Simple Stain Removal

Carpet Stains

First, turn on your clothing iron. While it is heating, mix equal parts of ammonia and hot water in a spray bottle. Spray it liberally on your carpet stain and place a towel over the top of the damp area. Start ironing the towel, being sure to iron everywhere the stain is and around the area. The stain should lift very quickly; your towel will pick up the stain. This can work on old stains as well. Another common mixture you can use on any type of carpet stain is ¼ teaspoon of non-bleach detergent or white vinegar mixed with 32 ounces of water. Use this with a cloth and dab out the stain.

Wall Stains

While many small wall stains can simply be removed with a damp cloth, the tough and persistent larger stains take more than that. The type of stain will determine the type of products to clean it with.

Oil - Oil may seem like a difficult stain to remove because water doesn’t impact oil much, so you need a substance that absorbs oil. Mix together some water and cornstarch or baby powder to make a paste. Apply it to the oil stain, and let it sit there for at least a couple of hours. Then you can remove the paste by wiping it with a rag or brushing it off the wall.You will see that the oil has been absorbed by the cornstarch or baby powder.

Water and mold – Water stains are easy to remove with a small amount of color safe bleach and dish soap with some water. Take a cloth and dip it lightly into the mixture and rub the stain gently. This should remove the water stain. Once you’ve cleaned the stain off, dry the spot with a hair dryer.

Smoke – Candles and fireplaces can leave soot marks on your walls from the smoke. If there is excessive soot, use a vacuum first to remove the particles from the wall. Then you can use a soft cloth that has been dipped in a mixture of borax, ammonia, soap flakes, and water.

Clothing Stains

Whether it's grass stains, dirt stains or food stains, there are simple items you can use to get any stain out of clothing without turning to a store-bought solution. It is always best to do a test spot on your clothes in an area where no one can see to make sure there will be no adverse color reaction, regardless of the cleaning solution you chose. A handy cleaning combination is with one part blue Dawn dish soap and two parts hydrogen peroxide, directly applied to the stain. Add some hot water if it’s for a large stain and soak it in the solution. Agitate the cloth a little to work the cleaner in, rinse and it should take care of the stain easily.

Just like with walls and carpet, vinegar and water is also a good combination stain remover for clothing.