New Orleans Apartment Blog

Dealing with Stains and Spots (Part 1 of 2)

All stains are not created equal. Here are a few tips on getting out the most difficult stains without ruining your clothing, upholstery, or other fabric and surfaces. As with any chemical, spot testing in an inconspicuous area beforehand for color fastness is advised.

Blood

• Rub hydrogen peroxide gently on clothing and furniture to remove blood.
• Rub moistened corn starch into blood stains on clothing rinsed in cold water. Place clothing in the sun to dry and then run through a normal wash cycle.
• Cover fresh or dry stains with meat tenderizer and sprinkle on cool water. Let stand for 15 to 30 minutes and then sponge off with cool water.
• Stains on leather can be treated with hydrogen peroxide, wipe off when the bubbling stops.

Coffee

• Rub denatured alcohol into the stain and then rinse with water.
• Beat an egg yolk, with a white cloth rub the yolk into the stain and then wipe off.
• Apply a solution of half vinegar and half water and then wash.

Crayon

• Toothpaste or an ammonia soaked cloth will remove crayon marks from painted walls.
  PREVENTION: Crayola now produces crayons which are washable!

Gum

• Use an ice cube to harden the gum and then a dull knife to chip it carefully away.
• Cooking spray will also help remove gum from clothing and from hair.
  FUN FACT: Gum on your face? Use more gum to blot it off!

Heel Marks

• Use a pencil eraser to remove black heel marks from flooring. Before washing the floor, rubbing toothpaste on the mark will also help in removal.

Ink, Ballpoint Pen

• Saturate fabric with an alcohol based hair spray then blot the stain with a rag (not a paper towel), and then wash as usual. This method may ruin some sensitive fabrics like silk, always spot test this method to make sure you don’t make a bigger mess than what you started with.

Bookmark us and check back soon for Part 2 of our series on how to deal with stains and spots!