How to remove stubborn household stains for good
We've all been there before. You've just settled down for the evening, poured yourself a glass of red wine and before you've even had a sip, you've kicked it all over the brand new carpet.
If it's not wine, it's something else - how many times have you eaten a bar of chocolate, and stood up to find the tiny chocolate shards have somehow melted into the seat of your new sofa?
You don't have to be particularly clumsy to get yourself into a tricky situation with a stubborn stain. Knowing how to treat the stain quickly and effectively, however, can be the difference between saving your favourite top, sofa or newly laid carpet, and spending money on an expensive cleaning service.
If you're battling with a stain, here's our ultimate stain removal guide. Read on to learn how to get rid of mud, blood, chocolate, oil, toothpaste, and everything in between.
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Coffee and wine
- Use a fluffy towel and carpet/ baby shampoo
How to: If you spill a dark coloured liquid like coffee or wine, you firstly need to soak up as much liquid as possible using absorbent towels. Apply pressure to the spill and turn or replace the towels regularly - it sometimes helps to apply more water using a small plant sprayer before repeating the blotting process.
Once you’ve done this, use a dilution of carpet shampoo and water (baby shampoo works if you don't have any), again in the hand sprayer.
Blot, then repeat the process as required. Leave six to eight sheets of kitchen towel on top of the wet carpet and leave overnight to dry. Finally, remove the towels and vacuum the carpet.
Top tip: If you don’t have any carpet shampoo to hand, try flushing the area with soda water. The bubbles help to agitate the stain away from the fabric.
Blood
- Use cold water and shampoo
How to: For small amounts of blood, dab with cold water on a towel to remove as much as possible.
Then use cold water in a hand sprayer, and apply to the blood and repeat the blotting process.
When the stain starts to fade, you can use a dilution of carpet shampoo and water and then repeat the process until it's completely gone.
Top tip: Keep in mind that, in terms of hygiene, blood might need professional removal to ensure the area remains clean and safe. If you're not sure, contact a professional.
Chocolate
- Use a blunt knife or spoon, white spirit
How to: It’s possible that chocolate stains can be a combination of both oil and water. Remove excess food first by carefully scraping with a blunt knife or spoon, then vacuum over the area.
Blot the stain with white spirit to remove any oil, then apply diluted carpet shampoo and blot out as much as you can.
Repeat the process as required, and leave sheets of kitchen towel on top of the wet carpet before leaving overnight to dry. Finally, remove the towels and vacuum the carpet.
Grass
- Use spirit vinegar, warm water and liquid detergent
How to: Begin by removing any excess grass or dirt from the area, but make sure you don't inadvertently make the stain worse by rubbing it further into the fabric.
If it's a particularly hardy grass stain, it will benefit from pre-soaking the area with a mix of spirit vinegar and two parts warm water for around 30 minutes.
If you don’t have these, soak the stain in cool water then sponge with liquid detergent. Rinse away and treat again, before washing on your usual cycle in the washing machine.
Toothpaste
- Use neat laundry detergent, water
How to: check the toothpaste tube for ingredients like hydrogen peroxide. If it contains this, you'll need to scrape away excess product with a knife and flush the area with water immediately, as the chemical could bleach your clothes or carpet.
If it doesn't contain hydrogen peroxide, still scrape the area with a blunt knife before mixing a 10-pence-piece-sized blob of laundry detergent with half a pint of water. Use a white cloth to dab the mixture onto the stain, and blot the stain on the clothes or carpet. Repeat the blotting process and allow to air dry.
Mud
- Use a vacuum cleaner, shampoo and kitchen towels
How to: Allow the mud to dry, and then go over it with the vacuum cleaner on the lowest setting.
If there’s any residue left, use a dilution of carpet shampoo and water through the hand sprayer and blot and repeat as required.
Leave six to eight sheets of kitchen towel on top of the wet carpet and leave overnight to dry. Finally, remove the towels and vacuum the carpet.
Barbecue sauce, ketchup or mustard
- Use cool, running water and detergent
How to: Remove any excess sauce with a blunt knife to avoid the stain from spreading. Rinse the stain from the back (turn fabric inside out) using cool running water. Spread liquid detergent over the stain and leave for a few minutes before rinsing with cool water.
Sponge the stain with white vinegar before rinsing again. Treat with a prewash stain remover then machine wash on your usual cycle.
Pet urine
- Use white vinegar and water
How to: Soak up as much liquid as possible with absorbent towels, apply pressure and turn or replace the towels regularly.
Mix two parts white vinegar and two parts water in a hand sprayer, apply it to the carpet and repeat the blotting process.
Once you’ve done this, use a dilution of carpet shampoo and water through the hand sprayer and blot, repeat as required.
Leave six to eight sheets of kitchen towel on top of the wet carpet and leave to dry. Finally, remove the towels and vacuum the carpet.
Sun cream
- Use bicarbonate of soda
How to: As suncream is an oily substance, it can be a nightmare to get rid of from your clothes.
Your best bet will be using a chemical stain remover as this can cut through and lift the oils within the sun cream with ease, but if you don't have any to hand, scrape off any excess cream using a knife and sprinkle bicarbonate of soda on the area.
Leave it to settle and absorb the excess oils and brush it off, before scrubbing the area with colourless washing up liquid. Wash and dry in the machine as normal.
Top tip: If your top is white and you've washed and dried it but a slight yellowing remains, use laundry bleach to whiten in the next wash.
Make-up, nail varnish or fake tan
- Use surgical spirit and a white towel
How to: It’s difficult to know where to start with cosmetics as some are oily, some water-soluble and some a combination of both.
Start with white spirit or surgical spirit, apply it to a clean white towel and blot the stain. Remove as much of the stain as you can by turning or changing the towel, adding small amounts of spirit if required.
If the stain persists, proceed with a dilution of shampoo and water as above.
Egg yolk
- Use cold water and a credit card
How to: Like with sauce, use a blunt knife or credit card to carefully scrape off the excess egg, before soaking the garment for around half an hour in cold water - this serves to soften and lift the stain.
Oil
- Use white spirit
How to: Treat any oily stains with white spirit. Apply it to a cloth, blot the stain and repeat as necessary.
Top tip: Over-applying solvents such as white spirit can wear away the backing of a carpet, so be careful and rinse the area with water if need be.
Fruit juice or ice lollies
- Use Borax Substitute
How to: Fruit stains should be soaked in a solution of Borax Substitute for 15 minutes, before being washed on your usual machine wash.
Fruits like watermelon are the perfect refreshing snack, but the juice can leave a permanent stain if not treated quickly. If you don't have solution to hand, you'll need to blot the stained fabric with a damp cloth before preparing it for wash.
The natural juices can be lifted by soaking in water - nice and simple! For artificial colourings, try squeezing some lemon juice on the stain. The acid will help break down the colouring.
When you wash, use a detergent that contains a lot of enzymes to be able to break apart the stain. If it remains, don't dry the fabric - simply hand wash it in warm water and oxygen-based bleach before allowing to air dry.
Top tip: With fruit juice, the secret is to keep the stain moist. If you're dealing with a dark fruit stain that won't seem to budge, try soaking in white vinegar.
Pollen
- Use sticky tape
How to: Shake the garment to knock off most of the dust, being careful not to touch or rub the stain further into the fabric. Lift away pollen dust that is left with sticky tape, then wash as usual.
Avocado
- Use liquid laundry detergent and a clean toothbrush
How to: Avocado - the star of any alfresco brunch! If you're unfortunate enough to drop some on your clothes you'll need to work quickly, as the fat content makes it nearly impossible to remove once it dries.
Rub it gently with liquid laundry detergent. Pop some on a clean toothbrush to scrub if needed. Rinse and wash in the machine as usual.
Chocolate ice cream
- Use neat liquid detergent
How to: Scrape off any excess using a blunt knife or credit card, then rinse in cool water under a running tap, from the back of the stain to try to push it out. Pour liquid detergent directly onto the stain and gently spread over the surface. Without rinsing, place in the washing machine and run on your usual wash.
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