How to Get Rid of Lipstick Stains

Lipstick on your shirt is a faux pas for sure, but it can happen pretty easily. All it takes is a hug from someone wearing lipstick to end up with a smudge on your shirt or your collar. Accidents can happen while applying makeup too. If you do the wrong thing (such as washing it regularly then drying it) you could make that smudge a permanent part of the garment. If you treat it correctly, however, you should be able to remove it without difficulty.

1. Check your garment’s label for care instructions. Sometimes the safest thing is to take it to the dry cleaners rather than risk ruining the whole thing. If you do decide to dry clean, don’t do anything to the stain at all, such as put a stain treatment on it. If you’re not sure how the chemicals that are mentioned below will affect the fabric, try it on a bit that won’t be seen (such as the shirt tail that gets tucked in) first.
2. Lipstick is wax and oil based, which makes cleaning it different from something like coffee or grass stains. For lipstick, start with a little bit of rubbing alcohol, wetting a cloth and dabbing gently. Don’t rub it or you may end up spreading it around or rubbing it into the cloth.
3. Rub a small amount of dishwashing soap onto the stain using a cue tip or your finger. Put it under cold running water, lipstick side down. Repeat again, and keep at it until no more lipstick comes off.
4. Clorox makes a product called Lestoil. Look for it in the cleaning aisle of a grocery or all-purpose store. In this case all you have to do is soak the stains with it, let it sit for a quarter of an hour, and then wash the garment on its regular wash cycle.
5. Sometimes you may get a lipstick stain on your shirt because you put it on over your head after applying makeup. To keep this from happening again, cover your head with some kind of slippery fabric—silk, nylon, et cetera—before you pull your clothes on.
6. If applying makeup with your clothes already on, tuck a small towel around your collar or neck. This will keep you from getting makeup stains of any sort on your clothes during application.

Remember that dry cleaning is always a last option and sometimes the best first option. As always, avoid drying or ironing the garment before you’ve treated the stain, or it may never come out. Handle it carefully to be sure you don’t end up spreading the stain further, which overly zealous rubbing can do. A very last resort is to get the garment died a darker color to disguise the stain, but that really shouldn’t be necessary if you treat the original lipstick smudge properly and in a timely manner. No matter how disastrous you think that stain on your expensive blouse is, there is something you can do to save it.

How to Get Rid of Chocolate Stains

How many times has it happened to you or one of yours. You are tucking into a bar of chocolate, or an eclair, and when you look down there it is, a chocolate stain on your shirt/dress or whatever. Don’t worry it happens to all of us at some time or another. Here are a few steps you can take to restore your clothing to its former self.

Remedy for Removing a Chocolate Stain from Clothing:

1.  Firstly check the care label to make sure none of our tips will do any damage, if they will then skip that particular step.
2. Now you need to allow the stain to dry. You could pop it into the refrigerator to let it harden. When it has, try scraping off the excess chocolate with the blunt side of a knife.
3. Turn the garment inside out, and run the hot tap at as high a pressure as possible so that you are pushing the stain out of the material. (DO check the care label in case hot water damages the material).
4. You should now be looking at a smaller fainter blemish. Douse this with either washing up liquid or detergent and soak for ten minutes or so.
5. Fold the material in on itself and gently rub the two folds together to agitate the soap until the stain as disappeared. Rinse the soap off thoroughly using hot water.
6. In the unlikely event the above has not worked, or you spilt more choccie than was good for you. Put the item in your washer with a gallon of whole milk. Leave to soak for thirty minutes and then run the machine on your normal cycle.

If after everything there are any grease stains left, run the wash cycle again to remove any residue.

Removing a Chocolate Stain from Carpets or Furniture

Unlike the above your sofa and rug probably will not fit in your fridge, so lets approach it from a different angle.

1. As always we leave the stain to dry before trying to remove any excess chocolate with the blunt side of a knife. Vacuum up any particles you have dislodged.
2. Heat your iron to a low setting (usually 1 will suffice), place a sheet of paper towel over the stain and then place the iron on top, so that the chocolate begins to melt and soak into the paper.
3. Continue this process, replacing the paper towel regularly, so you do not re-iron the chocolate into the garment. Be careful not to have the iron too hot.
4. Finally spot treat the area with either a proprietary carpet cleaner, or liquid detergent, and blot dry.

Chocolate is a guilty pleasure the majority of us enjoy, but its better in your mouth than down your front, well when you are dressed it is!

How to Get Rid of Blood Stains

Have you ever cut yourself, on a very sharp knife or even paper, without knowing it? When you look down you have got blood on your shirt, blouse or dress. With immediate action you may be able to get rid of it. The thing about blood is, it is meant to go sticky and set (coagulate), if it didn’t you would just keep bleeding..

Removing Blood Stains from Clothing:

As with many stains, and blood in particular, you need to try and blot the stain away while it is still damp. Note, do NOT use hydrogen peroxide or bleach unless your garment is white and the washing label permits it. If it is white, then this should remove the blemish.

1. Using a paper towel or clean sponge dab the blood so it soaks into the paper/sponge. Do not rub it. You could add a little washing up liquid or hydrogen peroxide (see warning above).

If the garment is dry clean only, then you should now take it to the dry cleaners without taking any further action.

In the case of machine or hand wash only item you can carry on with the following per-treatments, until the stain has gone.

2. If your garment is not made of wool, linen or silk, try a mixture of ammonia and water, (window cleaner contains this combination).
3. Gentle rubbing with moistened lava soap will lift the stain.
4. If you have neither of the above try spit on the stain. Our own spittle contains the enzymes that break down the protein in the blood.

Hand wash items should now be washed in mild laundry detergent in a bowl or sink. Machine washable clothes require a cold or lowest heat setting for the first cycle. Use your usual detergent and add a stain remover such as Oxy, if you have it.

In both cases do not heat dry the garment until the stain has gone, as this will bake the blood. Repeat the above steps and wash again until the stain has completely disappeared.

Removing Blood from Carpets or Furniture:

As with clothes, avoid using bleach or hydrogen peroxide unless your carpet or fabric permits. This is highly unlikely unless they are pure white.

Follow the following steps to remove the stain:

1. Using a clean sponge or paper towel dab the stain to remove any excess blood. Do not rub at it.\
2. Put some mild liquid detergent (washing up or laundry) on the stain and using a small brush work for the outside inward scrubbing gently.
3. Blot again with a clean white cloth or paper towel.
4. \Using a little ammonia, window cleaner, or spittle, let it stand for a few minutes.
5. Blot again with a clean white cloth or paper towel.
6. Repeat the whole process from step 2. Again
7. Finally blot dry and hopefully the stain will have gone.

If there is excessive blood at the beginning of either process, try putting salt or a biological enzyme on it. This can soak up the excess, and you can then proceed as above. Remember at no time should you rub the stain as it will only push it further into the fabric.

How to Get Rid of Mattress Stains

Mattress stains such as ones resulting from feeding yourself or your baby on your bed occur all the time. Pet urination is another very common mattress stain source.

The problem with these soil or dirt spots is more than just about appearance. Sometimes the food or urine spots leave behind an odor.

Therefore, it is highly likely that you are looking for a way to deal with the issue as soon as possible. Otherwise, the odor could become even more stubborn and thus could be harder and harder to remove.

It is possible to have a clean mattress once again without having to purchase a new one (at least not yet anyway).

If your mattress still has some years on it you can use one or more of these ideas and methods to help remove the stains:

•  One suggestion is to use an enzyme cleaner. These will break down both odor and appearance of a stain. It especially works on dried urine but it also can work on food stains. It helps break down the proteins that cause some stains to persist, and it is especially recommended for use on urine stains.

 

• Try recommended brands of mattress cleaners. For example, Bane-Clene or Nature’s Miracle could really do the trick. The Bane-Clean specifically is highly recommended because it can protect you from allergies. ProKlean also seems to do wonders in many cases.
• Try a homemade mixture. Dry suds with warm water along with ¼ cup of mild powdered detergent would be very helpful.

You can beat an egg into this cleaning mixture for extra measure. When suds form apply this foamy mixture with a sponge, then wipe with a sponge dipped in warm water.

• Try a hydrogen peroxide solution. First, blot the stain using a white towel until bubbles begin to form. Keep doing this until blood no longer seeps onto your white towel. This works better for fresher blood stains versus ones that have set for awhile.
• Try an upholstery shampoo. A higher-quality product is recommended for this purpose. For best results, when you use this substance it should be applied as soon as possible after the spill has occurred. When used promptly, it helps remove stains and odor very effectively.

This is not an exhaustive list of methods used to clean out mattress stains. However, this list should sure get you started as far as giving you ideas on how to deal with this situation, which of course more than one option is presented above.

More than one solution is provided as well, and this is just to give you a peace of mind that you can choose. If one method does not seem right to you or does not work out very well you can try a different one.

Whatever solution you try first, take care to remember to test the solution or method of choice. You can try it on a hidden area before going “live” on dealing with a stain using one certain method. This will save quite a bit of chances of damage.

How to Get Rid of Bleach Stains

Bleach can be a very useful chemical. However, it is a strong substance that sometimes creates light spots on darker fabrics.

Usually color-safe bleaches are best for these darker clothes and surfaces. On the other hand, regular chlorine bleach used on fabrics and surfaces could cause white spotting.

You should be careful and prevention is best. However, accidents sometimes happen. Whether you are in the prevention stage or treatment stage of removing bleach stains the info you read in the next few sections should be very helpful.

Ideas for Prevention

Of course, you will not have to get rid of bleach stains if you watch what you use it on to begin with. One way to prevent whitening of items that should not be white is to remember to clean out the bleach dispenser before you watch colored clothes.

Using color-safe safe bleaches is also recommended. This is further explained as you read more prevention and treatment tips found in this article.

Other preventative tips are shown below:

1.  You should wash the colored clothes that would not bleed first. Save the ones that could bleed for last.
2. Another way to protect colored clothing is to put your washer on a rinse cycle before you do your next laundry batch.
3. When performing the rinse cycle step you are advised to put in white clothing only. You could also try just running the washing machine without any clothing in it at all.
4. Realize that removing bleach stains is not actually possible. All you can do is cover them up. You could try natural bleach alternatives such as sodium hydrosulfite or hydrogen peroxide and Borax to take care of the problem.

Treatment Options

Of course, prevention of bleach stains is not always possible. The good news is some colored clothing can be repaired if you can use a substance such as sodium thiosulfate. This ingredient can help neutralize bleaching effects and thus restore the natural color where color has been taken out of a fabric.

However, you should beware that sodium hydrosulfate and oxygen bleaches are used for bleaching only. Neither of these two substances will cause bleaching problems but they are very useful for cleaning your clothing.

Of course, if you can find the right color dye you could just restore a clothing item by dying it the same color. Another option would be to bleach the garment completely and then dye it a different color, depending how worth it to you it is to do so.

Precautionary Advice

If you are not sure how a clothing material will react to a bleach or bleach alternative you should test it. Perhaps you can work a hidden spot of a fabric by hand just to see what happens when you use a particular chemical or substance.

This is one of the best ways to avoid ruining fabrics. Another precautionary measure to consider is simply only using a bleaching product as directed.

For instance, any time you use a strong substance such as this the room should be properly ventilated. Otherwise, the fumes could cause you or one of your children or pets to get sick. Just be very careful.

How to Get Rid of Tomato Sauce Stains

Tomato cause is a substance that easily stains almost any surface on which it is spilled. It has ruined many rugs, clothing, flooring, and other surfaces.

However, it is highly possible to salvage your surfaces and fabrics affected by tomato stains. All you need to do is read and learn.

Some points to remember about removing tomato sauce stains are presented below:

1. Wipe or rinse the tomato sauce as soon as you notice the stain. If it is a non-porous surface all you need to do is wipe. However, wiping is not recommended if you are wiping a surface that is more porous (i.e. clothing or carpet).

To clean off more porous purposes you should either rinse the affected spot in cold water or blot the stain out. These tips work best when the stain is still fresh.

2. If the stain has dried onto a surface you should first remove the tomato bits. A butter knife or other flat non-sharp scraping surface can remove this dried-on tomato substance.

3. While blotting or rinsing a tomato sauce stain some mild dish or laundry detergent and water can further help remove the stain. A stain-removal product could also help.

More cleaning advice is presented below, based on cleaning product or remedy:

• Boiling water-Just pour this substance right on the stained surface, The purpose of doing this is to cause the tomato particles to become dispersed from the surface where it sits. The other purpose is to help prevent spread of the stain.

• The sun-This is a natural bleach that works well for helping remove tomato stains. If item is easily transportable, just place the affected fabric outdoors in an area that receives quite a bit of sunshine.

Another major benefit of placing your fabric in the sun is the fact that it acts as a natural disinfectant. Thus, bacteria and other pathogens are wiped away.

• Vinegar-A little bit of this substance helps remove stains quite well. All you need is a tablespoon or two mixed with approximately a half gallon of water. This solution helps chip off the remaining tomato substance
• Lemon juice-This is a substance that is highly acidic. It works very similar to vinegar for removing stains.

All you need to do is squeeze the lemon juice over the stain and use the lemon rind to wipe that stain. Then, using the rind still you should scrub vigorously over the stain.

•  Sponge-This scrubbing device can be used along with a stain remover. The absorbent material of the sponge is what helps collect tomato chunks. You can usually use a sponge along with a few drops of mild dish soap.

You would vigorously scrub and/or dab out a tomato sauce stain with the soap and sponge. Just beware of the fact that using a sponge would cause the sauce stain to spread. Using very short, brisk strokes is best versus slower or longer ones.

• Brake cleaner-This is yet one more way to get rid of a tomato juice stain. Just place a small amount of this solution on the stain and allow it to sit for a few minutes. After just this short amount of time the stain should be easily removed.

The above solutions are not the only ways to remove tomato sauce stains. You should test one of the above solutions of your choice on a hidden area before you try it outright.

How to Get Rid of Crayon Stains

Crayon stains are a part of life if you have little kids. It is inevitable that one of them will write on the walls, table or other surface even though you try to stop them.

Intro

Crayons are made from waxy material and require special methods of removal. However, you need not worry because you can use common products or household ingredients to correct the problem. You would be surprised at what substances you have in your home or garage would actually help you remove crayon.

One common home and auto substance that has successfully removed crayons from a variety of surfaces in people’s homes. That substance is none other than WD-40 that is used to lubricate nuts, bolts, gears, and so on. This mixed with a little bit of dish detergent does wonders.

Here is your guide for removing crayon stains from clothing using WD-40:

1. Get a white cloth or paper towel and lay it down. Then, lay the stained clothing over the top of the towel with the stain side up.
2.  Spray some WD-40 on the stain and let it sit for awhile. Then after a few minutes turn the garment over and spray the side where the stain is not present.

Spray some dish washing detergent on both sides. Blot this dish soap on both sides with a slight pressing action. As you press the detergent on the piece of clothing you will notice some bubbling action. This is how you know its working.

1. After a few minutes of good hard pressing with your hands, or if your arms get tired whichever comes first, place the item in the wash machine. Add a small capful or so of hydrogen bleach and wash the clothing material in hot water.

(Of course, there is one exception. You should not wash in hot water if the garment would be damaged at this heat.) Chlorine bleach is not recommended for this project because it is too harsh and could damage your clothes.

5. Remember when cleaning your clothing not to mix unstained clothes with the stained ones. Otherwise, the stain could transfer from one garment to another.

The directions for removing crayon from wood is a bit different:

1. Spray some WD-40 on the wood surface and let it sit for a minute or two. Do not let it sit too long or it could soak into the pores of the wood.
2. Rub the WD-40 but be careful not to rub it too much. This could create quite a mess. Just wipe it as you would if you were dusting the wood or using a wood polish.
3. If you still notice wax on the wood use a small amount of dish washing detergent with water on a rag. Be careful not to saturate the wood with water, especially if it is not treated. You can wipe the wood dry after application if you want to be sure the mess is fully cleaned.

Crayon stains on heavy fabrics would require these steps:

1. If the crayon is on upholstery, rugs, or other heavy fabric it can be scraped off. However, if some of the crayon does not come off you can spray some WD-40.

Spray it on the affected spot and then wipe with a small cloth. Spray on a generous amount and let it sit before wiping or scraping.

How to Get Rid of Pee Stains

Dogs, cats and other household pets are lovable creatures. However, sometimes they urinate in places they should not.

These pee (urine) stains emit some of the most pungent odors, not to mention the fact that an unsightly spot appears. Therefore, it is best if you treat these affected areas of clothing, furniture, rug, or curtain fabrics as soon as possible. In fact, correcting this issue as soon as possible would be in your best interest.

Introductory Advice

One mistake people often make when cleaning pee stains is not attacking the problem from the root. The end result is a lingering odor and remaining stain.

Therefore, you are advised to do whatever you can to more thoroughly eliminate the source of the stain. This will help provide you with longer-lasting results. You may even still be able to once again fully enjoy whatever clothing, rug, or furniture piece.

Learning how to clean off pee stains is not difficult once you know exactly what to do. That is the purpose of the advice you are given in the next few sections.
Here are some ideas for saving your precious pee-stained clothing or upholstery:

• Wash out the pee stain as soon as you notice it. This will increase the chance that it has not yet set into the carpet, furniture, rug, clothing, or other soft surface
•  One easy way to rescue a urine-stained fabric is to run lukewarm water on the cloth for a couple of minutes. This will help remove both the stain and the putrid odor.
• If it is a non-porous material you are treating you should just wipe the area with a moist cloth and water. You could also use a enzymatic spray cleaner or vinegar to help kill the odor, but not ammonia or ammonia-based product.
• Again, you are reminded never to use ammonia-based product on a pee spot or it could cause your pet to want to wet the same area. The reason why is the scent of the pee is similar to the scent of the ammonia as urine has this sub stance naturally in it.

Warning

Before you choose a specific cleaning remedy test that solution or product in an inconspicuous area of the fabric. This will avoid possible discoloration or damage.

You should also read the instructions of whatever solution you use to make sure you are using the right substance. This will further prevent damage to you as well as your pet or children. Only mix the amount of concentration that is recommended on any commercial product you use.

Closing Thoughts

If you are tired of your pets emitting urine you could train the animal to go in only a specific spot either inside or outside. This is easier to do when you fully remove the odor of the pee if it is present on carpet.

You could also buy some special spray that leaves off a scent that animals can smell. This will help indicate where they should make deposits, and some of these sprays can even be used outdoors.

How to Get Rid of Graffiti

Graffiti is a form of art that involves the spraying on of letter, symbols, and messages. Usually this is a art work that is painted on the side of city buildings especially in what is considered to be ghetto or lower-class neighborhoods.

Usually the marking on walls in this fashion is considered vandalism. The exception being that there are actually areas designated for legal graffiti art.

No matter why the graffiti occurs it sometimes needs to be removed. Therefore, effort needs to be made to get rid of it.

Short Removal Guide

A variety of removal methods are used to help get rid of graffiti. The use of paint thinners is one way to get rid of the problem.

Usually you can find these paint thinners at a local hardware shop or department store. The purpose of the thinner is to soften the paint to make it easier to remove from the walls. You need a generous amount it though and then you need to wash the affected area with water afterward.

Of course, sometimes paint thinners do not work as well as you would like. Therefore, it may be necessary to re-paint the area that has been covered with graffiti.

If you want to re-paint keep in mind that the mixing of the graffiti colors with the pain thinner could make reverting to the original color difficult. Therefore, you may have to get creative in the process and come up with a new color for the outside walls.
Preventative Advice

Of course, if you want to prevent future graffiti attacks you may have to put fences up in the area you do not want vandalized. You could also report the vandalism to the police in order to come to a faster resolution as far as catching the culprits.

The same applies to city property vandalism. You can help your neighborhood and your community if you tell the police of occurrences on city property that should not take place. You could even start a neighborhood watch and report any suspicious activity that you see.

You might also want to advocate the allotment of designated areas where graffiti is allowed. This may take some effort on your part but with the right community support it can be done. It could even lead to the launching of mural art careers for young people who otherwise have no direction in life.

Warning

Keep in mind if you are a person who has been guilty of painting graffiti on city property or even private property you could be in serious trouble. In some cases, this is considered at least a misdemeanor but it could also be considered a federal offense if government property is affected.

At the very least you can get a fine. However, in some cities and towns you could be put in jail or be required to do community service time which may include removal efforts.

There are so many artistic outlets out there. You do not need to damage public or private business or residential homes. Besides, if you live in a huge city chances are there are designated spray paint art and graffiti walls you can work on.

How to Get Rid of Beer Stains

Having a few beers is very helpful at times as long as you do not drink too much of it. It can relax you and even help you fall asleep. However, consuming does have its inconveniences, not to mention its consequences.

The lesser consequences of drinking beer occur when you spill it on your shirt or pants. When this happens, removing it can be quite a challenge to remove, and it can leave behind an awful stench.

Worse yet if you worse one of your mom’s, dad’s, boyfriend’s girlfriend’s, sister’s, or brother’s shirts you are going to be in serious trouble! Either that or if you are visiting someone’s house you may be embarrassed if you spill it on someone’s couch, chair, or other fabric-upholstered furniture.

In any case, you are probably looking for some fast solutions that can easily remedy the problem. Better yet, you are looking for a way to clean out that beer stain so that you can return the borrowed item looking the way it did before the spill.

Here are some tips for removing beer stains:

• The best time to remove a beer stain is when it is still fresh. All you need is a highly absorbent paper towel or an equally as absorbent dry cloth. Wipe or blot gently, and in fact blotting is preferred over wiping because it will prevent spread of stain.

If you need extra help getting out the stain you can use a laundry detergent and water solution. Just mix a average amount of soap (maybe a half a capful to a capful) to a gallon of water. Swish the soap around until the water is bubbly.

• Use vinegar on the stain. This is a substance that acts like a natural bleach. You can also use a household chlorine or hydrogen peroxide bleach if you have no vinegar on hand. The goal here is to get the odor and stain out of the fabric especially if it is already dried in more than you thought.

Alternative Solutions and Warnings

Sometimes you can use more than one of the methods as described above to get rid of stains. Just be careful what solutions you mix together as to not cause a dangerous chemical reaction.

Furthermore, if you choose to use any bleaching agent on the fabric or upholstery beware of possible discoloration or damage. You should test whatever chemical you use in an inconspicuous area of the fabric before trying it. This will ensure you do not damage furniture or clothing when cleaning it.

Aside from that, another option for stain removal is to put the affected clothing or upholstery in the machine washer if possible. This especially works (as in any case) if the stain has not yet set in.

Using a stain stick or spray remover also could help. This especially is beneficial if you are going to launder the item in question as it further prevents the beer stain from soaking too far into the material fibers where the stain is present.

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