Interior Design Center

Removing stains is a common problem in most households. Stains can ruin clothing, carpets, furniture, and almost anything else in the home that is covered in or made up of some sort of fabric. For clothing, one of the easiest way to remove stains begin with properly pretreating clothing. For particularly strong stains, sometimes it is best to also mix some detergent or bleach in with the clothing during the pretreatment depending on the quality and materials of the clothing. Most pretreating water should be performed in the hottest water possible and should be treated anywhere from five to twenty minutes. There are some exceptions to this though.
Stains made by crayons, mildew, or grease should be pretreated and rubbed out. Crayon stains on clothing can be removed with the help of WD-40 and rubbing. Mildew and grease can be rubbed out by bleach.For example, ground eggshells can be rubbed into clothing and removed deeply set grease stains.White vinegar is also another useful way to remove stains from clothing. White vinegar is particularly good stains on materials like wool and silk. White vinegar is very stringent but can also be gentle on delicate material.

Water stains are noticeable and damaging stains that can be embarrassing and can happen almost anywhere in the home.A mixture of mayonnaise and cigarette ash can remove water stains from tables, counters, and virtually any other surface when it is rubbed into the stained area. Rust is also another type of stain that can be embarrassingly obvious but unusual enough that there are few tips available for rust stain removal. Surprisingly, the carbonation of alka seltzer can help to lift rust stains off of surfaces. A mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide is typically used to remove stains from teeth but can also remove deep stains in tiles, toilet bowls, and other ceramic surfaces.
Carpets are one of the most notorious places to find stains. Soda, wine, food, grass, and grease stains are typical stains that can get deep into carpets. Baking soda and alka seltzer are one of the most common ways to remove stains from carpeting. Another common way to remove most stains is by steam cleaning the carpet. The hot water gets deep into the stain and when it evaporates it takes the materials that made up the stain with it. While professional steam cleaners can be very expensive, domestic steam cleaning devices can be a cheaper option because they provide the purchaser with longevity and multiple uses.