Removing Stains and Spots

Blood Stains

• Put a paste of water and cornstarch, cornmeal or talcum powder on fresh spots. Let dry and brush off.
• Cover fresh or dried stains with meat tenderiser and add cool water. After 15 to 30 minutes, sponge off with cool water.
• Fresh blood on leather? Dab on a little hydrogen peroxide. After it bubbles, wipe it off.
• If you get blood on fabric, quickly wet a long piece of white cotton thread with saliva and place it across the spot. The thread will absorb the blood.

Removing Water Stains

• If the fabric is non-washable, gently scratch off the stain (which is made up of mineral deposits) with your fingernail. Still there? Hold the spot over a steaming teakettle until well-dampened. As it dries, rub the stain, working from its outer edges toward the centre.
• Remove hard-water stains from glasses and bottles by rubbing them with steel wool dipped in vinegar.
• Cover hard-water stains on bathroom fixtures with a paste of baking soda and vinegar. Then drape with a terry clot towel and let stand for about an hour. Wipe off, rinse and dry.

Removing Deodorant Stains from Washables

Sponge area with white vinegar. If stain remains, soak with denatured alcohol. Wash with detergent in hottest water safe for fabric.

Removing Tar Spots

Use paste wax to remove tar from floors. This works on shoes too.

Candle Wax

• For spilled wax on carpets and upholstery, put a brown paper bag over the dried wax and run a hot iron over it. The bag will absorb the hot wax.
• Dried wax on wood floors can be removed by softening the wax with a hair dryer, then removing with paper towels. Wash spot down with a combination of vinegar and water.

Removing Crayon Marks

Remove crayon marks from painted walls by scrubbing with toothpaste or an ammonia-soaked cloth. Rinse and dry.

Removing Heel Marks

Take pencil eraser and rub them off.

Quick fix for shiny wood floors

Put a piece of waxed paper under your dust mop. Dirt will stick to the mop and the wax will shine your floors.