Stain Removal advice from Competent Cleaners
While the stain removal tips below are quite simple and basic, they will help to remove or at least reduce stains in your home. If followed carefully, our advice should help prevent some quite common and expensive mistakes and prevent you damaging your soft furnishings during do-it-yourself stain removal. Should you decide that you need the assistance of a professional cleaner, you will find that having followed our advice will improve the chances of a successful professional stain removal.
General tips
- Deal with stains as quickly as possible for a better chance of success.
- Scrape up or blot up any excess before you try to clean the stain.
- Do not use inappropriate detergents (e.g. washing up liquid, washing powders, household bleach, disinfectants) on carpets or upholstery.
- Use detergents at the dilution recommended by the manufacturer.
- Do not apply detergents directly onto the carpet or fabric – put the fluid on an absorbent material and use this to clean the stain.
- Do not over wet as the liquid will soak into the backing materials.
- Always work from the outside of the stain inward to avoid spreading.
- Never rub or scrub.
- Keep the fabric or carpet as dry as possible, and encourage quick drying (e.g. with a hair dryer).
Tips for greasy stains (e.g. oil-based cosmetics, oily foods, some inks)
- Apply a small amount of surgical spirit to some cotton wool or a cotton bud.
- Using this to apply the surgical spirit to the edges of the stain and work in toward the centre.
- Gently blot with a towel or kitchen roll, and repeat as a necessary until the stain no longer transfers.
- Do not allow the surgical spirit to soak through to the back of carpeting or foam filling materials!
- Using the detergent solution on cotton wool, dampen the area then blot with a towel or kitchen roll.
- To help prevent water marks, dry using a hair dryer, continually moving over the damp area.
Tips for water-based stains (e.g. tea, coffee, fruit juices, wine, some basic food stains)
- Soak up the spill using absorbent material, or suck it up with a wet pick-up vacuum.
- Re-wet the area using lukewarm water on a small piece of sponge or cotton wool.
- Blot with dry absorbent material like a towel or kitchen roll and repeat as necessary.
- To help prevent water marks, dry using a hair dryer, continually moving over the damp area.
Tips for dried in stains
- Mix up a detergent solution: add one egg cup full of white vinegar and a quarter of a teaspoon ONLY of carpet shampoo into 2 litres of lukewarm water.
- use cotton wool to apply the detergent solution to the stained area until wet.
- Blot with dry absorbent material like a towel or kitchen roll and repeat as necessary.
- place 5 or 6 layers of kitchen roll over the affected area.
- Use a large heavy book or catalogue to weigh down the kitchen roll.
- Allow to dry over 24 hours, to absorb any stain that wicks up to the surface during the drying.