There’s nothing more annoying than unsightly stains on your fabrics, furniture or tables. Common offenders include coffee, red wine and turmeric. Many people wrongly assume these stains will never come out, but all you need is the right equipment, time and some elbow grease.
The key for most stains is to act fast — the sooner you start tackling the mess, the less of a chance the stain has to set into the material. Another good tip is to avoid spreading the stain — don’t wipe outwards, only wipe inwards. Read more: How to have a sustainable and non-toxic home that will benefit your health and wellbeing Read more: See inside Ciara Kelly’s beautiful 1880s period home in Greystones after giving 'fixer upper' a makeover All of these tips recommend using a clean, dry, white cloth for stain removal — you don’t want any dye from a colourful cloth adding to the mix.
However, for really tough stains on durable fabrics, you can use a very soft bristle brush, like a toothbrush. You should avoid harsh scrubbing as you could damage delicate materials or fibres. As always, it’s best to try these stain removal hacks on an inconspicuous area first, to make sure they don’t leave a mark.
Delicate materials and fabrics will need specialist treatment, so always consult an expert when in doubt. Coffee and tea are very common household stains as they are usually drunk early in the morning when we are tired and perhaps not as coordinated as we should be. Surprisingly, the high tannin content in tea makes it harder to remove than coffee.
Firstly, you should blot up the excess coffee or tea with a cloth or a sheet of kitchen roll. Make sure you don’t rub at the material as this can embed the stain further. Once this is done, dab the area with cold water to further dilute the stain.
After this, you can apply a shop-bought stain remover suitable for the type of material, but if you don’t have any handy, you can make your own. Mix one tablespoon of washing up liquid, one tablespoon of white vinegar, and two cups of warm water. Use a clean cloth to apply this solution to the stain.
Once the area is covered, blot it with a dry towel until the stain is gone. Keep dabbing the area with cold water to make sure your cleaning solution and the stain is removed completely. To treat old or stubborn stains on white materials, you may need to use oxygen bleach, which is a natural alternative to chlorine bleach.
It’s available in most health food or eco-friendly stores in Ireland. Mix the oxygen bleach solution according to the instructions on the back of the packet, and follow the steps above. You may have a leather or suede couch or chair.
These materials need to be treated a little differently. You can get specific stain removers for these fabrics, and they are well worth having in your cupboard. However, if you find yourself in a pinch, you can try to eliminate coffee or tea stains from leather yourself.
Once again, carefully blot up excess liquid. Mix a solution of mild soap in lukewarm water, and swirl it around to create lots of suds. With a sponge, apply only the foam to the area, and wipe dry with a clean dry cloth.
Red wine is one of the toughest stains to remove — but fear not, it is possible. Dab at it with some sparkling water as the bubbles will help push the stain out of the fabric. Blot with a cloth.
There’s two methods you can attempt. You can create a mixture of a tablespoon of washing up liquid, a tablespoon of white vinegar and two cups of warm water. Dab at the stain until it is removed.
You can also wet the stain with cold water, pour white table salt over it, leave overnight and hoover it up in the morning. On leather or suede fabrics, use the same method as the coffee. If your sofa is leather, you can use a leather cleaner or saddle soap, once the treated area has dried overnight.
Oily stains can be left by a variety of things, but the main culprit is food or makeup. Firstly, remove the remaining food or other substance that is causing the stain with a spoon. For fabrics, you need to absorb the oil.
Work baby powder, talcum powder or cornflour into the stain with a soft bristled brush, leaving to sit for an hour. Vacuum up the powder and then begin on the stain removal. You should then use a shop-bought oil stain remover — oil stains are very tricky and require an enzyme-based substance to break them down.
For leather, use a dry cloth to blot up as much oil as possible. There are a few different household items you can try — washing up liquid diluted with water is the first choice. If this doesn’t work, try using white vinegar diluted with warm water, 1:1.
You can also use the absorbent powders mentioned above. Firstly, freeze the wax using an ice pack, or even a bag of frozen peas will do. After the wax is cold, scrape it off using the dull edge of a knife.
If some wax remains, place a towel or a brown paper bag over it. Take your iron, and using a low setting with no steam, iron over the towel or bag. The rest of the wax will transfer onto the towel or bag.
Use the oil removal method above for any further stains. This spice has enormous health benefits and is often found in teas and curries. However, it is extremely pigmented, and can easily stain clothes, skin, worktops and furniture yellow.
Firstly, remove any turmeric powder (if there is any) with a spoon. Rinse the area with warm water, blotting with a cloth. Then treat the area with some hand sanitizer — the alcohol helps break down the spice.
Just make sure it’s safe for your fabric or material. You can then dab some liquid laundry detergent onto the stain and work it in using a soft toothbrush or a damp towel. For worktop stains, you can use the same method with baking soda.
If the material allows, use some white vinegar or lemon juice after the baking soda is removed, as this will lift the stain better, but the acid can damage marble, granite and other natural stones. These can be left behind by drinks that didn’t have coasters under them. Apply some Vaseline or petroleum jelly to the stain and leave for 24 hours.
Wipe the surface with a cloth, removing the jelly, then pour some white vinegar onto a cloth and wipe the stain vigorously. The water mark should be gone..
