Stains:
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With Upholstery, you face the same problem you have with carpeting: You rarely have a chance to get at both sides of the stain. Even if you can remove the upholstery material, most upholstery manufacturers warn against washing cushion covers separately from the cushions because of possible shrinking and other problems. The trick, as with carpeting and pads, is to remove the stain from the top side without soaking the cushion beneath. so following the steps for removing carpet stains, listed above, to deal with your upholstery stains.
Protein-based stains are caused by such substances as baby food and formula, cream- or cheese-based foods, eggs, feces, and urine.
For fresh protein stains, cold water is sometimes all you'll need to remove them. Don't use hot water, because it can cook the proteins, causing the stain to coagulate between the fibers in the fabric. (Think blue-jean omelets.) For washable fabrics, soak in cold water for half an hour, put the stain under running cold water, and gently rub the fabric again itself to loosen the stain. Launder in the washing machine in warm water.
For an old or dried protein stain, you may have to take your stain-removal tactics to the next level. Soak washable fabrics for half an hour in a solution of 1 teaspoon of liquid detergent (preferably one containing enzymes--the label will say whether it has them) per 1/2 gallon of cold water. Follow this soaking by laundering the fabric in your washing machine in warm water. Inspect the
item before drying. If the stain is still here, soak the fabric an additional half hour and then launder again. If the stain remains after that, your only option may be to add the recommended amount of bleach to the next wash cycle, especially if the stain was caused by colored ice cream or baby food.
For a fresh protein stain in carpeting or upholstery, spray with cold water and blot, repeating until clean.
For a dried protein stain in carpeting or upholstery, lightly apply a solution of 1/4 teaspoon mild dish-washing liquid (one that doesn't contain lanolin or bleach) in 1 quart cold water. Apply the solution to a cloth, and use a blotting motion to work the solution into the affected area. Blot with a clean paper towel to remove the solution. Rinse by lightly spraying the stain with water and then blotting. Do this until all the suds are gone.Then spray again lightly with water. Don't blot this time. Instead, lay a pad of paper towels over the spot, put a weight on it, and let it dry. (See step 4 of removing stains from carpeting, previous)
If the stain persists, repeat the procedure with a stronger solution: 1/2 teaspoons of liquid detergent (preferably one containing enzymes) per 1 quart of cold water.
If that still doesn't completely remove the stain, moisten the stained tufts with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide. Let it stand for one hour. Blot and repeat until the carpet or upholstery is stain free. No rinsing is necessary following this procedure, because light will cause the peroxide to change to water. To dry, use the method mentioned previously involving a pad of paper towels and a weight. But be careful. Hydrogen peroxide is bleach and can whiten colors.
> OIL-BASED STAINS include those from auto grease or motor oil, hair oil and mousse, hand lotion, kitchen grease, lard, butter bacon, oils, ointments, salad dressing, and suntan lotion. Oil-based stains aren't as difficult to get rid of as most people think. Many pre-wash stain removal products, such as Spray 'n Wash and Shout, contain special solvents for removing oil and grease.
For oil-based stains in washable fabrics, pre-treat new and old stains with a commercial pre-wash stain remover. If you don't have one of those products, apply liquid laundry detergent (or a paste made from granular detergent mixed with water) directly to the stain. Work the detergent into the stain. Immediately after pre-treatment, launder the item in the washing machine in hot water (if that is safe for the fabric and colors). Before drying the fabric, inspect it. If the stain is still evident, repeat the process until it is gone. For heavy stains, lay the stain facedown on a clean white towel (or stack of paper towels) and press a dry-cleaning solvent, such as K2r or Carbona, on the stain, forcing it out and into the towels. Repeat and then launder.
For oil-based stains in carpets and upholstery, apply isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to a clean white cloth or white paper towel and blot the stain. Discard the dirty towels and repeat with fresh paper towels and alcohol until the stain is gone. Don't let the alcohol penetrate the carpet backing, as it can destroy the latex lining. If that treatment doesn't remove the stain, try the method recommended above for removing dried portein stains from carpeting and upholstery.
TANNIN STAINS include those from alcoholic drinks, coffee or tea without milk, fruits and juices, soft drinks, and wine. Most jellies also contain tannins, but cherry and blueberry jellies should be treated as dye stains.(see later)
OOPS!
A Bottle of Red, a Bottle of White >
A butler who wishes to remain anonymous (discretion being part of a butler's code of conduct) was employed by an American family in England. One day, he was horrified to find a large red stain on the family's cream-colored carpet. He contacted a carpet-cleaning company, which agreed to come immediately. Before the cleaners arrived, however, the butler surprised two of the family's children, age 11 and 14, sneaking across the hallway with a half-empty bottle of very expensive white wine from their father's cellar.
The children's friends had told them that they could remove a red wine stain with white wine. Naturally, they had tested the theory. "All I will say," adds the butler, " is that the red wine/white wine stain theory cost them a very large amount of their allowance over the coming months."
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With Upholstery, you face the same problem you have with carpeting: You rarely have a chance to get at both sides of the stain. Even if you can remove the upholstery material, most upholstery manufacturers warn against washing cushion covers separately from the cushions because of possible shrinking and other problems. The trick, as with carpeting and pads, is to remove the stain from the top side without soaking the cushion beneath. so following the steps for removing carpet stains, listed above, to deal with your upholstery stains.
Protein-based stains are caused by such substances as baby food and formula, cream- or cheese-based foods, eggs, feces, and urine.
For fresh protein stains, cold water is sometimes all you'll need to remove them. Don't use hot water, because it can cook the proteins, causing the stain to coagulate between the fibers in the fabric. (Think blue-jean omelets.) For washable fabrics, soak in cold water for half an hour, put the stain under running cold water, and gently rub the fabric again itself to loosen the stain. Launder in the washing machine in warm water.
For an old or dried protein stain, you may have to take your stain-removal tactics to the next level. Soak washable fabrics for half an hour in a solution of 1 teaspoon of liquid detergent (preferably one containing enzymes--the label will say whether it has them) per 1/2 gallon of cold water. Follow this soaking by laundering the fabric in your washing machine in warm water. Inspect the
item before drying. If the stain is still here, soak the fabric an additional half hour and then launder again. If the stain remains after that, your only option may be to add the recommended amount of bleach to the next wash cycle, especially if the stain was caused by colored ice cream or baby food.
For a fresh protein stain in carpeting or upholstery, spray with cold water and blot, repeating until clean.
For a dried protein stain in carpeting or upholstery, lightly apply a solution of 1/4 teaspoon mild dish-washing liquid (one that doesn't contain lanolin or bleach) in 1 quart cold water. Apply the solution to a cloth, and use a blotting motion to work the solution into the affected area. Blot with a clean paper towel to remove the solution. Rinse by lightly spraying the stain with water and then blotting. Do this until all the suds are gone.Then spray again lightly with water. Don't blot this time. Instead, lay a pad of paper towels over the spot, put a weight on it, and let it dry. (See step 4 of removing stains from carpeting, previous)
If the stain persists, repeat the procedure with a stronger solution: 1/2 teaspoons of liquid detergent (preferably one containing enzymes) per 1 quart of cold water.
If that still doesn't completely remove the stain, moisten the stained tufts with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide. Let it stand for one hour. Blot and repeat until the carpet or upholstery is stain free. No rinsing is necessary following this procedure, because light will cause the peroxide to change to water. To dry, use the method mentioned previously involving a pad of paper towels and a weight. But be careful. Hydrogen peroxide is bleach and can whiten colors.
> OIL-BASED STAINS include those from auto grease or motor oil, hair oil and mousse, hand lotion, kitchen grease, lard, butter bacon, oils, ointments, salad dressing, and suntan lotion. Oil-based stains aren't as difficult to get rid of as most people think. Many pre-wash stain removal products, such as Spray 'n Wash and Shout, contain special solvents for removing oil and grease.
For oil-based stains in washable fabrics, pre-treat new and old stains with a commercial pre-wash stain remover. If you don't have one of those products, apply liquid laundry detergent (or a paste made from granular detergent mixed with water) directly to the stain. Work the detergent into the stain. Immediately after pre-treatment, launder the item in the washing machine in hot water (if that is safe for the fabric and colors). Before drying the fabric, inspect it. If the stain is still evident, repeat the process until it is gone. For heavy stains, lay the stain facedown on a clean white towel (or stack of paper towels) and press a dry-cleaning solvent, such as K2r or Carbona, on the stain, forcing it out and into the towels. Repeat and then launder.
For oil-based stains in carpets and upholstery, apply isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to a clean white cloth or white paper towel and blot the stain. Discard the dirty towels and repeat with fresh paper towels and alcohol until the stain is gone. Don't let the alcohol penetrate the carpet backing, as it can destroy the latex lining. If that treatment doesn't remove the stain, try the method recommended above for removing dried portein stains from carpeting and upholstery.
TANNIN STAINS include those from alcoholic drinks, coffee or tea without milk, fruits and juices, soft drinks, and wine. Most jellies also contain tannins, but cherry and blueberry jellies should be treated as dye stains.(see later)
OOPS!
A Bottle of Red, a Bottle of White >
A butler who wishes to remain anonymous (discretion being part of a butler's code of conduct) was employed by an American family in England. One day, he was horrified to find a large red stain on the family's cream-colored carpet. He contacted a carpet-cleaning company, which agreed to come immediately. Before the cleaners arrived, however, the butler surprised two of the family's children, age 11 and 14, sneaking across the hallway with a half-empty bottle of very expensive white wine from their father's cellar.
The children's friends had told them that they could remove a red wine stain with white wine. Naturally, they had tested the theory. "All I will say," adds the butler, " is that the red wine/white wine stain theory cost them a very large amount of their allowance over the coming months."
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