Welcome to the fifth in our series of posts about stain removal. Before having children, things used to get stained ‘occasionally’, now, well lets say it’s a bit more frequent. It’s not deliberate on anyone’s part, more of an occupational hazard so to speak.
Parenting requires you to be an expert in so many areas: nurse; councilor; chef; teacher; dietitian; cleaner to name just a few. An expert in stain removal certainly comes as part of the role.
There are those moments, when you realise that no matter how hard you scrub that stain just isn’t coming out, but most of the time there is something you can do.
I had a mega stain situation just the other day when one of the toddlers managed to flick spaghetti bolognese at the wall and hit a black and white canvas print of himself as a baby. I was speechless as it was one of those fluke shots but with a tiny bit of bleach and an old toothbrush I’ve fixed it.
Today I’ll be looking at how to remove some of the tricky stains caused by household materials.
Ink
These stains are commonplace in our house. Blot with a cloth, preferably microfibre until the ink dries. Use a stain remover like Lakeland White Wonder Cream and follow the instructions. Blot again and more of the ink should come out. Wash as normal.
Paint
I have always found acrylic paint the most difficult to get rid of. With paint stains, use a good paper towel like Blitz by Regina to wipe away any excess. Use warm water from the tap and turn the tap on full to flush the stain. Take a nail brush or sponge if the fabric is delicate and apply a solution of warm water and laundry detergent. The paint should soften and you can then remove it with a spatula or plastic knife. If paint remains, rinse and then repeat the steps.
Candle wax
This will often end up on a table cloth or napkin. Leave it to set before scrapping away as much wax at you can. Place a good quality paper towel underneath the stain and a couple of layers on top of the stain. Using an iron on medium heat, iron the area where the stain is. The wax should melt and peel away from the fabric.
What are your stain removal tips? We would love to hear them.
