Common Stains
How to remove dog poo
Remove as much of the solids as possible then blot with a paper towel until the carpet is touch dry. Sprinkle bicarb over the area. Then wring out a cloth in vinegar and sponge the bicarb off. If your dog eats commercial food, it will have a high caramel content to colour the food so you’ll need to wipe the area with glycerine first. Just apply a small amount of glycerine to a cloth and wipe over the area. Fill a bucket with cold water and enough detergent to create a sudsy mix. Use just the detergent suds, not the water, from the bucket and work them into the stain with a soft nylon brush. Leave it to dry or use paper towel to absorb the moisture. When dry, vacuum. If there’s any unpleasant odour, repeat this process. An alternative method is to apply cold water and detergent suds with an old toothbrush, using as little water as possible. Then fill the bucket with warm water and detergent and again apply the suds to the stain with an old toothbrush. The reason you use both cold and warm water is because faeces contain proteins and fats. Cold water removes proteins and warm water removes fats. You must clean in this order or the warm water will set the protein stain! Dry with paper towel by standing on it.
How to remove a red wine stain on the carpet
Cover the stain with a bicarb then vacuum. Then re-apply the bicarb, add a little vinegar and scrub with a nylon brush. Leave it to dry then vacuum.
Burnt Pan
Sprinkle bicarb into the pan then sprinkle with vinegar. While it's fizzing, scrub with a nylon brush. You may need to repeat this two or three times for bad burns. For bad burns, cover in vinegar and place the pan in the freezer. Then add bicarb and scrub with a nylon brush.
Candle Wax on the Carpet
Put ice on the wax to harden it then scrape as much away with a blunt knife. Wedge a metal comb underneath the wax and put a paper towel on top of the wax. Then aim a hairdryer over it. The paper towel will absorb the wax. Repeat until all the wax is removed. Never use an iron on carpet as it can char natural fibres or melt synthetic fibres.
How to fix a Shrunken Jumper
Fuller's Earth is a wool relaxant. For dark-coloured jumpers, fill a nappy-sized bucket with blood heat water and add 2 tablespoons of Fuller's Earth. For light-coloured jumpers, add 4 tablespoons. Put the jumper in and gently agitate it with your hands until it’s thoroughly wetted. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes and then completely rinse in blood heat water. Don’t leave it for longer than this or it will bleach. Put the jumper on a towel in a shady spot and dry it flat. Gently stretch it back into shape as it’s drying. To make the stretch more even, use 2 wide-toothed combs on either side of the jumper and stretch with the combs as it's drying. It's not as effective but you could also use 2 tablespoons of epsom salts, instead of Fuller's Earth, to a bucket of blood heat water.
Mould on the walls
Put 4-5 drops of oil of cloves in 1/2 bucket of water. Wipe this over the mouldy wall with a soft cloth or sponge. The mould may not come off all at once but the oil of cloves will continue to kill it. Dust the mould off later.
Cat Urine on Curtains
To remove the stain, wash the curtains in a bucket with Napisan and water. Add oil of lavender to the water to get rid of the smell. Rinse and hang on line. If the smell remains, put a couple of drops of lavender oil and water in a spray pack and spray over the area. Leave some camphor flakes nearby to deter the cat.
What to do if you get lily stamens or pollen on the carpet
If the stain has set, damp it with kerosene applied with a cotton ball. Then damp the stain with methylated spirits applied with a cotton ball. Dry with a paper towel before repeating. Do this until the colour is removed. Some pollens will be easy to remove, others will need several attempts. To avoid the problem, remove the stamens before putting the flowers on display. Put a plastic bag over your hand and pull the stamens out into your palm, then wrap the bag over itself and the stamens and throw it in the bin. This way, your hands won’t come in contact with the stamens.