chemistry household

Shoe Cleaners

　　Scrape off any excess with a dull knife. Shoe creams can frequently be removed from washable materials by washing with your usual laundry product.

　　If this is not successful, treat washable fabrics with glycerine. Pour on to the stain, rub lightly between the hands, leave for half an hour, then wash or rinse in warm water.

　　On unwashable fabrics or for very stubborn marks, sponge with equal quantities of methylated spirits (wood alcohol) and household ammonia. (Test on coloured fabrics first). Then sponge with warm water.

Silly Putty

　　Scrape off the excess with a blunt knife, then apply a warm to hot solution made up of 1 part D’limonene, 1 part dishwash liquid, 10 parts water (read our notes on each product at this link). Massage into the putty, and use absorbent towelling to absorb the “gunk”. You may need to repeat this. Finally rinse with warm water and let dry naturally.

　　Or Crayola recommend that you Scrape the excess Silly Putty with a dull knife or metal spoon. Spray with WD-40® (car part lubricant) and let stand a few minutes. Again scrape excess Silly Putty with knife or spoon, and re-spray with WD-40®. Wipe stain with cotton balls. If any stain remains, saturate a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol, blot the stain and rinse. Wipe any remaining residue or remaining stain with a damp sponge or cloth moistened with liquid dishwashing detergent.

Soft Drinks

　　Pre-treat dry fabric with a laundry pre-soak (spot stain remover) prior to washing with a quality laundry product in the usual way. Alternative treatment: sponge with equal quantities of methylated spirits (wood alcohol) and water. Old or obstinate stains may be softened in glycerine before treatment as above.

Soot & Smoke

　　First treat with absorbent powder, then wash. For unwashable articles sponge with dry cleaning fluid or other grease solvent, followed by airing to remove smell of smoke.

　　For carpets, mix solvent to a paste with cornflour, talcum or french chalk. Apply thickly - leave to dry, then brush or vacuum off. Repeat if necessary. Use absorbent powder only on rubber backed carpeting. Or use a spray-on dry cleaner.

Soy Sauce

　　Dry the soya sauce-stained area. Mix together 3 parts dishwash liquid with 1 part of a D’Limonene based product (read our notes on each product at this link). Soak the stained area in this solution for 10-15 minutes. After the soak time, rinse in water as hot as is suitable for the fabric, then wash as usual, but preferrably with a Laundry Liquid. This treatment may require repeating.

Tar & Asphalt

　　Scrape away as much as possible with a dull knife. Sponge with Jeyes fluid and water (1 part Jeyes to 3 of water) or pre-treat with a laundry pre-soak (spot stain remover) then wash with a quality laundry product, rinse in warm water.

　　If this is not successful on washable materials, rub Vaseline or lard into the stain. Leave for half an hour, then wash in hot soapy water.

　　For unwashable materials the stain will be very difficult. Sponge repeatedly with dry cleaning fluid. If the mark still persists, rub with Vaseline, leave for half an hour, then dip in dry cleaning fluid. If possible, finish by sponging with a solution made from a good quality laundry liquid, starting well to the outside of the stain.

Tarnish

　　Metallic stains from belts, jewellery, etc., sometimes stain clothes. Sponge with vinegar, lemon juice or 10% solution acetic acid (check synthetics first).

　　For tarnished metallic fabrics, e.g. lame, if practicable, boil in salt water (2 Tbsp. to 600 ml). Not suitable for plastics. Otherwise, sponge with methylated spirits (wood alcohol) or dry cleaning fluid.

Tobacco

　　For stubborn tobacco stains, first try pouring glycerine over the stain. Rub lightly between the hands, or pre-treat the dry fabric with a laundry pre-soak (spot stain remover), leave for half an hour then wash in the usual way. If this is not successful, use sodium thiosulphate as directed for iodine stains.

Tomato Juice, Relish or Chutney

　　Sponge thoroughly with cold water first. Pour glycerine over, rub lightly between the hands and leave for half an hour. Or, pre-treat the dry fabric with a laundry pre-soak (spot stain remover), leave for half an hour then wash in the usual way. Rinse in warm water. Remove any remaining stain with a chlorinated laundry bleach or a diaper wash/sanitiser container sodium percarbonate, as directed.

Twink (Whiteout Liquid Paper/Liquid Correction Fluid)

　　Purchase some Spray & Wipe from your supermarket, and use concentrated on the stain. Most Spray & Wipe formula’s contain a solvent which will dissolve the liquid paper. OR Try a little gasoline on the stain, with some good absorbent paper or old cloth behind it. Then use some dishwash liquid or a good quality laundry liquid to wash out the gasoline. OR Purchase some xylene, or toluene, these are some of the solvents used in making the stuff. Use as if using the gasoline. These are stocked by gasoline companies and you may be able to request a small sample. Always test an inconspicuous piece of material before proceeding.

　　If a stain cannot be identified, treat with cool water first, then sponge with a good quality laundry liquid solution. Rinse well and if stain persists try equal quantities of methylated spirits (wood alcohol) and ammonia, testing first to note effect on colour and fabric. If colour is affected, omit ammonia. As a last resort, try a mild bleach, e.g. A diaper wash/sanitiser container sodium percarbonate.

Urine

　　These stains differ in composition, so that the same method may not be successful in all cases. Normal urine is usually acid. First soak in a solution of a diaper wash/sanitiser container sodium percarbonate or sponge with a solution of 1 Tbsp. household ammonia in ½ c warm water. Rinse well.

　　If this is not successful, try equal quantities of vinegar and warm water in case the stain is alkaline. Rinse well in warm water. For stubborn stains, sponge with diluted hydrogen peroxide, then wash or sponge - rinse with clear warm water. Old stains may destroy the colour of the cloth and nothing can be done to restore it in this case.

Vomit

　　Sponge with warm water containing a little ammonia. If extensive, dampen and sprinkle with pepsin powder, leave half an hour, then rinse off. OR soak washable articles in a diaper wash/sanitiser container sodium percarbonate.

Water Spots

　　Some silks, rayons and wools are spotted by water. To remove such spots, hold in the steam from a rapidly boiling kettle. It is wise to cover the spout with butter muslin first to prevent any droplets of water reaching the fabric. Allow the fabric to become damp, but not wet. Shake and press while still slightly damp, rubbing, if possible, with a piece of the same or a similar material, or with fingernail or spoon.

　　Water stains on carpets become brown because of impurities from backing or underfelt. Mop up spills, wipe with cool water, cover with pad of blotting paper, tissues or absorbent cloth. Weight down with books, etc., and dry quickly with the aid of fan heaters, vacuum exhaust, etc. This causes stain to wick through to absorbent material. Repeat if required.

Wine

　　Red Wine? Straight away pour White Wine on the affected area and soak up. Then wash in cold water and ammonia.

　　White Wine? Wash in cold water and ammonia. If unsuccessful, follow other treatments under Alcoholic Beverages.

　　Grass & Other Garden Foliage

　　Soak in a solution of a chlorinated laundry bleach or a diaper wash/sanitiser container sodium percarbonate. OR sponge with methylated spirits (wood alcohol). Remove this with warm water and where possible wash the article using Laundry powder or Liquid.

　　Ice Cream, Milk & Cream

　　For washable materials, first sponge with lukewarm water, then wash as usual. If the material is not washable, sponge with dry cleaning fluid then with cold water.

　　Indelible Pencil

　　Do not use water as this spreads the stain. Sponge over a pad of soft cloth, using equal quantities of methylated spirits (wood alcohol) and household ammonia (test coloured fabrics first). Should the colours run, try methylated spirits (wood alcohol) alone. Rinse or sponge with warm water.

　　Ink

　　Because INKS differ in composition it is impossible to find removers that are equally effective for all types of ink spots. The following is a range of suggestions from which you can choose. The best treatment we have discovered is using a D’limonene based product. (read our notes on each product HERE), however, General Instructions using D’Limonene are:- Dry the stained area. Mix together 3 parts dishwash liquid with 1 part of D’limonene. Soak the stained area in this solution for 10-15 minutes. After the soak time, rinse in water as hot as is suitable for the fabric, then wash as usual, but preferrably with a Laundry Liquid. This treatment may require repeating. Other treatments you can try include the following…

　　Ballpoint Pen Ink: First, saturate material with an alcohol-based hair spray (this seems to be a very popular method). The alcohol content in the hair spray will break up the ink. Be sure to place an absorbent paper towel or rag under the stain to catch the excess. You then need to blot the stain with a rag. Repeat the process until the stain is removed, then launder as usual. A word of caution before trying this method: some fabrics may be damaged by the hair spray solution. If in doubt, test on an inconspicuous area first, or consult with a professional dry cleaner.

　　Water Based Inks: Try an all-purpose cleaner instead of hair spray. Be sure to place an absorbent paper towel or rag under the stain to catch the excess. You then need to blot the stain with a rag. Repeat the process until the stain is removed, then launder as usual. A word of caution before trying this method: some fabrics may be damaged by the cleaning solution. If in doubt, test on an inconspicuous area first, or consult with a professional dry cleaner.

　　NOTE: If the stain is still wet, apply an absorbent - french chalk, talcum powder, starch or salt - to absorb excess ink and stop it from spreading. Continue this treatment, removing the discoloured powder and applying fresh, until there no further change is achieved. Alternatively, take up excess ink with blotting paper, pressing fresh patches of blotter into the stain until it no longer discolours. Then treat as required.

　　These suggestions are also suitable for dried writing ink, ball point pen, or marking ink. Soak the stain in “sour” milk - this is an old fashioned, but effective method. Fresh milk also works, but sour milk is faster. Sponge or dip the stain in equal quantities of methylated spirits (wood alcohol) and household ammonia (test on coloured fabrics first). Rinse in warm water. Rinse again in warm water containing a little ammonia, then finally in fresh water. Sponge with pure Dettol. If not effective, try iso-propyl alcohol or dry cleaning fluid (from chemist).

　　Iodine

　　Very fresh stains can often be removed by normal washing or by moistening the stain with water and placing in the sun or before a radiator. If not successful, apply a solution of 1 tsp. sodium thiosulphate, (from chemist) in 1cup warm water. Rinse well.

　　Light Oils, e.g. sewing machine, hair oil, baby oil etc.

　　Rub some dishwash liquid into the stain, leave for 10-15 minutes, then hot wash (60-65°C) using your normal laundry detergent. If any stain remains, repeat the process. For unwashable fabrics or articles, see under Butter.

　　Lipstick & Other Cosmetics

　　e.g. eyeshadow, mascara, blusher - washing with your usual laundry product may remove these stains. Pre treat the dry fabric stain with a laundry pre-soak (spot stain remover). On an unwashable fabric, first try dry cleaning fluid.

　　If stains are stubborn, sponge with equal quantities of methylated spirits (wood alcohol) and household ammonia. (Test on coloured fabrics first). If colour fades, reduce ammonia by half and test again. Rinse in warm water, or wash if possible.

　　Medicines

　　Try to find out from doctor or chemist what the medicine contains, as this will aid in selecting the correct treatment: e.g. iron tonics - treat as for iron rust: medicines containing alcohol, rinse with methylated spirits (wood alcohol), etc.

　　Where contents cannot be discovered proceed as for “Unknown Stain”.

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