Stains happen.
You buy furniture and housing décor—couches, bed spreads, rugs, and the like—to use them, not just to admire them from a distance. The more you use them, the more likely it is that your beloved home furnishings will, at some point or another, have an unfortunate encounter with a stain-causing specimen.
Despite popular belief, flipping the cushion is not the best solution. Here are 7 techniques to study up on so that when the inevitable happens, you’ll know how to save your beloved household items.
Dealing with Drinks
Spilled some coffee or tea? First, sponge the area with cool water. Do this with a light hand to avoid further spreading the stain to other areas.
Try vinegar on this type of stain, which is an expensive and eco-friendly solution. If the stain is particularly stubborn, follow up with an enzyme-based cleaner (most pet-urine cleaners and carpet cleaners are enzyme-based).
Battling the Ball-Point Pen
Should’ve put the lid on it—leave a ball-point pen unattended, and it WILL get ink all over your precious items. The unconventional solution? Alcohol-based hairspray; the alcohol will help break up the ink. After a spray, blot the area with a rag. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Nixing Nail Polish
The solution to spilled polish is shocking obvious: nail polish remover! Dab with care, since some synthetic fibers may dissolve with acetone. Follow up the reverse-manicure with some soapy warm water.
Mopping Up Make Up
We never know HOW our make up ends up getting everywhere, but when it happens, look to an oxidizing bleach, like hydrogen peroxide, to remove the color. Dilute it if needed, especially if you’re working with a delicate fabric.
Cleaning Cocoa and Chocolate
The first step is to scrape up any solids, leaving you only with the stain. Then, sponge the area with dry cleaning fluid, then dab at the area with warm water. If you haven’t got any dry cleaning fluid, work quickly with hot, soapy water, and hope for the best.
Attacking Oils
Absorb, absorb, absorb. Use baking soda or corn flour to soak up the oil, lessening the effects of the stain. Repeat a few times, if necessary. Then, add a bit of detergent directly onto the stain. Blot it up with a damp cloth.
Wiping Away Wine
Wine: the more you drink, the more likely you are to spill. The solution? More wine! Seriously—if you spill red wine, pour white wine onto the spill, then follow up by sponging the area with cold water and ammonia. If the culprit is a fine chardonnay or other white, go straight to the cold water and ammonia combination.
A few rules of thumb to always follow: the quicker you tackle the stain, the more likely are your chances of success. Be gentle, and blot, pat or scrape instead of directly rubbing the stain into the material. Always use cool water, not hot: hot will set the stain, making it even harder to remove.
