Household-hints master Graham Haley shares methods for removing various types of common stains.
- Red wine on carpet or fabric: Immediately cover the stain liberally with club soda. For carpets, you can also rub with waterless hand cleaner. In either case, if the stain persists, dab it with hydrogen peroxide and rinse with cold water. If all else fails, try cream of tartar paste.
- Crayon/marker on tile and floors: To remove from tiled walls or vinyl surfaces, apply a little toothpaste and rub with a soft cloth. Persistent scuff-marks on linoleum can often be removed by rubbing them with toothpaste.
- Tea and coffee: On fabric, spray with hairspray, then rub with a bar of soap and rinse in cold water.
- Ketchup: On carpet, first dab away as much as possible, being careful not to work the stain deeper into the carpet. Cover the area with a liberal amount of regular (foamy) shaving cream and rub vigorously with a sponge. When you wipe away the excess, the stain should go too.
- To make your own carpet cleaner, mix equal parts salt and baking soda. Add several drops of white vinegar and enough water to make a paste. Check the carpet for color-fastness, then apply paste to the stain and let it sit. When it's dry, brush away residue. The stain should disappear with the residue. (For particularly nasty stains, scrub when applying the paste.)
Resources Haley's Hints: A Compilation
by Graham Haley
3H Productions, Inc., 1999
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