3 Tips For Removing Stubborn Stains

Staining a favorite item of clothing or furniture can be a real headache. After all, stains aren’t just unsightly, but they can even render something completely useless.

Whether you spilled wine, a cup of coffee, or food, knowing how to tackle each stain type is important. Especially because the longer you leave a stain the more likely it is to stay forever. Here are some essential tips for getting a stain out that seems impossible to remove.

Act Fast

Whenever you’re dealing with a stubborn stain it’s important that you act quickly. The longer you allow it to sit the more that it will embed itself into the fibers and fabrics of whatever it’s landed on. The first step is blotting. Even though you might be tempted to rub, this is the worst thing you can do for stain removal. 

Use a clean cloth or sponge and blot whatever spilled up. The more you rub, the more likely it is to spread further and further into the material, which may call for paying for professional stain removal. Once you’ve plotted it off, you want to pretreat it with a stained solution or club soda. Let it soak and notice if you start to see the stain disappear ever so slightly.

Choose Your Remover Carefully

After blotting and applying a pre-stain removal treatment, you want to make sure that you choose your soap carefully. Not all stains are created equally and nor are their antidotes. Different stains require a different approach, so make sure that you choose carefully. For example, oil and grease stains like butter or even car oil will need a degreaser. 

Something like dish soap is perfect for these types of stains since it will remove and break down the oil before throwing it into the washing machine. If you have an ink stain, you’ll want to try a different approach. Rubbing alcohol can be effective and so can hairspray. Allow it to sit for a few seconds before you determine whether you should apply more. For wine and blood stains, always use cold water. Using hot water will set the stain and ultimately dye the fabric.

Test a Small Area

You may have to try a few different approaches and attempts before you get the stain out. Adding too much or too little can end up working against you, which is why you should always test a small area first.

Instead of applying all of your remover to a large and visible area, start in a tiny inconspicuous spot. That way if you do manage to get the stain out at least you won’t have discolored or damaged an entire portion of whatever you’re trying to salvage.