Posted by Maria Dimitrova

Read this if: You want to remove stains the easiest and most efficient way. No mess, no fuss.

When I was a little child, my mother used to get very, very angry when I accidentally spilled something on my clothes, the carpet or a tablecloth. I tried hard no to do it but mistakes happen despite all the efforts to avoid them, especially when you are a child. Instead of focusing on the mistake, it’s much better to focus on the solution. Do you agree?

It’s not worth crying over spilled milk but it’s always worth trying to take damage control. The next time when your child or you make a stain, don’t panic or get angry, just draw upon the experience of other people who’ve found a way to remove such stains successfully.

Removing candle wax

Sandwich the stained fabric between two pieces of paper towel and press with a hot iron. The hot iron will melt the wax and the paper towels will absorb it.

Another suggestion to remove candle wax that has dripped onto hard surfaces is to melt it with a hair dryer. Wipe up the wax as it melts with an absorbent towel or cloth.

Bear in mind that you shouldn’t use a hair dryer or iron on anything flammable.

Removing oil from clothes

Remove oil from clothes by pre-soaking in detergent. If you catch the spot early, sprinkle some cornstarch on it to absorb as much of the oil as possible and then pre-soak.

Removing coffee and tea stains

Eliminate coffee or tea stains with a pre-soaking in color-safe bleach. If that doesn’t get the stain out, try a blend of 2 tbsp. of hydrogen peroxide in 1 cup of water. Soak for 20 minutes and then wash.

Removing ink stains

Many people recommend toothpaste as the most efficient way to deal with ink stains.

An interesting suggestion taken from a forum:

“My friend and I are doing a science project, attempting to remove ink with various chemicals. We have discovered that the chemicals in a match head – after it has been lit and thereafter blown off – will possess the potential to successfully eliminate stubborn forms of ink.”

Removing permanent marker stains

Hand sanitizer works with permanent marker.

Removing superglue

If you have super glue on the flesh,  you’ll need a nail polish remover and a cotton ball. In the case you glued you fingers together, don’t try pulling them apart!

Just like removing nail polish from nails, wet the cotton ball with the nail polish remover. Use cotton ball wet with nail polish remover directly on super glue stuck to flesh. Rub hard with the cotton ball until a satisfactory amount of glue has been removed. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water to get the polish remover off. Dry well with towel.

When you’ve dripped superglue on laminate countertops, use again a rag with acetone or nail polish remover. Dab the solution onto the super glue stain to soften the glue.

Pry off the glue with a putty knife. Do this gently so you do not damage the laminate countertop. Add more acetone or nail polish remover and continue prying with the putty knife.

Rub over the super glue spot with a nylon scrubbing pad and hot water. Alternate applying the acetone or nail polish remover, prying with the putty knife and scrubbing with hot water until the glue is gone.

Wipe down the laminate countertop with a rag and soapy water to remove any residue.

An suggestion from a forum:

“I was putting the Mercury emblem back on my car with super glue, then it dripped on my paint. I panicked and tried to get it off with a paper towel and a sanitizing cloth,(dont do that) and made it worse. I read a post about the magic eraser, and was very sceptical. I was desperate so I ran to the store and picked a couple up. I did have to scrub hard and fast, but it did the trick. Im pretty sure my paint finish is fine, it was dark outside and I was in my garage.”

Removing paint stains

You’ll need rubbing alcohol, a toothbrush and warm water.

1. Spray some warm water directly on the stained area until it is completely wet, but not soaking.
2. Put a generous amount of rubbing alcohol on the paint stain and use a toothbrush to brush the alcohol into the paint stain.
3. Keep brushing until the paint stains begin to break apart or disappear. Once this happens, rinse again with warm water to get the paint out fully.

Another idea:

Get a hairspray, a toothbrush and a washing machine.

1. Spray the paint stain with hairspray and scrub using a toothbrush.
2. Once you’ve gotten the stain out, put the affected clothes through a regular wash cycle.

Cleaning a paint stain from a carpet may take several repetitions of the process detailed below, so be patient.

1. Quickly start removing the paint stain as soon as you spot it. Apply the liquid all-purpose detergent from underneath the carpet until you get to the surface, and blot using a towel.
2. Put some soapy water on the stain, and blot it again. Put more detergent and blot. Repeat this until you’ve gotten the stains out.

When the paint is on a piece of furniture:

1. If you’re not avoiding to have the surfaces scratched, try to scrape off as much of the paint as you can. If the paint is wet, blot it using paper towels.
2. Once you’ve removed the excess paint, apply a bit of paint thinner using a clean dry cloth, and rub it into the stain. Keep rubbing until the stain is removed. Dry it off with a paper towel.

Removing gum from a fabric

Eliminate gum from fabric by freezing it with an ice cube and brushing it away. Another method is to apply a small amount of nail polish remover, but avoid trying this with synthetic fabrics, and always test a small, inconspicuous spot on your garment first.

Removing fruit stains

Put lemon on the stain first. If that doesn’t work, then she uses bar soap.