These common stain removal methods are actually making things worse… from using salt on red wine to choosing the wrong soap
Stubborn stains can ruin your soft furnishings, carpets and your clothes
OUR grandmothers would have us believe that a little bit of elbow grease will fix any stain.
Sadly, those of us who have spilt red wine on light coloured fabrics know otherwise.
What stain removal methods will make things worse?
Thankfully, unlike in nan's day, we have an internet full of cleaning hacks at our finger tips.
But the experts at have warned us not to be fooled by some seemingly helpful tips that can actually make stains a lot worse - here is a list of the dos and don’ts...
1. Salt on red wine
Many of us reach for the salt when trying to soak up that spilt red wine.
But this is the worst thing you can do because salt will set the stain permanently.
To achieve a clean result, rinse the blemish with water and use stain remover instead.
2. Using too much stain remover
It is easy to spray your stain remover frantically in the race against time to save your soft furnishing, clothing or whatever else you have accidentally soiled, but this is a big mistake.
Over-saturating a stain with remover can make it hard to rinse and then it may not dry properly.
Good Housekeeping Institute recommend using small amounts of stain remover at a time, repeating until the mark has disappeared.
3. Using hot water
Reaching for the kettle could mean your stain is an eyesore forevermore.
Yes, hot water can actually set a stain in place as opposed to lifting it.
Blood and vomit are apparently the worse culprits.
Always rinse a stain with cold water first, just to be safe.
4. Rubbing
Excessively rubbing a stain may remove the blemish but the fabric underneath can get ruined in the process, making the whole task a little pointless.
Instead, they dab the blemish gently with a sponge.
5. Using soap
Shockingly, soap can actually be your cleaning enemy.
Pouring soap directly onto a stain can set it permanently.
This is especially true for coffee, red wine and tea stains.
The experts suggest you rinse the blemish with cold water before applying any soap.
6. Cleaning special fabric
It is tempting to try and save money by cleaning antique furniture yourself.
This is a huge no-no, the delicate upholstery could be ruined by harsh chemical cleaners.
Always take specialist furniture to an expert.
7. Using bleach on delicate fabrics
Bleach is the harshest of all the cleaners and delicate fabrics like wool simply won’t survive its wrath.
Make sure you check that you are using a bleach-free stain remover before you clean delicate fabrics of any kind.
What stain removal methods work?
1. Oven stains
A homemade mixture of white vinegar and baking soda will work wonders on stubborn grease stains.
Another concoction to try is mixing up a paste of water, a third of a cup of salt, and one cup of baking soda.
Spread the mixture evenly over the oven door, grills and walls then watch the stains melt away.
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2. Wall stains
Marks on walls are not only unsightly they can be stubborn.
Try rubbing chalk over greasy fingerprints to lift them off the wall.
Then take a dry microfibre cloth and dust off the residue before rinsing with water.
3. Wax stains
Use a scraper to get fallen droplets of wax off your furniture.
Next place a piece of blotting paper over the left over mark and blast with a hairdryer until completely absorbed.
4. Ink stains
Blogger Jil Nystul recommends letting hand sanitiser sit on the stain for 60 seconds before whipping away.
5. Oil stains
Blot the oil with a dry paper towel before sprinkling baking soda over to absorb the remaining liquid.
Brush the powder away and scrub off the stain.
6. Lipstick stains
White bread apparently removes lipstick marks.
Tear off the crust and bunch up the rest using it as a bread-napkin to blot the stain away.
7. Grass stains
Grass stains can be combated with lemon juice and salt.
Apply the lemon juice first and then sprinkle on the salt, rub the stain and it should come away with little to no effort.
Clean freaks turn away now, check out the students dishing the dirt on their disgusting flats.