An exuberant pet tramples across the bed with muddy paws. A guest’s refreshment tumbles to the floor. A toddler’s sippy cup leaks onto the upholstery. The morning coffee dribbles down a fresh outfit.
In this lived-in world, it can sometimes feel like there more ways to make a mess than modes of cleaning them up. Not so, according to the new Good Housekeeping book, “Stain Rescue! The A-Z Guide to Removing Smudges, Spots & Other Spills” (Hearst Books, $12.95).
Here are ten common stains and tips for cleaning them from this handy resource.
Ashes: Pretreat with stain remover and launder. If the stain remains, sponge with rubbing alcohol and launder again. On upholstery, blot stain with a white cloth and dry-cleaning solvent. On carpet, sprinkle baking soda or cornstarch on the stain, let stand, then vacuum.
Barbecue sauce: Flush the stain with cold water. Then, pretreat it with laundry detergent, and let it stand for several minutes. Rinse well, then sponge the stain with white vinegar. Repeat these steps as often as needed. Then, treat the stain with stain remover and launder. This treatment also works for spaghetti sauce.
Blood: If the stain is fresh, flush it with cold water, then soak it in cold water. If it’s dried, pretreat or soak in warm water with an enzyme laundry product, then wash.
Chocolate: Scrape off any excess. Pretreat with stain remover and launder. If it remains, launder with fabric-safe bleach.
Crayon: Place the stain between clean paper towels and press with a warm iron to transfer the stain to the paper towels. Replace the paper towels frequently to absorb more wax. Then, pretreat the stain with a prewash stain remover, blot, let dry, and launder.
Grass: Pretreat with an enzyme stain remover, then launder in the hottest water that’s safe for the fabric and chlorine bleach.
Gum: Rub the chewing gum with an ice cube to harden it, then scrape off as much as possible with a dull knife. Launder as usual.
Juice: Flush under cold water. If the stain has set, soak for about 10 minutes in cold water, pretreat with stain remover, and launder as usual.
Mud: Let the mud dry, then brush off as much as possible. Pretreat with stain remover and launder.
Soy Sauce: Flush the stain with cold, running water. Then, unless the fabric is silk or wool, sponge the spot with ammonia. Treat with stain remover, and launder with fabric-safe bleach.
