Stain removal can be one of the trickiest cleaning tasks we encounter on a daily basis. common substances such as wine, coffee, and grease have the potential to ruin the look of carpets and clothing. Follow these simple tips to get the best results when encountering common stains.
Act Fast to Remove Clothing Stains
Clothing stains are some of the most frustrating to deal with, as if they can’t be removed, it often means we’ll need to throw the stained item away. Food, blood, and grass can all easily stain your clothes, and if you have children you especially will know how common they are. The most important thing when dealing with clothing stains is to treat them quickly, to make sure they don’t have a chance to set. Applying cold water is a good place to start, as it can dissolve stains and carries very little risk of damaging your clothes. If you move fast, most stains will wash out easily when laundering them on normal settings. However, for more stubborn or deeper clothes stains, you may need to treat them with a fabric stain remover / detergent prior to washing them, and use a higher washing machine temperature. For cotton clothes this should be sufficient, but other materials, like wool and silk, are more fragile. If you are worried about potentially damaging your clothes with a stain remover, consider instead taking them to a commercial dry cleaners.
Commercial Carpet Cleaning
Carpet stains can be some of the most difficult to remove, and they can also bleed outwards over time. Most domestic carpet cleaners and stain removers will be able to handle less severe stains, but they may struggle to get rid of older or deeper set ones. Some types of carpet, such as wool and shag ones, may also be incompatible with most readily available stain removers. In these cases, you may consider hiring a commercial carpet cleaner. Not only will they have more powerful cleaning methods at their disposal, but they can also offer a comprehensive carpet stain removal service. In addition, they can treat carpets to make them more resistant to staining in the future.
Using Stain Removers
For tough floor, carpet, and fabric stains, stain removers can be a useful tool for removing most kinds of them. There are a variety of substances you can use to treat stains, so you can choose the one that is most suitable for the surface you stained and the staining substance. Hydrogen peroxide, for example, is a popular choice for treating clothes and fabric stains, as it has a similar power of stain removal to bleach, but doesn’t take the colour out of fabric. Users should make sure to handle the substance with care, however, as hydrogen peroxide can act as an irritant when in contact with bare skin. Baking soda and vinegar is also a commonly used stain remover that can easily be prepared at home, and is less harsh than other domestic stain removers that are readily available. Whichever stain remover you decide to use, though, you should make sure to treat it on a small patch of the surface to begin with, to determine whether or not the cleaner will bleach your carpet.
