Shannon likes having carpet in bedrooms because it’s a soft landing for your feet when you get out of bed but she prefers floorboards, cork or self-levelling vinyls elsewhere in the home (except in the bathroom where tiles are the best surface). Jennifer loves floorboards because they look good and are easy to clean. Choose what works for you. And don’t stress about stains on floors; thanks to gravity, a spill is almost inevitable. You’re less likely to get stains on walls, although grubby hands may leave an imprint. And don’t forget to clean windows and coverings.
INCIDENT: ‘We’ve got lovely new timber stairs. But sadly, before we sealed them, my son got peanut butter all over them. Can you help?’
SOLUTION: Mix plaster of Paris and water to form a paste the consistency of peanut butter (sorry!). For every cup of mixture add 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and 2 teaspoons of white vinegar. Place a 1 cm thick layer of paste over the stain. Leave to completely dry and brush off with a broom.
The next time you’re about to sweep your floor, take an up-close look at the broom head. No doubt there’s some dirt and grime on the bristles which will be added to the floors you’re supposed to be cleaning. Before using, wash the broom head with a little dishwashing liquid and water, rinse under water and set aside in the sunshine, handle-end down, to dry.
Sealed timber and cork floors are easy to clean and last longer than unsealed ones. Most are sealed in polyurethane, tung-oil, varnish or wax. For timber and cork sealed in polyurethane, clean with 1 cup of white vinegar in a 9 litre bucket of warm (not hot) water. The warm water helps cut through grease. Apply with a broom head covered in pantyhose or an old T-shirt and dry and polish as you go by standing on a towel (shuffle forward). By doing this, you don’t leave excess water on the polyurethane. If you leave excess water, you can get white bloom marks. For timber and cork floors finished in tung-oil, varnish or wax, clean with cold black tea and warm water (1 cup of tea or 3 tea bags in a 9 litre bucket of water). Tea raises the tannin levels in timber and cork, helping retain the colour and quality.
TIP
To fix a dent in timber, place a hot, wet, used tea bag over the indentation and leave until the timber has expanded.
Q: ‘When I brought the shopping home, meat juice leaked through the plastic and left blood over the timber floor’, reports Anne. ‘It’s soaked through!’
| Problem: | Blood/meat juice on timber. |
| What to use: | Plaster of Paris, water, white vinegar, broom. |
| How to apply: | Mix plaster of Paris and water to form a paste the consistency of peanut butter. For every cup of mixture, add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar. Apply a 1 cm thick layer of paste over the stain. Leave until completely dry and sweep away with a broom. Repeat if needed. |
Q: ‘I have polished floorboards with a slight cigarette burn on the surface’, admits Brian. ‘It looks like lightly burnt toast. How can I get it out?’
| Problem: | Cigarette burn on timber. |
| What to use: | 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide, cloth, Brasso. |
| How to apply: | If the burn is on the surface and hasn’t penetrated the polyurethane, immerse a cloth in 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide, tightly wring out, place over the stained area only and leave for 20 minutes. The burn will come away when you remove the cloth. If the burn has penetrated the surface, use the technique described above, then rub with a little Brasso on a cloth. For a burn the size of a 5 cent piece, use 1 drop of Brasso on a cloth and rub lightly and quickly in the direction of the grain. In the first couple of seconds, the mark will look worse before it looks better. |
Q: ‘I have a blob of dark hair dye on a timber floor—found an hour later’, reports Sally. ‘The floor is finished with wax and polyurethane. Help!’
Q: ‘My new unsealed timber floor has a car oil stain on it’, reports Sam. ‘The stain is greasy black and I need to remove it before sealing the floor. What do you suggest?’
Q: ‘I have light-coloured floating floors’, says Richard. ‘And the area around the stove has splatterings of fat from cooking. Would you be able to help me fix this? It looks like I have a dirty floor!’
| Problem: | Fat/cooking oil on timber. |
| What to use: | Dishwashing liquid, pantyhose, Brasso, cloth. |
| How to apply: | The floor is likely to be coated in polyurethane. Place a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid on pantyhose and rub over the stain. Then wipe with another pair of damp pantyhose. You can even put the pantyhose on your feet so you don’t have to bend over. For any remaining marks, apply a little Brasso with a cloth and rub in the direction of the grain, using speed not pressure. |
| Prevention: | Constant exposure to oil can damage polyurethane so protect the area by placing a mat in front of the stove. |
Q: ‘My daughter spilt nail polish on a wooden floor’, says Chris. ‘What can I do?’
| Problem: | Nail polish on timber. |
| What to use: | Acetone, cotton bud, pantyhose, white vinegar, cloth, Brasso; or beeswax. |
| How to apply: | For a polyurethane finish, use a little acetone applied with a cotton bud but work quickly using as little pressure and acetone as possible. Only rub over the nail polish, not the surrounding floor. When the colour is removed, neutralise with white vinegar on a cloth. If the surface is dulled, polish with a little Brasso on a cloth. For oil-based varnish, shellac or wax-based surfaces, use the same technique as polyurethane but polish with a little beeswax rather than Brasso. Acetone can affect acrylic surfaces so you may need to reapply the acrylic after removing the nail polish. |
Q: ‘How do I get rid of the smell of cat urine from floorboards in my house?’ asks Elizabeth.
Q: ‘I have a large red candle wax stain on our hardwood floor’, reports Ricky. ‘The stain has probably been there for about a month. What’s the best way to remove it without scratching the floor or removing the varnish? I normally clean the floors with warm water and a well-wrung mop.’
Newer types of flooring can be made from bamboo, cane and palm. Be aware that long-cut bamboo is sturdier than short-cut bamboo and both types need to be sealed to make it easier to clean. Only clean bamboo, cane and palm with 1 cup of white vinegar per 9 litre bucket of water. If the floor is exposed to sunshine, add 1 cup of black tea to the mixture. Don’t use bicarb on it because it’s too abrasive.
To clean tiles, sprinkle a little bicarb over them, add a little white vinegar and when the mixture fizzes, sweep with a broom. To finish, wipe with a damp cloth. Most tiles are sealed with a glaze so that they’re not porous. If tiles are not sealed, they’ll stain easily (it’s best to seal them). Don’t clean glazed tiles with detergent because it makes them slippery and affects the surface.
If it looks as though someone has written on your tiles with a lead pencil, don’t panic. These marks, called ‘tile marks’, are caused by metal touching the tiles. Remove by rubbing over the marks with a pencil eraser (for tiles with a smooth finish) or biro eraser (for tiles with a rougher finish) that’s been dipped in water.
Q: ‘We have a tiled floor and our dog, on a few occasions, has not woken us up to go out to the bathroom’, says Jim. ‘Consequently, the grout has become dark and discoloured from urine and poo. How can I get the stain out of the grout and stop him from returning to the same area?’
| Problem: | Dog urine/poo on tile grout. |
| What to use: | White vinegar, cloth, lavender oil (urine); cake of bathroom soap, cold water, old toothbrush, white vinegar, lavender oil (poo). |
| How to apply: | The grout between tiles is very absorbent and stains easily. Remove the urine by rubbing with a cloth dampened with white vinegar. To remove the poo stains, rub a cake of bathroom soap over an old toothbrush, run it under cold water and scrub over the stain. Rinse clean by wiping with a cloth wrung out in white vinegar. Dogs don’t like the smell of lavender oil so add a couple of teaspoons to a 1 litre spray pack of water and lightly mist over the area. They’ll stay away. |
Polished concrete has become popular in some modern homes but it needs to be cleaned regularly with bicarb and white vinegar because dirt and grit remove its sheen. For a comprehensive clean, sprinkle with bicarb, then spray on white vinegar and scrub with a broom. Rinse with water, allow to dry, then wax with carnauba wax using a polishing machine (available from hire companies or vacuum cleaner shops). Don’t use beeswax because it’s too soft and leaves a build-up.
This flooring is porous and alkaline based, so don’t use vinegar to clean it because it can damage the surface. Instead, clean with Ph neutral soap. Grate 1 teaspoon of soap into a 9 litre bucket of warm water, stir and wipe over the surface. To seal (do this when the surface has dulled), coat with a thin layer of good quality marble flooring wax.
If you have rammed earth floors, maintain the polish by mixing 2 cups of powdered milk into a 9 litre bucket of water. Rub over the earth with a wet river stone (bought at nurseries). Drill a hole through your river stone and pull it around the floor. When drilling into stone, use a masonry bit, work on the slowest speed and fill the hole with a little water to keep the masonry bit cool.
You’ll have to deal with stains on your carpet at some stage. To clean carpet, vacuum regularly. Scatter a light dusting of bicarb but don’t create a ski field or you’ll damage your vacuum cleaner. Your carpet will last longer if you steam-clean it at least once a year. Do it more often if you have heavy traffic—kids, pets, heavy boots. When removing stains, be very sparing with water and other types of moisture. If you use too much liquid, you’ll get jute staining from the back of the carpet. More is not better. After removing the stain, remove as much moisture as possible with paper towels or a Slurpex.
You’ve probably walked past a stand of carpet cleaners as you’ve left the supermarket. These can be hired and are easy to use. They come with a bottle of chemicals but only use half as much as the manufacturer recommends and top up with 2 tablespoons of bicarb, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, 2 tablespoons of methylated spirits and 2 teaspoons of eucalyptus oil. If you have mystery stains on your carpet, add 2 teaspoons of glycerine. This recipe is also a great multi-purpose spot cleaner so leave it in a spray bottle and use when needed.
Prepare the room by moving all the furniture to the centre. Clean the outside edges of the room first. Spot clean any stains, then vacuum. Then use the carpet steamer. Begin by working parallel to the wall (create stripes), then perpendicular to the wall (create checks) so you clean in all four directions. This means each side of the carpet fibre is cleaned. When you finish cleaning, run the steam-cleaner over the carpet without water in it (do not push the steam button). This will suck excess moisture out of the carpet and help it to dry faster. Allow the carpet to dry (about 3 hours), then vacuum. Always clean the head of your vacuum cleaner with a damp cloth so you don’t transfer dirt to your clean carpet. Move the furniture back into place, placing clear plastic under any legs so they won’t mark the carpet. Clean the middle of the room in the same way (stripes and checks). Allow to dry and vacuum.
Start early in the morning to allow time to dry.
Make sure windows are open for ventilation. Fresh air will also speed the drying time.
Work slowly, if you work too quickly, the water suction won’t work.
Use attachments to get right into corners.
If the carpet is very dirty, you may need to steam twice.
Put a note on the front and back door asking people to remove their shoes before stepping on your freshly steam-cleaned carpet. Always place a towel inside the front and back doors for people to wipe their feet.
Spray Scotchgard over high traffic areas to add a layer of protection.
Once cleaned and dried, keep a rug over the carpet in high traffic areas.
There are many chemicals used in steam-cleaning, including chlorine. If you’ve had your carpet professionally steam-cleaned and you get a fresh stain on it, before doing any spot cleaning, sponge the stain with a cloth that’s been tightly wrung out in white vinegar. This will neutralise the chemicals. Don’t worry, it’s easy to do.
Many new carpet cleaning mixtures contain orange oil which can leave, surprise surprise, orange spots on your carpet. The residue is the problem. And while orange-based cleaning products can be good at removing stains, it must be rinsed and dried thoroughly. The thing is, some spots don’t appear until about 6 months later. Yikes! This is what happened to Elsa.
Q:‘Last year, I had our grey berber carpet professionally cleaned. The cleaner showed me some ‘new’ orange-based solution which he sprayed on the walk areas. After cleaning, the carpet took about 4–5 hours to dry, whereupon I found slight orangey stains where he had sprayed the mixture. The other areas were fine. Just recently, another cleaner did our floors and this time it took about 12 hours to dry. The orange colour came to the surface and spread. I am now left with this orangey brown surface stain over a larger area. What can I do to remove it?’
A: You can remove the stains but it takes a bit of work. Place a couple of drops of glycerine on an old toothbrush and comb through the bristles of the carpet. Hire a carpet cleaning machine and follow the technique described in DIY steam-cleaning, above. Use the cleaner again without water (and without pushing the steam button) so it sucks up excess moisture from the carpet. If there’s good airflow, your carpet will dry quickly.
Q: ‘I was eating dinner in front of the TV’, says Sam. ‘And managed to get barbecue sauce on the carpet. What can I do?’
| Problem: | Barbecue sauce on carpet. |
| What to use: | Damp cloth, white vinegar, paper towel, ultraviolet light, cardboard. |
| How to apply: | Remove the bulk of the stain with a damp cloth, then wipe with a cloth wrung out in white vinegar. Place paper towel over the top and stand on it to remove excess moisture. Aim ultraviolet light at the stain, protecting the surrounding carpet with cardboard. Check every 2 hours until the stain is removed. |
| Problem: | Beetroot on carpet. |
| What to use: | White vinegar, cloth, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | Immerse a cloth in white vinegar, tightly wring out and sponge over the stain until removed. Press with paper towel until dry. |
Q: ‘Some time ago, I managed to spill some Betadine on pink wool carpet’, reports Marjorie. ‘Can I get it out?’
| Problem: | Old Betadine spots on carpet. |
| What to use: | Lavender oil, cloth, white vinegar; or glycerine, old toothbrush, white vinegar, paper towel, dishwashing liquid, water, cloth. |
| How to apply: | Put a couple of drops of lavender oil on a cloth and wipe over the stain. Then wipe with a cloth wrung out in white vinegar. Alternatively, put a couple of drops of glycerine on an old toothbrush and apply to the stain working north–south and east–west across the carpet fibres. Leave overnight because it’s an old stain. The next day, wipe over the stain with a little dishwashing liquid on a cloth, place paper towel over the top and stand on it to remove moisture. Wipe with a cloth wrung out in white vinegar, allow to dry and repeat until clean. |
Q: ‘How do I remove a bleach mark from a dark carpet?’ asks Phil.
| Problem: | Bleach mark on carpet. |
| What to use: | Folk art paint, toothbrush, hair dryer. |
| How to apply: | Replace the colour with folk art paint (available from art suppliers or craft stores) that matches the colour of your carpet. You may need to create your own mix from a couple of tubes. Test the paint on an inconspicuous corner of the carpet to make sure it’s an exact match and allow each test section of paint to dry because many change colour. Don’t use a hair dryer to speed up the drying process or you’ll set the colour. Once you’ve got the right colour, use a toothbrush to brush the paint into the bleached spot on the carpet (use the toothbrush as though you were brushing your hair), feathering the edges so you don’t get an obvious line. Then move a hair dryer backwards and forwards across the paint to set it. |
Q: ‘What’s the best way to remove blood from carpet?’ asks Joan.
| Problem: | Blood on carpet. |
| What to use: | Cake of bathroom soap, cold water, old toothbrush, damp cloth, paper towel, white vinegar, glycerine. |
| How to apply: | Blood is a protein stain. Dampen a cake of bathroom soap in cold water and scribble over the stain as though using a big crayon. Scrub with a toothbrush making sure you rub in every direction across the carpet fibre (north, south, east and west). Wipe with a damp cloth, place paper towel on top and stand on it to remove moisture. If you’ve applied any other product to the blood, neutralise it first by wiping with a cloth wrung out in white vinegar. Put a couple of drops of glycerine on a toothbrush, scrub over the stain and leave for 20 minutes. Then use soap and cold water technique described above. |
Q: ‘I managed to get chocolate on my light-coloured pure wool carpet’, reports Karen. ‘How do I get it out?’
| Problem: | Chocolate on carpet. |
| What to use: | Cheap shampoo, cold water, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | Put a couple of drops of cheap shampoo on your fingers and massage gently into the carpet until the stain begins to loosen. If it starts to dry out, add a little cold water to your fingers and keep on massaging. Place paper towel over the stain and stand on it. Repeat until the stain is removed. |
| Problem: | Red cordial on carpet. |
| What to use: | White vinegar, cloth, ultraviolet light, cardboard, paper towel; glycerine. |
| How to apply: | Wipe with a cloth wrung out in white vinegar. Aim ultraviolet light at the stain until it begins to fade (check every 2 hours). Cover around the stain with cardboard if the carpet is coloured. Again, wipe with a cloth wrung out in white vinegar. Place paper towel over the stain and press down to remove excess moisture. For old stains, wipe a couple of drops of glycerine over the stain first and leave for 20 minutes. Then use the above technique. |
Q: ‘I dropped a bottle of very sticky cough medicine on the berber carpet in our bedroom’, reports Sally. ‘I’ve mopped and sponged it to no avail. Please don’t tell me we will have to replace the carpet!’
| Problem: | Crayon on carpet. |
| What to use: | Pantyhose, tea tree oil. |
| How to apply: | Place a couple of drops of tea tree oil on a pair of pantyhose and roll over the crayon mark in a circle. Don’t forget to clean your pantyhose before using again or you’ll transfer coloured crayon to the next job! |
Q: ‘Help!’ exclaims Garry. ‘I’ve got green chicken curry on my carpet. It looks awful.’
| Problem: | Green chicken curry on carpet. |
| What to use: | Dishwashing liquid, white vinegar, cloth, paper towel, ultraviolet light, cardboard; or lavender oil, water, spray pack, pantyhose. |
| How to apply: | To remove the oils, place a little dishwashing liquid on your fingers and massage into the stain. Wipe with a cloth wrung out in white vinegar. Place paper towel over the stain and press down to remove excess moisture. Aim ultraviolet light at the stain, protecting the carpet around the stain with cardboard, until it begins to fade (check every 2 hours). If the curry has any yellow colouring, combine 1 teaspoon of lavender oil and 1 litre of water in a spray pack, lightly spray over the area and scrub with pantyhose. Repeat until removed. |
Q: ‘How do I remove dog diarrhoea from light bone-coloured carpet?’ asks Joan. ‘I’ve tried bicarb and white vinegar but a light yellow stain was left behind.’
Q: ‘I had a mishap with a hot water bottle’, admits Trish. ‘It burst, spilled hot water onto a cushion and the dye from the cushion then soaked through to a pure wool cream-coloured rug. What can I do?’
| Problem: | Egg on carpet. |
| What to use: | Combs, tissue, cold water, cake of bathroom soap, damp cloth, cloth, cold water. |
| How to apply: | If it’s raw egg, wrap two combs in a tissue so the teeth stick out. Slide the combs toward each other and lift the egg. Dip a cake of bathroom soap in cold water, scribble on the stain, then sponge with a damp cloth. If it’s scrambled or cooked, scribble a cake of bathroom soap on the stain and sponge with a cloth wrung out in cold water. |
Q: ‘My child spilled some of her Fanta soft drink on our wool beige carpet’, reports Steve. ‘The carpet has been professionally cleaned and they said the stain can’t be removed. Can you help?’
| Problem: | Fanta stain on carpet. |
| What to use: | White vinegar, cloth, ultraviolet light, cardboard, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | Fanta contains vegetable dye and sugar. Remove the vegetable dye by wiping over the stain with a cloth wrung out in white vinegar. Then aim ultraviolet light at the stain, protecting the carpet around the stain with cardboard. Check every 2 hours until the stain is gone. Fanta is high in sugar so you may get a shadow stain a couple of weeks later. If so, wipe with a cloth wrung out in white vinegar. Apply paper towel and stand on it to absorb moisture. |
Q: ‘I’ve got pink fluorescent pen on my carpet’, reports Richard. ‘What can I do?’
Q: ‘I had some friends over the other evening’, reports Sally. ‘And one of the strawberry daiquiris went spilling onto the carpet. Any suggestions?’
| Problem: | Strawberry daiquiri stain on carpet. |
| What to use: | Cloth, white vinegar, ultraviolet light, cardboard. |
| How to apply: | Wring out a cloth in white vinegar and wipe over the stain. Aim ultraviolet light at the area, protecting the rest of the carpet with cardboard, and check every 2 hours until the stain fades. |
Q: ‘I used glycerine to remove a coffee stain on my carpet’, reports Veronica. ‘But now I’m left with what looks to be a wet mark. Can it be removed?’
What to do will depend on the type of glue. To remove superglue, use superglue remover (available from hardware stores) or acetone. Craft and PVA glues (which go on white and dry clear) are removed with steam and rubbing with pantyhose. To generate steam, fill a watering can with boiling water and aim the steamy spout over the stain (don’t get any water on the carpet). When the glue softens, rub with pantyhose. Two-part epoxy glues (Araldite) are removed with acetone (see ‘Nail polish’ on page 130 for instructions). Gums and paper glues are removed with a warm damp cloth. For contact adhesives (sticky tape, double-sided tape or shoe repair kits), use tea tree oil. A single drop will remove a large piece of tape. Put 1 drop on the top edge of the tape and allow to soak for 20 minutes. For sticky tape and masking tape residue, put 1 drop of tea tree oil on pantyhose and wipe over the glue.
Q: ‘My husband was lubricating the baby’s bedroom door hinges with graphite powder and spilt it over the sisal wool-blend carpet in that corner of the room’, says Simone. ‘I have only tried vacuuming with no luck. Any suggestions?’
| Problem: | Gravy on carpet. |
| What to use: | Cake of bathroom soap, cold water, old toothbrush, damp cloth, dishwashing liquid, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | This is a protein and oil stain. Dip a cake of bathroom soap in cold water and scribble over the stain as though you are using a crayon. Scrub over the stain with a toothbrush and wipe with a cold damp cloth. Put a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid on your fingers and massage into the stain until it feels like jelly. Then sponge with a damp cloth. Apply paper towel to absorb all the moisture. |
There was confusion in Spotless about how to remove different types of grease. The treatment to use depends on whether the grease is dark or light coloured. As a general guide, dark-coloured grease is removed with baby oil followed by dishwashing liquid rubbed in with your fingers. Light-coloured grease is removed with dishwashing liquid rubbed in with your fingers. If you’ve used baby oil on a light-coloured grease stain, put dishwashing liquid on your fingers and rub into the baby oil until it feels like jelly and wipe with a damp cloth. Absorb moisture with paper towel.
Q: ‘I’ve got car grease stains on wool carpeted stairs’, says Trish. ‘How do I get rid of them?’
| Problem: | Car grease on carpet. |
| What to use: | Tissue, metal comb, disposable rubber gloves, dishwashing liquid, damp cloth, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | Wrap a tissue around a metal comb, wedge it under the grease and comb out as much as possible. If it’s a large amount of grease, you may need to repeat this with clean tissues. Put on rubber gloves and rub dishwashing liquid into the stain with your fingers until it changes texture and feels like jelly. Remove the dishwashing liquid by wiping with a clean damp cloth. Apply paper towel to dry. |
Q: ‘I’ve got hair gel on my carpet’, reports Sue. ‘What can I do?’
Q: ‘My daughter emptied my anti-frizz hair serum onto our bedroom carpet’, reports Susie. ‘It’s a rental home and I’m pretty sure the carpet is wool.’
| Problem: | Anti-frizz hair serum on carpet. |
| What to use: | Glycerine, cloth, dishwashing liquid, old toothbrush, damp cloth, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | If the stain is brown in colour, wipe with a couple of drops of glycerine on a toothbrush. Then put a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid onto the toothbrush and scrub over the stain. Two drops of each is enough for a 30 cm circle. Wipe over with a damp cloth. Apply paper towel with pressure to absorb moisture. If it is grey in colour, use dishwashing liquid as described above. |
| Problem: | Ice-cream on carpet. |
| What to use: | Cake of bathroom soap, cold water, cloth, dishwashing liquid, damp cloth, white vinegar, dry cloth, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | Ice-cream is high in protein, fat and sugar and each element will have to be removed separately but in this order. First, remove protein by dipping a cake of bathroom soap in cold water and scribble over the stain as though using a crayon. Scrub with a toothbrush and sponge with a damp cloth. Second, remove fats by putting a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid onto your fingers and massaging into the stain until it feels like jelly. Wipe with a damp cloth. Third, remove sugar by wringing out a cloth in white vinegar. Place the vinegar cloth out in one hand and a dry cloth in the other and wipe over the stain, hand over hand as though you’re stroking a cat. Apply paper towel with pressure to absorb all the moisture. |
There are many different types of ink and to complicate matters each requires a different solution. If you don’t know what’s been used, test with methylated spirits on a cotton bud. If this doesn’t work, use white spirits.
Biros—place rotten milk solids over the stain. You will see the ink absorbing into the milk solids. When the ink has visibly soaked into the milk solids, slide a comb under the solids to lift without squashing. Remove any residue by washing with a little soap on a damp cloth.
Gel pens—place methylated spirits on a cotton bud and wipe over the stain until removed. Rub off with paper towel.
Fine-point liners—dip a cotton bud in methylated spirits and wipe over the liner. For stronger grade liners, use white spirits in the same way.
Permanent markers—contain their own solvent so use the same permanent marker and draw over the mark. Then dip a cotton bud in white spirits and wipe over the mark. Sprinkle with talcum powder and vacuum. Repeat the white spirits step if necessary.
Q: ‘I think I have an insect stain on our beige wool carpet’, queries Jill. ‘And it’s been there for some time. What should I do?’
| Problem: | Plum jam spilt on wool carpet. |
| What to use: | Cloth, white vinegar, water, glycerine, old toothbrush, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | Wring a cloth out in white vinegar and wipe over the stain. Wipe straight away with a dry cloth. Repeat hand over hand, as though you’re stroking a cat. If there’s a light brown stain, use a couple of drops of glycerine on a toothbrush and brush over the top of the carpet fibres. Leave for 20 minutes and use the vinegar solution. Apply paper towel with pressure to absorb moisture. |
Q: ‘I’ve got jelly beans on my white carpet’, says Margaret. ‘They’ve been mashed into it.’
| Problem: | Lube on carpet. |
| What to use: | Cake of bathroom soap, cold water, paper towel; or dishwashing liquid, damp cloth, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | There are two varieties of personal lubricant. One is gelatine-based and is high in protein. The other is oil-based. It is quite easy to work out which type of lube it is. Gelatine-based lube has a stain with a dark outer edge and oil-based is even in colour. For gelatine-based stains, use a cake of bathroom soap, dip it in cold water and scribble over the mark. Scrub with an old toothbrush before applying paper towel to absorb moisture. For oil-based stains, put a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid on your fingers and massage into the area until it’s jelly-like. Wipe with a damp cloth. Apply paper towel to absorb moisture. |
| Problem: | Mayonnaise on carpet. |
| What to use: | Dishwashing liquid, damp cloth, paper towel; or cake of bathroom soap, cold water. |
| How to apply: | Mayonnaise contains a lot of oil. Put dishwashing liquid on your fingertips and massage into the stain until it feels like jelly. Remove the residue with a damp cloth and apply paper towel to absorb moisture. If it’s whole egg mayonnaise, use a cake of bathroom soap and cold water first. Then massage in dishwashing liquid with your fingers. Wipe with a damp cloth and apply paper towel to remove moisture. |
Q: ‘Fresh mud has been tramped through the house’, complains Vicky. ‘What do you suggest?’
| Problem: | Black mud on carpet. |
| What to use: | Stiff brush, vacuum cleaner, cake of bathroom soap, cold water, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | Allow the mud to dry or it will smear. Once it is dry, rub with a brush and vacuum. If it was rubbed when wet, dampen a cake of bathroom soap in cold water and scribble over the area. Rub with a damp cloth and apply paper towel to remove moisture. Allow to dry and brush vigorously before vacuuming. |
Q: ‘How can I get lanolin-based nappy rash cream out of our new carpet?’ asks Donna.
This solution has been updated since Spotless because the carpet cleaner Shannon prefers to use is no longer available.
Q: ‘My pot-plant has marked the carpet with a big brown mark’, says Linley. ‘How can I fix it?’
| Problem: | Pot plant mark on carpet. |
| What to use: | Glycerine, old toothbrush, cloth, white vinegar, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | This is a tannin stain. Put a couple of drops of glycerine on a toothbrush and scrub over the stain. Leave for 20 minutes. Wring a cloth in white vinegar, rub over the area, then apply paper towel to absorb moisture. Repeat until the stain is removed. |
This is one of the most common carpet stains. Don’t throw salt or soda water over the red puddle. Instead, use bicarb and white vinegar, ensuring you don’t use too much moisture or you’ll get staining from the jute backing of the carpet, which releases a brown tannin stain if it gets wet. Remove jute stains with ½ teaspoon of glycerine and ½ teaspoon of dishwashing liquid on an old toothbrush, working from the outside to the inside of the stain. Wipe with a damp cloth and apply paper towel to remove moisture.
Absorb as much of the red wine spill as possible with paper towel. Sprinkle with a little bicarb and the stain will change from red to pale grey. Don’t use too much bicarb or it will whiten the carpet around the stain. Wring a cloth out in white vinegar, wipe and leave to dry completely, then vacuum. Repeat if needed. For old stains, apply a little glycerine with an old toothbrush. Then use the above technique.
| Problem: | Rubber mark on carpet. |
| What to use: | Damp cloth, non-iodised salt, pantyhose, vacuum. |
| How to apply: | Wipe the mark with a damp cloth, sprinkle it with non-iodised salt and scrub with pantyhose. Wipe again with a damp cloth and vacuum. |
If you’ve pulled up old carpet and there are rubber marks on the concrete underneath, dampen the area with a little water. Sprinkle with coarse salt and sweep with a stiff broom. Allow to dry and vacuum. Repeat if necessary.
Q: ‘My office chair didn’t have stoppers’, says Mark. ‘And has left rust stains on the carpet. Can they be removed?’
| Problem: | Rust stains on carpet. |
| What to use: | Talcum powder, disposable rubber gloves, CLR/Ranex, water, cloth, damp cloth, white vinegar. |
| How to apply: | Make a circle of talcum powder around the stain to prevent the solution spreading into other parts of the carpet. Put on rubber gloves, mix 1 part CLR or Ranex to 20 parts water and wipe the stain with a cloth. Immediately wipe with a damp cloth. Then wring a cloth in white vinegar and wipe. Rust removal products are quite harsh and can damage the glue at the back of the carpet so you need to work quickly. Repeat in this order: wipe with the mixture, wipe with a damp cloth, wipe with white vinegar then absorb excess moisture with paper towel. |
DID YOU KNOW? Carpet beetles eat woollen carpets, leaving a black mark near the wall or doorframes. To remove the black marks, brush with non-iodised salt and vacuum. To deter them, stab 1 whole clove into a bay leaf and place at 1.5 m intervals along the walls.
Q: ‘About 6 months ago, I spilt a cup of black tea on my cream carpet. I mopped it up and everything seemed okay. Shortly afterwards I had the carpet professionally cleaned. Since then I’ve noticed a darker patch where the tea spilt. I applied a large amount of glycerine, white vinegar and bicarb. It is now worse than ever. It’s like the stain has grabbed the glycerine and turned it oily brown. I’ve just used a commercial carpet spot cleaner on it but there’s only a slight improvement. Help!’
A:Before tackling a stain, think about what’s been used on it already. In this case, the stain was affected by chemicals used by the commercial cleaner combined with the tea residue. Neutralise the chemicals by wiping with a cloth wrung in white vinegar, then apply paper towel to remove moisture. When using glycerine, or any moisture on carpet, use only a small amount. Don’t wet the carpet because you’ll cause stains from the jute underlay. If you do get a jute stain from the back of the carpet, mix ½ teaspoon of glycerine and ½ teaspoon of dishwashing liquid on an old toothbrush and brush onto the surface of the stain, working from the outside to the inside. Wipe with a damp cloth and apply paper towel to remove moisture. Repeat if necessary.
Q: ‘My husband is a plumber and tracked blue silicone on the carpet’, complains Judy. ‘Can it be removed?’
| Problem: | Blue plumber’s silicone on carpet. |
| What to use: | Metal comb, kerosene, pantyhose, dishwashing liquid, disposable rubber gloves, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | Dip a metal comb in a little kerosene and comb the silicone out of the carpet, removing as much as possible. Dip pantyhose in a little kerosene and scrub vigorously to remove the stains. This will require quite a bit of elbow grease—kerosene doesn’t dissolve silicone but makes it easier to remove and you’ll have to rub hard. To remove the kerosene, put on rubber gloves and massage dishwashing liquid into the spots. Wipe with a damp cloth before applying paper towel and stand on it to absorb moisture. Tell your husband to leave his dirty shoes outside! |
Sugar stains are tricky to remove because sugar crystallises and sticks to carpet fibres. If you don’t remove all the sugar, the stain goes darker. For details, see ‘Fanta’ on page 148.
If you get boot polish on carpet, wipe with a little methylated spirits. If the stain is from liquid shoe polish, which contains wax, use methylated spirits followed by a little tea tree oil.
Q: ‘How can I remove black soot from carpet?’ asks Tom. ‘We have a gas fireplace and fake coals and often get sooty bits on the carpet.’
| Problem: | Soot on carpet. |
| What to use: | Vacuum cleaner, cake of bathroom soap, water, pantyhose, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | Vacuum as much of the soot as possible. Dampen a cake of bathroom soap in water and roll it over the sooty carpet—the soot marks will stick to the soap. Repeat until removed. Wipe with damp pantyhose to remove excess soap. Apply paper towel to remove moisture. WARNING:If a gas heater places soot in the room, the jets could be blocked or there may be something wrong with your heater. Consult a professional. |
Q: ‘I dropped some sorbolene cream on the carpet’, says Wayne. ‘What do you suggest?’
| Problem: | Sorbolene cream on carpet. |
| What to use: | Dishwashing liquid, damp cloth, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | Put a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid on your fingers and massage into the stain until it feels like jelly. Wipe with a damp cloth. Apply paper towel to remove moisture. |
Q: ‘I’ve spilt a cup of thick pea soup on my carpet’, reports Christina. ‘How can I get it out?’
Q: ‘I have a couple of stains on my daughter’s bedroom carpet’, reports Tracey. ‘The stain that’s most difficult to shift is tanning moisturiser. There are now two blotches of yellow in the middle of the beige carpet.’
Q: ‘There was a leak on the floor in our dining area and the carpet got very wet’, reports Sally. ‘The dining table legs have leached colour into the carpet, which is now badly stained where the legs stood. What can I do?’
| Problem: | Timber stains on carpet. |
| What to use: | Glycerine, old toothbrush, cloth, white vinegar, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | This is a tannin stain. Put a couple of drops of glycerine on a toothbrush and comb over the fibres. Leave for 20 minutes. Wipe with a cloth wrung out in white vinegar. Apply paper towel to remove moisture. Don’t place the table on the carpet until completely dry. |
| Prevention: | Put stoppers or clear plastic under the table legs. |
| Problem: | Tomato sauce on carpet. |
| What to use: | Cloth, white vinegar, ultraviolet light, cardboard. |
| How to apply: | Tomato sauce contains a vegetable dye. Remove as much as possible before wiping with a cloth wrung out in white vinegar. Then aim ultraviolet light over the area, protecting the surrounding carpet with cardboard. Check every 2 hours until the dye is removed. |
Q: ‘I’ve spilled bubble-jet ink on the carpet’, reports Jean. ‘Help!’
| Problem: | Toner on carpet. |
| What to use: | Rotten milk, comb, cold water, cloth, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | To remove the ink, rot some milk in the sun until it forms lumps. Strain the lumps and place them over the stain to absorb the ink. When the ink has been absorbed, lift the rotten milk lumps off the carpet with a comb. Clean the remainder by scribbing with a cake of bathroom soap and cold water. Apply paper towel to remove moisture. |
Q: ‘I’ve got tree sap on my carpet’, says Joanne.
| Problem: | Tree sap on carpet. |
| What to use: | Tea tree oil, old toothbrush, damp cloth, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | Apply a couple of drops of tea tree oil to a toothbrush and scrub. Wipe with a damp cloth. Apply paper towel to absorb moisture. |
| Problem: | Urine on carpet. |
| What to use: | Ultraviolet light, white chalk, cloth, white vinegar, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | If you don’t know where the stain is, use ultraviolet light in a darkened room and the urine will glow yellow. Mark around the stains with white chalk so you know where they are when the light is turned back on. Wipe with a cloth dampened with white vinegar. Apply paper towel to remove moisture. Repeat if necessary. |
Q: ‘How can I get Vegemite and butter out of my wool-blend carpet?’ asks Ben. ‘It’s been trodden in.’
| Problem: | Vomit on carpet. |
| What to use: | Stain diagnosis. |
| How to apply: | It depends what’s been vomited up. Consult the Stain Diagnosis on page 362. If the vomit contains bile, wipe with a cloth wrung out in white vinegar. |
Q: ‘I spilled a bottle of water on the carpet’, says Christine. ‘It’s left a watermark. What can I do?’
Q: ‘How do you get zinc out of carpet?’ asks Tom.
| Problem: | Zinc cream on carpet. |
| What to use: | Talcum powder, pantyhose, baby oil, dishwashing liquid, damp cloth, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | Sprinkle a little talcum powder on the stain and scrub with pantyhose. Place a couple of drops of baby oil on a cloth and rub into the stain. For any remaining stains, massage in a little dishwashing liquid using your fingertips until it feels like jelly. Wipe with a damp cloth. Apply paper towel to remove moisture. |
General cleaning guide for floors
Water-soaked carpets smell awful. To dry the carpet out, hire an air blower (available from plant hire companies and councils). Follow the directions—each operates slightly differently. If the carpet is drenched, remove the batons from doorways and place a roll of paper towel under the edge of the carpet to lift it. This absorbs moisture near the doors and allows airflow under the carpet, helping it to dry faster. Once it has dried, sprinkle the carpet with bicarb and either stomp on the carpet or sweep with a stiff broom. Leave the bicarb for half an hour to an hour and then vacuum. Next, kill the mould spores by putting a ¼ teaspoon of oil of cloves into a 1 litre spray pack of water and lightly mist over the carpet. If you can’t get hold of an air blower, use a combination of towels and pressure. Place the towels on the carpet and walk on them to absorb moisture. If there’s brown staining once the carpet has dried, it means the jute backing has released tannin. Remove with ½ teaspoon of glycerine and ½ teaspoon of dishwashing liquid on an old toothbrush, working from the outside to the inside of the stain. Wipe with a damp cloth and apply paper towel (or towel for large areas) to remove moisture.
Q: ‘I have a large dirty flokati rug to wash’, says Bonnie. ‘What do you suggest?’
Q: ‘I’ve got a Turkish wool rug’, reports Pip. ‘But the cotton fringing is no longer white. What can I do?’
| Problem: | Dirty cotton fringing. |
| What to use: | Paper towel, cheap shampoo, old toothbrush, damp cloth; or dry shampoo for blonde hair, hairbrush. |
| How to apply: | Roll up paper towel and place it under the fringe. Then apply 1 teaspoon of shampoo to every 30 cm of fringe with a toothbrush, being careful not to get it on the rug itself. Remove the shampoo with a damp cloth. Dry with paper towel. Alternatively, spray with dry shampoo and brush with a hairbrush. |
Sisal is a type of weave and can be made of plant fibres or horse hair. Many people love the look of sisal but it can be a bit tough on bare feet and it soils easily.
Q: ‘My daughter’s cat drank green food colouring and peed on my oatmeal-coloured sisal carpet’, says Maggie. ‘I’ve already used white vinegar but now have two orange-coloured stains that get darker in rainy weather. What can I do?’
| Problem: | Green food colouring and vinegar on sisal. |
| What to use: | Glycerine, old toothbrush, white vinegar, cloth, ultraviolet light, cardboard. |
| How to apply: | The orange-coloured spots are likely to be a tannin stain from using too much vinegar. Put a couple of drops of glycerine on a toothbrush and scrub over the marks. Leave for 20 minutes. Then sponge with a cloth wrung out in white vinegar. To remove the green food colouring dye, wipe with a cloth wrung out in white vinegar. Aim ultraviolet light at the stain, protecting the carpet around the stain with cardboard, until the green is gone. |
Q: ‘I have a sisal carpet and managed to stain it with (I think) water from a Damp Rid container’, says Tony. ‘What do you suggest?
| Problem: | Damp Rid on sisal. |
| What to use: | Unprocessed wheat bran, white vinegar, vacuum cleaner, dishwashing liquid, old toothbrush, oil of cloves, 1 litre spray pack, coarse non-iodised salt, pantyhose. |
| How to apply: | This is difficult to remove because Damp Rid contains silicone. Mix 1 kg of unprocessed wheat bran with drops of white vinegar (one at a time) and stir until it becomes clumpy and resembles brown sugar. Sprinkle over the area and brush it back and forward. Leave for half an hour and vacuum. Place dishwashing liquid on a toothbrush and scrub over the stain. Put ¼ teaspoon of oil of cloves into a 1 litre spray pack of water and mist over the stain. Then lightly sprinkle a little salt (2 teaspoons of salt per 30-cm diameter) and rub with pantyhose. Allow to dry and vacuum. If this doesn’t work, you’ll need to patch the sisal. For details, see page 120 in Spotless.The good thing about patching sisal is the ribs hide the joins so you won’t notice the patch job. |
This is made of coconut fibre.
Q: ‘I warmed a tub of Vicks VapoRub and managed to spill it onto my coir carpet’, says Kate. ‘What can I do?’
| Problem: | Vicks VapoRub on coir. |
| What to use: | Unprocessed wheat bran, stiff broom, dishwashing liquid, old toothbrush, damp cloth, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | This is a tricky one. Sprinkle lots of unprocessed wheat bran and sweep it back and forth over the stain with a stiff broom. Keep replacing the bran until it stops sticking to the coir. Place a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid on a toothbrush and scrub with the grain over the coir. Once it feels like jelly, wipe with a damp cloth. Put some paper towel over the top and stand on it to absorb moisture. |
Q: ‘I have cushion vinyl on my kitchen floor’, reports Pat. ‘And there are a number of stiletto heel indentations. Can I remove these marks?’
Q: ‘How do you get purple crepe paper stain off cream vinyl?’ asks Frank.
| Problem: | Purple crepe paper on vinyl. |
| What to use: | Lavender oil, glycerine, pantyhose. |
| How to apply: | This is tricky because the chemical formula to make dye can be similar to the chemical formula to colour lino, so removing one will remove the other. Make a paste of equal parts lavender oil and glycerine and apply to the stain with pantyhose. Polish it out with clean pantyhose. |
Q: ‘We’ve got scuff marks on our vinyl floors from shoes’, reports Robyn. ‘How can we get them off?’
Q: ‘What’s the best way to remove rust from lino?’ asks Betty.
| Problem: | Rust on lino. |
| What to use: | Lemon, non-iodised salt, damp cloth. |
| How to apply: | Cut a lemon in half, sprinkle with salt and scrub over the rust stains. Wipe with a damp cloth. Repeat if necessary |
Q: ‘The blue wording from a plastic bag has sweated itself onto the lino of our new caravan’, reports Rachael. ‘We live in the Top End where temperatures get rather high and humid. What can you suggest?’
| Problem: | Ink on lino. |
| What to use: | Rotten milk, coarse salt, glycerine, pantyhose. |
| How to apply: | Rot some milk in the sun (the time taken will vary). Mix 2 tablespoons of rotten milk solids, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of glycerine and place the smelly mixture over the stain. Leave for around 20 minutes. Polish off with pantyhose. |
Q: ‘How do I clean a sticky vinyl floor in the kitchen?’ asks Jim.
| Problem: | Sticky vinyl floor. |
| What to use: | Coarse salt, 9 litre bucket, cloth, water, stiff broom. |
| How to apply: | To remove the stickiness, put 1 kg of salt into a bucket of water, stir until it dissolves, wipe the solution over the floor with a cloth and leave to dry and form a salt crust. Sweep off with a broom. |
Q: ‘How can I remove a build-up of hairspray from my embossed lino floor?’ asks Raine.
| Problem: | Hairspray on lino. |
| What to use: | Hairspray, pantyhose, anti-dandruff shampoo, cloth, water. |
| How to apply: | Spray the floor with hairspray (it contains its own solvent). While the hairspray is still wet, wipe with pantyhose. Alternatively, spray a rolled up ball of pantyhose with hairspray and wipe over the floor. Another option is to wipe the area with a little anti-dandruff shampoo on a cloth, then rinse with water. |
| Prevention: | Apply your hairspray outside. |
Doors are often neglected during a cleaning routine but it’s easy to wipe over them with a damp cloth. Clean doorknobs with a bran ball (see page 85). Grab some lavender oil—which strips through grease without damaging paint and leaves a fresh, clean smell—sprinkle a few drops on a cloth and wipe over doors and doorjambs. To remove dirty fingerprints, put 1 teaspoon of lavender oil in a 1 litre spray pack of water, spray onto pantyhose and wipe over the fingermarks.
Hinges operate more smoothly and are protected from rust if wiped with a smear of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) or sewing machine oil. Wipe across the horizontal lines of the hinge. To prevent further cleaning, put newspaper or other covering over the floor when puffing graphite powder into a lock.
TIP
Hinges feel cold and damp when you touch them because metal attracts condensation, which makes them more susceptible to rust.
TIP
Remove rust from screws by sprinkling salt over a cut lemon and wipe over the screws. To prevent screws from further rusting, paint the heads with clear nail polish. If you need to remove the screws, wipe over the nail polish with acetone.
Use a brush strip seal on your front door; it reduces noise and keeps dust and dirt out of your home.
Pin a cloth panel on the back of the door to baffle sound.
Add another layer of curtains.
To reduce noise from stereos, televisions, pianos, etc, place soft rubber stoppers underneath to minimise vibrations.
To stop doors from rattling, put a felt strip on the doorjamb.
At the flick of a switch, you can get light but electricity contains positive ions that attract dust. Clean soft and hard lampshades every week with a bran ball (see page 85). To clean metal lamp bases, use bicarb and white vinegar on a cloth. For glass lamp bases, use white vinegar on a cloth. For timber lamp bases, use black tea on a cloth. For plastic lamp bases, use a paste of equal parts glycerine and talcum powder on a cloth. For ceramic lamp bases, use white vinegar on a cloth.
Each week, wipe a damp cloth over cold light bulbs and, if there are bugs, remove the lightbulb and vacuum the light socket (make sure it’s switched off at the powerpoint). The combination of heat and dead insects can make the fitting brittle. If, like Shannon, you have lights positioned at the top of a high stairwell, put a sponge over the hook of an extendable plastic broom handle to reach. Dip the sponge in a bucket of 1 teaspoon of lavender oil per litre of water.
To remove fly speck, mix equal parts tea tree oil and water, dip in a cotton bud and spin the cotton bud over each bit of speck to remove it.
Q: ‘Some pieces of our glass chandelier have rust stains from the internal metal rod’, says Dan. ‘Do you have any suggestions on how to remove them?’
| Problem: | Rust on metal. |
| What to use: | Methylated spirits, pantyhose. |
| How to apply: | It’s likely the rust was caused by a chlorine-based cleaner. To remove, rub the metal with methylated spirits and pantyhose. See pages 124–5 of Spotless for details on how to clean a chandelier. |
It may sound a little odd, but Shannon cleans her walls with a vacuum cleaner. She covers the head in an old T-shirt and runs it over the walls. Remove dirty marks with a light spray of lavender oil and water on a cloth. If the walls are very dirty, mix bicarb and white vinegar on a cloth and rinse with a clean, damp cloth. Some people use sugar soap but Shannon doesn’t recommend it because it leaves a residue that dirt can stick to. If you have wallpaper, clean it with a slice of brown bread. For large areas, cut a loaf of brown bread lengthways and leave overnight so it goes a little stale on the cut edge, then wipe directly on the wallpaper. Don’t forget to vacuum the crumbs!
Q: ‘I have lots of stick-on plastic hooks on the wall left from the previous owners’, reports Eloise. ‘I’ve pulled the hook bits off but can’t remove the thick, tacky glue behind. What do you suggest?’
| Problem: | Glue on walls. |
| What to use: | Tea tree oil, plastic wrap, plastic knife. |
| How to apply: | Place a drop of tea tree oil on the top edge of the glue patch and cover with plastic wrap. Leave for 20 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and slide a plastic knife behind the glue. If it doesn’t come away, replace the plastic wrap and leave for another 20 minutes, then try again. |
Q: ‘I have an oil-based fly spray unit that dispenses on a timed basis’, reports Brian. ‘It’s left a mark on the wall. What can I do?’
| Problem: | Fly spray unit mark on wall. |
| What to use: | Dishwashing liquid, pantyhose, damp cloth (painted walls); or brown bread (wallpaper). |
| How to apply: | If the wall is painted, place a little dishwashing liquid on pantyhose and rub over the area, then wipe with a damp cloth. For wallpaper, use a slice of brown bread and rub gently over the stain. |
| Prevention: | Put flyscreens on your windows. All commercial fly sprays are toxic. |
Q: ‘I’ve got mouldy wallpaper’, complains Lesley. ‘What should I do?’
| Problem: | Mouldy wallpaper. |
| What to use: | 9 litre bucket, warm water, non-iodised salt, cloth, soft broom. |
| How to apply: | Fill a bucket with warm water, add 1 kg of salt and mix. Wring a cloth in the mixture and wipe over the walls. Leave to dry and form a salt crust. Brush the crust away with a clean, soft broom and the mould will come away with it. |
Many people hate spiders and spider webs. The kind way to keep spiders away from your home is with lemon oil. You can buy lemon oil (lemon essence doesn’t work) or use the oil from lemon skin. Rub some lemon skin or sprinkle 1–2 drops of lemon oil along the bristles of your broom (clean, of course) and wipe the broom over the areas where spiders are likely to set up home—you’ll collect the old webs as you go. If you’re not able to use a broom, mix 5 drops of lemon oil with 1 drop of dishwashing liquid in a 1 litre spray pack of water and lightly spray over the area. This mixture doesn’t kill spiders or remove cobwebs, it simply deters them. You’ll need to reapply every 3 months.
Remove greasy fingermarks around light switches with 1 teaspoon of lavender oil in a 1 litre spray pack of water. Spray a small amount onto a cloth and wipe away the greasy fingermarks (do not spray the mixture directly onto the light switch or you could short the electrics).
Q: ‘I’ve had a macramé wall hanging for many years’, reports Jenny. ‘I have vacuumed it regularly but I’m concerned that if I hand wash it, not only will the colour from the beads run, it would lose its shape. Can you help?’
| Problem: | Dirty macramé wall hanging. |
| What to use: | Unprocessed wheat bran, bowl, white vinegar, pillowcase, bowl, vacuum cleaner. |
| How to apply: | The macramé wall hanging is likely to be raw cotton twine and is easy to clean. Place 2 cups of unprocessed wheat bran in a bowl and gradually stir in drops of white vinegar until the bran clumps together and resembles brown sugar. It shouldn’t be wet. Place the mixture in a pillowcase, add the wall hanging, secure the top and shake thoroughly. Gently remove the wall hanging (outside or over a bin) and shake out the excess bran. If needed, lightly vacuum to remove any remaining bits of bran. |
Q: ‘We have columns inside and outside our home that have rust stains on them’, says Bill. ‘I tried to remove the rust with diluted hydrochloric acid but used an orange-coloured sponge which dissolved from the acid. So now I have rust that is stained orange. What should I do?’
| Problem: | Rust and orange dye on sandstone composite. |
| What to use: | Cake of bathroom soap, water, scrubbing brush, glycerine. |
| How to apply: | To remove the acid and rust, run a cake of bathroom soap under water and scribble over the stain. Then scrub with a scrubbing brush. Rinse with water. If the orange colour doesn’t come away, add 1 teaspoon of glycerine to the rinse water. |
TIP
When painting a room, open the windows for ventilation. Leave a saucer of milk in the room or cut an onion and place it in a saucepan of water. The water is absorbent and attracts the fumes.
In Spotless, we described the cross-hatch technique for cleaning windows. In addition to methylated spirits and water, you can also clean windows with equal parts white vinegar and water in a 1 litre spray pack. If your windows are exposed to bore water or fertiliser, clean them as often as possible or you could get glass cancer. Have a squeegee dedicated for the task.
If you have painted window frames and sills, clean them regularly because exposure to the sun breaks down the surface of the paint and allows dust to stick. To clean, mix 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil, 1 teaspoon of lavender oil and ½ teaspoon of dishwashing liquid in a 1 litre spray pack of water. Wipe over the windowsills with pantyhose. If you do this task every week, you’ll only need to do a wipe over each time.
Q: ‘When cleaning around the painted wooden frames of my glass doors, the sugar soap dribbled onto a number of window panes’, says Ben. ‘How can I get this off?’
| Problem: | Sugar soap on glass. |
| What to use: | White vinegar, cloth; or sweet almond oil, cloth. |
| How to apply: | Sugar soap is caustic and has eaten into the glass. Wipe with white vinegar on a cloth. If this doesn’t work, wipe with sweet almond oil on a cloth. Reapply as needed, usually every 3 months. |
| Prevention: | If using sugar soap, neutralise immediately with white vinegar and water. |
Q: ‘My husband has been making leadlight windows for our house’, says Charmaine. ‘It involves using leadlight cement to glue the glass in place, whiting to remove the excess cement and stove black to make the lead black. But the stove black has become stuck to the cement remnants and is difficult to clean. Any suggestions?’
| Problem: | Leadlight cement on glass. |
| What to use: | Flat-bladed scalpel. |
| How to apply: | Use a flat-bladed scalpel (or leadlight knife) to cut the cement off. Tell your husband to use blacking rather than stove black when leadlighting. Blacking is a tar-like substance and can be removed with whiting (both are available from leadlighting and some hardware stores). |
Q: ‘Can you advise how to clean anodised aluminium window frames?’ asks Simon. ‘It’s more than just dirt. There are spots of corrosion.’
| Problem: | Corrosion on aluminium. |
| What to use: | Damp black tea bag, pantyhose, cloth. |
| How to apply: | Place a damp black tea bag into the toe of a pair of pantyhose and rub directly over the corrosion. Alternatively, dip pantyhose into a cup of black tea and wipe over the corrosion. The tannins in tea react with aluminium oxide and dissolve it. |
Q: ‘How can I get old tint film off windows?’ asks Brett.
| Problem: | Old tint film on windows. |
| What to use: | Dishwashing liquid, water, 1 litre spray pack, plastic wrap, credit card. |
| How to apply: | Put 2 teaspoons of dishwashing liquid in a spray pack of water and spray over the tint-side of the window. Place plastic wrap the same size as the windows over the glass. Leave for around 20 minutes, then run a credit card along the edge of the tint and peel tint and the plastic wrap away. The tint should come away easily. If it doesn’t, lay the plastic wrap back over the tint and leave for longer. Don’t do this in direct sunlight. |
Q: ‘How can I remove scratches on window glass?’ asks Sam.
| Problem: | Scratches on glass. |
| What to use: | Sweet almond oil, cloth, whiting, glycerine, cloth. |
| How to apply: | For light scratches, dab sweet almond oil on a cloth and wipe over the scratched area. For deep scratches, apply equal parts whiting (available from leadlighting and some hardware stores) and glycerine with a cloth and polish the scratches out. |
Q: ‘There’s gloss paint on my aluminium window frames’, reports Brenda. ‘How can I get it off?’
| Problem: | Gloss paint on aluminium. |
| What to use: | A helper, cardboard, paint scraper, pantyhose, heat gun. |
| How to apply: | You’ll need assistance with this job so enlist a helper. Cover the glass in cardboard to protect it. Put some pantyhose over a paint scraper and have one person apply the heat gun to the area in quick, even strokes. Be careful not to get heat near the silicone or glass. While the paint is still warm, the other person removes the paint with the scraper. |
Q: ‘How can I remove obstinate masking tape from my windows and aluminium frames?’ asks Virginia.
| Problem: | Old masking tape on glass. |
| What to use: | Tea tree oil, pantyhose. |
| How to apply: | When masking tape adhesive ages or warms, it becomes very hard to remove. Apply a few drops of tea tree oil to a rolled up pair of pantyhose and scrub over the adhesive. If it doesn’t come off straight away, let the tea tree oil sit on it for around 20 minutes. Scrub again. Don’t do this when the sun is shining on the window or the adhesive will smear. |
Q: ‘The previous tenants of my rental property had a dog that sat with its nose pressed to the window looking in’, says Don. ‘There’s a mark on the window that I can’t shift. I’ve tried methylated spirits, a scraper and steel wool without success. Can you help please?’
| Problem: | Saliva on glass. |
| What to use: | Sweet almond oil, cloth. |
| How to apply: | Saliva contains acid and other chemicals that have etched the glass and caused glass cancer. Polish with a couple of drops of sweet almond oil on a cloth. |
| Problem: | Dirty fabric/upholstered blinds. |
| What to use: | Unprocessed wheat bran, white vinegar, pantyhose |
| How to apply: | Make a bran ball (see page 85) and rub along the blinds. |
Q: ‘My very creative 2-year-old son used my good friend’s white polyester roman blinds as a canvas’, says Jacqui. ‘They’re now covered in blue biro. And although my friend isn’t too bothered by the biro, I am! Can you help?’
Wash your curtains in a bath (if you have one). Fill the tub with blood-heat water and add a little cheap shampoo. Immerse the curtains and give them a good swish around. Then rinse in blood-heat water. To deter cockroaches and inhibit mould, add 1 cup of non-iodised salt to the rinse water. Dry in the shade so the fabric doesn’t wrinkle and buckle but before they dry completely, hang them back in position so you don’t need to iron them. You can spot-clean curtains with a bran ball (see page 85). If you have velvet curtains, fold them so the nap (hairy sides) face each other and iron the back. If you get an iron mark, wring a cloth in white vinegar and place it over the nap. Fold the velvet over the cloth to create a white vinegar sandwich and press with a cool iron.
Q: ‘I’ve just moved into a house and the kitchen plastic blind has food and fat stains all over it’, says Natalie. ‘How do I clean it?’
Q: ‘I have silk curtains with light brown stains on them’, reports Sally. ‘I put one curtain in the washing machine and added a colourfast bleach. I put the other curtain in a strong bleach mixture. It’s a disaster! They went a murky yellow/light brown colour! Are they ruined forever?’
| Problem: | Stained silk. |
| What to use: | 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide, washing soda, 9 litre bucket, warm water, white vinegar, plate. |
| How to apply: | The bleach has burnt the silk fibres but try this option. Mix 2 cups of 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide and 8 tablespoons of washing soda in a bucket of warm water. Immerse the curtains and put a plate on top, to keep them fully in the solution. Leave for 6 hours. Remove the curtains from the bucket and place in a tub of warm water with 1 cup of white vinegar. Rinse thoroughly and hang in the sunshine to dry. If the fabric is too fragile to attempt this, you could dye the curtains with a quality silk dye. Next time, bleach silk in 2 tablespoons of washing soda and 4 tablespoons of 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide in 9 litres of water. |
Q: ‘I have rubber-lined curtains that have been stained very badly by cockroaches’, reports Jane. ‘They have obviously been hiding in the folds. What can I do?’
| Problem: | Cockroach poo on rubber-lined curtains. |
| What to use: | Damp cloth, non-iodised salt, glycerine, cloth, soapy water. |
| How to apply: | Wipe over the rubber backing with a damp cloth. Sprinkle salt on a damp cloth and scrub over the rubber. Remove the stain from the fabric side of the curtain by wiping with a dab of glycerine on a cloth. Leave for 20 minutes, then wash in soapy water. Dry in the shade so the backing doesn’t buckle. Add 1 cup of salt to the rinse water to deter cockroaches. |
Q: ‘I’ve got mildew on my blinds’, says Rose. ‘Any solutions?’
| Problem: | Mildew on blinds. |
| What to use: | Oil of cloves, 1 litre spray pack, stiff brush. |
| How to apply: | Put ¼ teaspoon of oil of cloves into a spray pack of water and lightly spray over the blinds. Leave to dry. After 24 hours, brush the dead mildew spores away with a stiff brush. |
Q: ‘How can we remove the smell of dry-cleaning fluid from our curtains?’ asks Bobbie.
| Problem: | Dry cleaning fluid smell in curtains. |
| What to use: | Bathtub, blood-heat water, white vinegar, sunshine. |
| How to apply: | Fill a bath (or large tub) with blood-heat water and add 1 cup of white vinegar. Place the curtains in the bath and swish about. Rinse in blood-heat water and hang the curtains on the clothesline to dry. When they are almost dry, hang them back in position and you won’t need to iron them. |
TIP
If there are bushfires or lots of smoke, dampen some sheets and hang them over the top of your curtains against the glass. The sheets will protect your curtains from smoke damage and are easier to clean.
The best way to clean blinds is with a bran ball (see page 85).
If there’s fly speck on the ceiling, put a pair of pantyhose over the head of a broom and dampen with a little water. Sprinkle a little bicarb on the broom and sweep across the ceiling—the speck will attach to the pantyhose. If there are smoke stains, apply the same technique but dampen the broom with white vinegar, then sprinkle with bicarb and sweep while the mixture is fizzing. Leave to dry, then sweep with a clean dry broom. Remove mould by covering the broom head with pantyhose and spraying with ¼ teaspoon oil of cloves in a 1 litre spray pack of water. Sweep in parallel stripes over the area. Repeat after 24 hours. The second clean removes the staining. If the mould continues to appear, you could have a problem with drainage, poor flashing in the gutter or a broken tile. Find the source of the problem and have it repaired.