The Worst Household Stains That Every Home Dreads (And How To Remove Them)

It’s a shame that people roll their eyes at others who declare their occupation as “homemaker” because keeping a house clean and tidy (especially when said house contains at least one child) can be, or at least feel like, a full time job. Newton’s third law of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. We would go one step further and say that for every action there is an equally persistent stain.

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[ctt template=”4″ link=”xJ232″ via=”yes” ]There are no stains that are insurmountable. However much we dread them, every household stain has a solution (even if it’s not as quick or easy as we’d like).[/ctt]

It seems like everything that we, our significant others, our kids and our pets do leaves a stain that stares mockingly at you as you go about your daily duties. Even cleaning causes stains! Moreover, a lot of household stains are not as easily removed as the “Life Hacks” we find on the internet would have us believe. Nonetheless there are no stains that are insurmountable. However much we dread them, every household stain has a solution (even if it’s not as quick or easy as we’d like).

Image by Flickr

Here we’ll look at some of the stains that households dread and how to get rid of them…

Blood

Nobody likes the sight of blood, especially when it’s our own. But whether we like it or not, we all bleed every now and then on our clothes, our bedding and our furniture. If left unchecked it can lead to an ugly and persistent stain. We’ve all thrown clothing and bedding away for this reason but we needn’t if we try one of these solutions to remove even dried in blood stains;

• Do not wash the stained garment or sheet in hot water as this may cause the stain to bond to the fabric permanently.
• Rinse the underside with cold water, causing it to push through the stain.
• Scrubbing gently with soap and water, scrunching the stain into itself will combat fresh stains but you may have to scrub for a long while to avoid bobbling the fabric).
• Use a solution of one part baking soda and one part cold water.
• Use meat tenderizer powder (found in grocery stores) which will dissolve the proteins in the blood.

Juice

What is a person to do in getting stains out that are caused by those gaudily colored juices like grape or blackberry juice? These can be a sticky and persistent stain, but you can treat them with a 50/50 solution of bicarbonate of soda and washing up liquid (or dish soap). Apply this paste to the stain and leave for 15 minutes before rinsing with warm water.

Graffiti

Okay so this is technically not a stain but it is a blight on the outside of our homes. If some local kids have got creative with your home’s exterior follow these graffiti removal tips. Try using water and an all purpose cleaner before resorting to potentially harmful solvents and be sure to wear eyeglasses when treating the area as the chemicals in the paint and cleaning agent could be damaging to your eyes.  

Mildew

This persistent fungus just loves to ruin the carefully planned aesthetic of your bathroom. Put it to rest permanently without using harmful bleaches. Simply use white vinegar or a combination of baking soda and water. Itr may require a little elbow grease (especially where it’s worked its way into your grouting) but it will come off eventually. Use some citrus oils to counteract the vinegar smell.

This is a contributed post.

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