As an owner of a cleaning service, I often encountered many cleaning problems and stains. These are some of the more common ones and how I cleaned them. Not only do I list common cleaning stains, I also list some basic and quick cleaning methods.
- Appliques – Use WD-40 to remove old bathtub appliques, be sure to clean well afterwards to prevent slipping.
- Blinds – Use old socks for cleaning blinds, just put them on your hands and run your hands between the slats. You can also use a wooden ruler inside a sock instead.
- Blood Stains on carpet or upholstery – Remove blood stains with cold water and liquid detergent.
- Butter – Clean butter or vegetable oil spill by blotting up excess with cornstarch and scrub with shampoo.
- Cabinets – Wash cabinets with warm soapy water or appropriate wood cleaner to remove grease.
- Candle Wax – Use isopropyl alcohol to remove.
- Ceramic Sinks – Use soft scrubs or gel cleaners and do not use abrasives that scratch.
- Coffee Stains – Use a baking soda paste or bleach spray. Rinse bleaches spray immediately to prevent fading.
- Crayon – Remove crayon wax by scraping off excess wax and placing a rag or tissue over the stain and ironing with a warm iron. Wax should stick to tissue.
- Drains – Pour 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup baking soda down drain; allow fizzling for an hour, and then rinsing well with hot water.
- Faucets – Use vinegar to remove water spots.
- Fiberglass – Use Dow Scrubbing Bubbles or baking soda and vinegar to clean. Isopropyl alcohol will remove stains.
- Floors – Use a pencil eraser to remove heel marks.
- Grass – Soak a grass stain in cold water and isopropyl alcohol.
- Grout – Apply solution of 3/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon water to tile and grout, then scrub.
- Hot Water – Hot water is your friend. Wetting down counters, sinks, tub, stovetops or goopy spots on the floor and letting it set for five or so minutes can make cleaning up many stains so much easier.
- Ink – Soak ink stains in isopropyl alcohol.
- Lime – Place vinegar soaked paper towels on faucet and allow them to soak for one hour and then clean.
- Mildew – Use a 50/50 spray of hydrogen peroxide and water. Spray and leave on, repeat in a couple of hours if necessary.
- Oven – Use plastic scrubbers or cloth and do not use metal scrubbing pads that scratch.
- Pet Urine – Vinegar water on carpet allowed to dry will remove smell.
- Porcelain – Clean with a cream of tartar and water paste.
- Rags – Have more rags than you think that you could possibly need. I’ve made the mistake of not having enough for a cleaning job and having to improvise or ration cleaning rags.
- Refrigerator – Wash racks and shelves in warm soapy water.
- Rust – Soak rust stains with undiluted vinegar or lemon juice until stain is gone.
- Soap scum – Clean shower stalls and doors with vinegar and water to remove soap scum.
- Soda – Use vinegar water or mild soapy detergent to remove.
- Stainless Steel Sinks – Use vinegar soaked cloth to remove water spots.
- Stickers – Use vinegar to remove stickers or labels from ceramic, plastic, glass, and wood.
- Tea – Use vinegar or baking soda paste to remove.
- Toilet – Remove alkaline rings with vinegar and a pumice stone. Be careful with pumice as it will scratch.
- Tomato Sauce – Use hydrogen peroxide or vinegar and water to remove.
- Wallpaper – Use an art gum eraser to remove pencil marks from wall paper.