We've all been there; accidentally spilt wine, coffee or even the odd dollop of face cream on a carpet or sofa and then run into the kitchen looking for something to scrub it away with. Speed is of the essence in successful stain removal, says cleaning guru Stephanie Zia. A basic understanding of the different stain types can save you time and money.
Most stains can be classified into one of three categories:
- GREASY e.g. butter, oil, face cream.
- PROTEIN - almost everything that comes from animals, humans or the earth: vegetables; food made from animal products like eggs and cheese; sweat, sick and pet messes; mud, grass and leaf stains.
- TANNIN e.g. black tea, black coffee, non-fermented alcohol, perfume, fruit juice, herbs and spices.
Use HOT water and washing up liquid. Don’t soak long – as the water cools, the grease can redistribute itself on fabric. Never iron a greasy stain or its shadow or it will set permanently.
Use COLD water with washing up liquid. Avoid hot water. For food cooked in oil, see below.
Treat with HOT water – hold the reverse side of the stain under fast-flowing hot running water. BUT Sugar Tannin stains like fermented alcohol (beers and wines) and fruit (jam and honey), and Protein/Tannin stains like tea or coffee with milk added, must be treated with COLD water. Ideally use soda water, otherwise, cold water. For carpets, use kitchen paper to absorb liquid, repeat as required. Use glycerine for old, dried-in stains. Dab with cold water and tap the glycerine in with a finger, repeating as necessary. Don’t use soap on tannin stains or they'll set permanently.
The two most common smaller categories:
- DYE e.g. cherry, blueberry, blue ice lollies and laundry colour runs.
- COMBINATION Two types: protein/tannin, see TANNIN above. Protein/grease: protein foods made with oil or grease like tomato ketchup, gravy, curry, chocolatee.
Don’t let the fabrics dry out - soak in cold water with Soda Crystals. Or use Dylon Colour Run Remover. Wine Away successfully removes all sorts of red stains. To treat natural dye stains from fruit, add a teaspoon of vinegar to a cup of milk to sour it, saturate the stain and leave for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly in cool water, and washing-up liquid, agitating the fabric. For hard surface spills, soak a kitchen towel in sour milk, place over the stain and weigh down with something heavy for 30 minutes.
Heat sets protein stains, so treat with cold water first to get rid of the protein stain, then hot water and washing up liquid to get rid of the grease. If you're left with a nasty shadow, treat with non toxic oxygen bleach or glycerine.
Done and Dusted by Stephanie Zia is available from Blackbirdebooks.
