A - Z of Cleaning Tips

Ballpoint Pen
Dab off with a clean white cloth soaked in methylated spirit

Beetroot Juice
Rinse off with cold water.  Soak coloureds in a borax solution for 15 minutes.  For whites, sprinkle borax on the fabric and wash off with hot water.  Then wash the fabric with a biological detergent.

Blood
Soak stains in heavily salted water or detergent.

Candle Wax
Scrape off any excess, place either kitchen towel or a piece of brown paper over the remnants and press with a barely warm iron until the paper absorbs the wax.

Chewing Gum
Get a bag of ice and freeze the gum until hard, then scrape the gum away with a knife.

Coffee & Tea
Flush with cold water and spot clean with a solution of detergent but not soap.  If the stain persists, soak in a solution of one part white vinegar to two parts water.

Contact adhesive & glue
Dab with nail polish remover.

Crayon
Scrape away the excess before dabbing with methylated spirits.

Fruit juice
For fresh stains, rinse quickly in cold water, then soak and wash in biological washing powder. For dried stains, soften the stain by working a little neat washing up liquid into it with your finger. Leave for 1 hour, then soak and wash in biological washing powder.

Grass
Heavy stains can be dabbed with methylated spirit, then rinse in warm water and wash as normal.

Nail varnish
Blot up any excess, dab with non-oily nail varnish remover, and then apply methylated spirit to remove any traces of colour

Paint (emulsion)
For fresh stains, soak in cold water. For dried stains, dab with methylated spirit and wash as normal.

Paint (gloss)
For fresh stains, dab with white spirit, rinse, then wash. For dried stains, moisten with neat washing up liquid, then sponge with white vinegar. Rinse, then wash as normal.

Pencil
Work neat washing up liquid into the mark with your finger. Rinse, then wash as normal.

Rust
Dip half a lemon in salt. Rub this over the fabric and leave for about an hour, then rinse and wash as normal.

Shoe Polish
Dab with white spirit and wash

Wine (red)
If the fabric is washable, quickly pour sparkling mineral water over the spill, and then blot with kitchen paper to absorb the stain, then shake a large quantity of salt over the stain. Rinse with cold water, then sponge with diluted washing up liquid. Rinse again, then wash as normal.

Wine (white)
For fresh stains, rinse in warm water, then wash. For dried stains, moisten by working in neat washing up liquid with your finger. Soak and wash in biological washing powder.