Stain Chart
Alcoholic Beverage Stains
1) Pre-soak or sponge fresh stains immediately with cold water, then with cold water and glycerine. Rinse with vinegar for a few seconds if stain remains. These stains may turn brown with age. If wine stain remains, rub with concentrated detergent; wait 15 minutes then rinse. Repeat if necessary. Wash with detergent in hottest water safe for fabric.
2) On washable fabrics, soak the garment in cool water and an enzyme presoak. Then wash, using bleach, preferably chlorine bleach, but an all-fabric bleach is ok.
Ball Point Pen
Removal from clothes: Hair Spray
Blood Stains
Pre-soak in cold water or warm water at least 30 minutes. If stain remains, soak in lukewarm ammonia water (3 tablespoons ammonia per gallon water). Rinse. If stain remains, work in detergent, and was, using bleach safe for fabric. Hydrogen Peroxide and Club Soda is also a great way to clean blood.
Calcium Stains
Soak in Vinegar or CLR.
Candle Wax or Crayon
1) Use a dull knife to scrape off as much wax as possible. Place fabric between two blotters or facial tissues and press with warm iron. Remove color stain with non-flammable dry cleaning solvent. Wash with detergent in the hottest water safe for fabric.
2) One way to make candles dripless is to stick them in the freezer several hours before using, but if you forget and find blobs of caked candle wax on your coffee table or other wood surface, remove it with your thumbnail or edge of a plastic credit card. Or use a hair dryer to soften the wax. Wipe off the wax with a paper towel and wash the surface with a solution of vinegar and water. If the drippings are on a tablecloth, place a bunch of paper towels or brown paper bag over the spot and place a warm iron on the towels or bag. After a few minutes the wax should be absorbed. Change the towels as they pick up the wax. Repeat if necessary. Stain remnants on the tablecloth will have to be bleached out in the wash.
3) From fabric first get rid of the debris using a dull knife or other product. Easily scrape off anything that you can get off. Some of the wax should come off easily. Make sure to remove as much as you can from the carpeting in this manner, but do not rub it in. To get more off in this manner, fill a plastic storage bag with ice cubes and place it on the location. This will allow the wax to set and make your scraping method work a bit better. Try to get into the carpet pile as much as possible. Next, take a good thick paper towel or terry cloth and apply it to the area. Take a warm iron and rub it over the location. This will gently melt the wax just enough to be absorbed into the cloth. Make sure that you move the cloth around a bit in order to allow the wax to be absorbed fully. Lastly, any remaining was can be removed by apply rubbing alcohol to the stain and allow it to sit for about 30 minutes. Then, take a scrub brush and brush the stain with it. You will want to rinse this with warm water afterwards.
Chocolate and Cocoa
Pre-soak in cold or warm water. Wash in hot water with detergent. Remove any grease stains with dry cleaning solvent. If color remains, sponge wtih hydrogen peroxide, wash again.
Clothes General Stain
3/4 cup Cascade, 1/3 cup Clorox Bleach, 1 gallon hot water, Soak stained clothes one hour.
Coffee
Sponge or soak with cold water as soon as possible. Wash, using detergent and bleach safe for fabric. Remove cream grease stains with non-flammable dry cleaning solvent. Wash again.
Coffee Pot/Tea Pot
Clorox, Purex or Comet. Let sit in solution a while, then scrub clean.
Deodorants
Sponge area with white vinegar. If stain remains, soak with denatured alcohol. Wash with detergent in hottest water safe for fabric.
Dog Stains on Carpet (or just about any stain on carpet)
Blot out as much as possible, saturate with club soda, place towel over spot and heavy book, leave on for an hour. Use Vinegar/water mix to neutralize the odor.
Dye
If dye transfers from a non-colorfast item during washing, immediately bleach discolored itesm. Repeat as necessary BEFORE drying. On whites use color remover. CAUTION: Do not use color remover in washer, or around washer or dryer as it may damage the finish.
Egg
Scrape with dull blade. Pre-soak in cold or warm water for at least 30 minutes. Remove grease with dry cleaning solvent. Wash in hottest water safe for fabric, with detergent.
Fruit and Fruit Juices
Sponge with cold water. Pre-soak in cold or warm water for at least 30 minutes. Wash with detergent and bleach safe for fabric.
Grass
Pre-soak in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Rinse. Pre-treat with detergent. Wash, using detergent, hot water, and bleach safe for fabric. On acetate and colored fabrics, use 1 part alcohol to 2 parts water.
Grease, Oil, Tar
Use powder or chalk absorbents to remove as much grease as possible. Pre-treat with detergent or non-flammable dry cleaning solvent, or liquid shampoo. Wash in hottest water safe for fabric, using plenty of detergent.
Gum
1) Rub area with ice, then scrape off with dull blade. Sponge with dry cleaning solvent; allow to air dry. Wash in detergent and hottest water safe for fabric.
2) Kerosene will remove gum.
Ink - Ball Point
1) Pour denatured alcohol through stain. Rub with petroleum jelly. Sponge with non-flammable dry cleaning solvent. Soak in detergent solution. Wash with detergent and bleach safe for fabric.
2) Use Hairspray.
Ink - Fountain Pen
Run cold water through stain until no more color will come out. Rub in lemon juice and detergent. Let stand 5 minutes. Wash. If a yellow stain remains take to a professional.
Lipstick
Loosen stain with a non-flammable dry cleaning solvent. Rub detergent in until stain outline is gone. Wash in hottest water and detergent safe for fabric.
Meat Juices
Scrape wtih dull blade. Pre-soak in cold or warm water for 30 minutes. Wash with detergent and bleach safe for fabric.
Mildew
Pre-treat as soon as possible with detergent. Wash. If any stain remains, sponge with lemon juice and salt. Dry in sun. Wash, using hottest water, detergent and bleach safe for fabric.
Milk, Cream, Ice Cream
Pre-soak in cold or warm water for 30 minutes. Wash. Sponge any grease spots with non-flammable dry cleaning solvent. Wash again.
Mustard
1) The best time to catch and treat the stain is when it’s fresh and still moist. Immediately blot the stain – do not rub it, you don’t want to spread the turmeric onto unstained fabric and/or set it even more deeply into the fabric fibers. Treat the fabric as quickly as possible with a commercial pre-treating solution, and wash immediately according to your normal laundering routine. If you find the mustard stain after it’s already dried the first step is to remove any excess mustard. The crusty portion of the stain needs to be long-gone before you begin to treat the fabric, or you risk spreading the stain once it becomes moist again. Use a dull knife, the edge of a credit card, a spatula (something that won’t damage the fabric, but scrapes easily) to scrape away any excess mustard.
2) Create a solution of vinegar, water, and dish soap. Mix approximately a half-teaspoon of dish soap, a half-cup of water, and a few drops of white vinegar. Apply the solution to the mustard stain (again using an absorbent material underneath) and allow to soak. Rinse well with hot water and launder.
3) Use a commercial enzymatic cleanser. Two of the more popular are Biz and Axion; however, any product that has on its label that it’s for protein-based stains and is safe for fabric should do. Be sure to read the label thoroughly to ensure that you follow the directions explicitly.
Nail Polish
Sponge with polish remover or banana oil. Wash. If stain remains, sponge with denatured alcohol to which a few drops of ammonia have been added. Wash again. Do not use polish remover on acetate or triacetate fabrics.
Paint or Stain
Oil Base: Sponge stains with turpentine, cleaning fluid or paint remover. Pre-treat and wash in hot water. For old stains, sponge with banana oil and then with non-flammable dry cleaning solvent. Wash again.
Water Base: Scrape off paint with dull blade. Wash with detergent in water as hot as is safe for fabric.
Perspiration
Sponge fresh stain with ammonia; old stain with vinegar. Pre-soak in cold or warm water. Rinse. Wash in hottest water safe for fabric. If fabric is yellowed, use bleach. If stain still remains, dampen and sprinkle with meat tenderizer, or pepsin. Let stand 1 hour. Brush off and wash. For persistent odor, sponge with colorless mouthwash.
Pine Sap
Peanut Butter will remove pine sap from hair. Just rub a little on (about as much as you can pick up between your thumb and finger) and rub it on the affected area. Work the sap out, from goo outward, and the stuff will come off. Rinse off to get rid of the peanut butter smell.
Plastic melted
Use Petroleum Jelly to remove plastic wrappers accidentally placed too close to hot irons, toasters or pans.
Price Tags
To remove gummed price tags and labels apply vegetable oil to the tag.
Piano Keys
Apply a few dabs of toothpaste to a well-dampened cloth and rub the keys well. Wipe off thoroughly and polish with a dry soft cloth.
Red Wine
1) Clean with Hydrogen Peroxide and Club Soda.
2) Use 'Wine Out'
3) On washable fabrics immediately sprinkle with lots of salt; dip into cold water, rub the stain out and wash as usual.
Rug Stains (Fresh)
Pour a little club soda on the spot, let it set for a few seconds and then sponge thoroughly. Club soda is also good for removing stains from puppy accidents. Blot out as much of the offending moisture as possible, saturate the area with club soda, then place a towel over the spot and a heavy book over the towel. Leave on for about one hour.
Rust
Soak in lemon juice and salt or oxalic acid solution (3 tablespoons oxalic acid to 1 pint of warm water).
Scorch
Wash with detergent and bleach safe for fabric. On heavier scorching, cover stain with cloth dampened with hydrogen peroxide. Cover this with dry cloth and press with hot iron. Rinse well. CAUTION: Severe scorching cannot be removed because of fabric damage.
Shower Curtains
Wash shower curtains with 2 large bath towels in warm water. Add 1/2 cup detergent and 1/2 cup baking soda. Run the wash cycle, add 1 cup white vinegar to rinse water. Don't spin dry or wash vinegar out. Hang curtains immediately. Wrinkles disappear once it has dried.
Soft Drinks
Sponge immediately with cold water and alcohol. Heat and detergent may set stain.
Tea
Sponge or soak with cold water as soon as possible. Wash using detergent and bleach safe for fabric.