Stain removal some basic rules

Accidents do happen no matter how careful we might try to be. Knowing the best way to deal with these problems when they happen is vital. Here are a few tips that we have picked up over the years when dealing with fabric stains and we thought that it might be useful for you. Enjoy reading….

• Deal with any stain as soon as possible. The sooner you take action the easier it will be to remove the stain.

• Don’t use heat on the fabric until you have dealt with the stain as many foods contain proteins that can be made permanent by any applied heat to the stain on fabrics. Don’t be tempted to rinse or sponge with hot water or steam from a boiling kettle.

• Scrape off solid dirt and absorb any liquids as much as possible before dissolving the stain with water solvents or water and detergent working from the outside inwards to the stain.

• Test on an unseen area of fabric before applying any stain remover as sometimes the colours might run, fade or damage the fibres of the fabric.

• Try and be as delicate as possible if you need to scrape or rub a stain. don’t use a brush in a brushing action as this can damage the fabric more than the stain itself.

• Try and keep the stain face down with a pad of tissue or similar underneath to absorb as much of the stain as possible.

• If you are in any doubt about a stain or the type of material it is on you should always get it cleaned professionally to avoid doing more damage than already.

• For carpets and upholstery a stain should be sponged and patted dry alternately so as to avoid getting the area too wet.

• Always rinse well any area between different types of treatments as solvent should not be mixed together as different solvents and detergent will cancel each other out.

• Don’t be tempted to try and remove all traces of a stubborn stain as often this can damage the fabric too much making that area stand out from the rest.

• Be patient as working the cloth lightly in you fingers, rinsing and dabbing gently will work much better in the end than over zealous scrubbing or scraping.