The Timeless Magic Of Baking Soda
Baking soda is a rather versatile stain removal remedy that’s widely touted as a top home cleaning method. It’s great at removing dirt and grime, but it lacks real disinfecting properties. It’s also abrasive, which can be a problem on some surfaces.
Its abrasive quality is why it works so well on appliances, floors, refrigerators and bathrooms. But use caution when applying baking soda to a stain on an upholstered or lacey surface, as it can tear and cause damage.
If you are going to use baking soda, be sure to first mix it with a little water to create a paste.
Club Soda – You Know, The Bubbles!
Club soda is another super effective home cleaning remedy. When you spill something like coffee or wine on your carpet, club soda with a cloth can be used to provide quick relief to the situation. The carbonation makes club soda an ideal first responder.
But like most home remedies, it lacks real disinfecting properties. So when you’re faced with tougher stains, try using a professional strength grease and oil remover.
Lemon Juice And Its Citrusy Cleaning Capabilities
Lemon juice can be a great natural cleaning product for stubborn stains around the house. Being non-toxic, it’s totally safe around kids and pets and makes for a strong alternative to antibacterial cleaners.
Lemon juice is also acidic, which gives it some cleaning muscle, but it isn’t that strong at the end of the day. It probably won’t work against tougher stains that end up on your carpets, but it may be effective on clothing. Just make sure you only use it on white clothing, as the acidic properties may damage the colour.
To use lemon juice as a stain remover, first, mix it with a good amount of water or even some cleaning detergent. For your white clothes, you could even add a little salt to the mixture. And always use water to rinse after you’re through.
Vinegar. Nuff Said.
White vinegar is another widely-used home cleaning product that’s very affordable. Its high acidity makes it effective against hardwood, metal, grout and cookware. But it’s the acidity that also presents a problem with softer materials like couches and carpets.
The powerful acidic nature of vinegar can discolour certain materials and leave unattractive stains behind. It also produces an extremely strong smell, so anything doused with vinegar should be sent to the washing machine after.
If you’ve spilled something on your couch or carpet, try using a professional strength spot remover instead. Products like these are designed for softer surfaces, and won’t cause damage.
Dish Soap
Dish soap makes for an excellent stain remover. This home remedy is super easy to use and can be found in everyone’s home. If you spill a drink or food on your carpet, rug or upholstery, a squirt of dish soap on a cloth can go a long way – but only if you act fast.
The tricky part about dish soap is required lots of pressure and elbow grease and can leave behind a soapy residue. If you can, after you’re through with the dish soap, be sure to rinse the affected surface thoroughly or run it through the washing machine if you can.
A professional strength fabric protector can work wonders on couches and other upholstery. High-quality products will be water resistant and act as invisible barriers against dirt and stains.
Microfibre Cloths
A microfibre cloth is a commonly used household item and can be used in a number of cleaning situations. Because of they’re super absorbent, these cloths are all-star players when it comes to cleaning dishes, dabbing up small stains, or removing dirt and grime.
Despite their effectiveness across a wide range of materials, microfibre clothes shouldn’t be treated as one-size-fits-all solutions. Because they aren’t. When it comes to removing stains from couches, rugs and carpets, there are other tools out there that may do a better job, such as sponges, brushes and professional water extraction tools.
Scrubbing
Our final home remedy is not a product or a tool for cleaning your home, but a method. When people spill something on a cherished piece of clothing or furniture, their first reaction is often to scrub maniacally until the issue feels resolved.
In reality, scrubbing is not always the best method, and can even make certain stains worse. If you spill your drink on an upholstered surface, it’s almost always better to employ the dabbing technique rather than scrubbing. If you try to attack a grease stain on your carpet with the scrubbing method, you’re more likely to push the stain deeper into the carpet than actually remove it.
