will not come off. I’ve tried “Goof Off”, and a variety of other products but nothing works. The area that the wrap is stuck to is about 1 foot square.”
Try these techniques:
- Your best bet would be to heat up the plastic. You will have to be careful of not damaging the tub so I would try using a hairdryer.
- Use a plastic scraper so you don’t damage the fiberglass. You should be able to get a plastic scraper at any hardware store.
- You are on the right track with Goof Off, which is a strong solvent. However, since that did not work, you may want to try a dlimonene-based solvent/adhesive remover. These are available at professional janitorial supply stores.
Toilet Ring (Hard Water Stain)
To remove the “ring” inside your toilet bowl use a Pumicestone, it won’t scratch the surface and is very effective in removing the yellow or red scale in the tank.
Toothbrush
Disinfect your toothbrush by placing it on the top rack of your dishwasher or buy a small dishwasher safe container (mesh type) for all your small items such as small measuring spoons etc.
Disinfect your family’s toothbrushes after someone in the house was sick.
Helpful Hint:
Keep your old toothbrushes for hard to clean areas and items.
Rust Stains In the Toilet
- Apply a rust removing chemical to the bowl of the toilet. An excellent choice is Lime Out, which has a special thickener added to help it cling to vertical surfaces. It will dissolve lime, rust, calcium, soap scum and mineral deposits. It is great for areas with hard water problems.
- Let the chemical cling to the surface for a few minutes so it can do the work. Then scrub, and rinse the toilet. It is that easy!
It is good to know that Lime Out Extra is specially formulated with a low ph, organic salt, non-abrasive chemicals, and surfactants so it isn’t as dangerous or harsh as an acidic, or abrasive type cleansers.
Water Marks off a Pine Table
This question was submitted by Patty.
“How can I remove a water stain from a pine dining room table?”
In some cases water stains do evaporate on their own so let the stain sit for a while.
Try these techniques:
If the pine furniture doesn’t have much of a finish on it then all you can do is lightly rub with some superfine fine steel wool (#0000) and use a paste wax along the grain to remove the stain.
You can also try cheesecloth slightly dampened with ammonia and wipe with the grain.
Be sure to apply furniture wax to the area you have worked on to protect it.
Always test a small area first before proceeding when using a chemical or technique you have not used before on the surface you are working on.
Yellowed Wood Kitchen Cabinets
Yellowing on wood kitchen cabinets is usually caused by either a build-up of cooking oil over time or the polyurethane coating has degraded and has stained.
Tools & Technique:
- Try scrubbing with a plastic pad and a citrus based cleaner/degreaser. If this doesn’t work it is likely that the cabinets will need refinishing.
