10 Ways With Stains

Grass stains, chewing gum, red wine on the carpet...

...I've had them all!
This is how I tackled those nasties.

• BLOOD STAIN

  Make a paste out of water and corn flour and dab it on fresh blood marks. Leave it to dry, and then brush it off.

  If the blood has dried already, then dab the stain with meat tenderiser before adding a tiny bit of water. After 20 minutes sponge it off with cold water and wash the garment as normal.

• COFFEE STAIN

  Beat egg yolk and rub it onto the coffee stain and rinse with cold water.

• CHEWING GUM

  Ouch! Ever got some chewing gum or a sticky sweet stuck in your hair?...

  ...don't reach for the scissors....

  instead rub some peanut butter into your hair and pull the gum or sweet out slowly.

  If it ended up on your clothes, then put the garment in the freezer for a few hours. The gum should now easily break off.

  If the gum ended up on your carpet, then wrap an ice block in plastic and rub it on the gum until it breaks off.

• CRAYON MARKS ON THE WALL

  Use a white, damp cloth and rub a bit of toothpaste on the marks.

• FRUIT STAIN

  Soak the stain in milk for a few hours before washing the garment as per normal.

• GRASS STAIN

  Dab the stain with liquid detergent, leave it on for a minute and rinse thoroughly with cold water. If the stain is still there, then try dabbing the stain with a little white vinegar.

  Alternatively mix 50ml cream of tartar with 50ml salt, add a bit of water and dab this gently on the stain before washing the garment as per normal.

• GREASE STAIN

  Act fast - rub salt on the spill in order for it to absorb the grease and wash the garment as soon as possible.

• KETCHUP STAIN

  Dab the stain with a mixture of warm water and liquid detergent and wash the garment immediately. For very stubborn stains, spray window cleaner on the stain and leave it on for 15 minutes. Rinse the garment in cold water before washing it as normal.

• RED WINE STAIN

  Pour white wine or soda water on the spill and dab it with a clean white cloth. Now sprinkle salt on the area. After 10 minutes vacuum it off.

  If you spill red wine on your clothes, dab a little white vinegar on the spill and wash it as soon as possible.

• SWEAT STAIN

  Soak the stain for a few minutes in a bit of white vinegar before washing the shirt as normal. - This also works well on deodorant stains.

Top tip: Always use a dabbing action when dealing with a stain. Rubbing / wiping will only drive the stain in further.


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