Don't panic – you can get rid of stubborn stains

Try these easy, natural ideas

Baby oil/Grease/Oil: Dab excess oil with kitchen paper, then sprinkle stain with talc, cornflour or bicarbonate of soda. Leave for 30 minutes, then wipe off with a clean, dry flannel. Works for both washable and non-washable fabrics.

Candle wax: Harden wax by covering with ice cubes. Crack surface and gently scrape off with a blunt knife. To remove greasy stain, place cloth between kitchen paper and press back of stain with a warm iron. Move paper around to keep paper area free from grease and continue till wax is absorbed.

Coffee: If on upholstery, sponge off with soda water, making sure area is soaked. Blot and reapply soda till stain has lifted.

Curry: Scrape off as much excess as you can with a blunt knife. Saturate in warm water, then wring out. Rub glycerine into stain and leave for one to two hours. Repeat until stain has gone.

Deodorant: For light stains, rub liquid detergent into both sides of the stain while fabric is dry, then wash in the usual way.

Ink: For ballpoint pen ink, soak all of stained area in milk and leave for several hours. Wash and dry thoroughly afterwards. For permanent ink, spot treat with methylated spirit, making sure you dab the back of the stain. Rinse thoroughly, then air dry.

Felt tip: For permanent marker, add four tablespoons of ammonia to two pints of warm soapy water. Soak for an hour, then rinse.

Grass stains: Spot treat small stains with white vinegar or non-gel toothpaste. Rinse and repeat till spot is removed. For stubborn stains, spot treat with methylated spirit. Launder as usual. Tip: Don't use detergent directly on stain, as this will set it.

Hair dye: If on upholstery, immediately blot up as much dye as you can with kitchen towels. Add a few drops of washing-up liquid to a cup of warm water. Dab solution onto stain, then dab with clean absorbent white cloth (a clean white cloth is important to stop you dragging stain). Leave for five minutes, rinse. Repeat if necessary. Tip: Act quickly as hair dye is impossible to remove once dried.

Heel marks: If on waxed wooden floors, rub in turpentine till mark comes out. You will need to rewax.

Lipstick: Scrape off excess with spoon. Wet stain with sponge, then rub in washing-up liquid. Scrub the back of the stain with a clean toothbrush.

Milk: On upholstery, squirt a tiny bit of shaving foam onto stain and brush gently into fibres with an old toothbrush. Blot off excess foam with a clean dry cloth, then wipe with a sponge dampened with cold water.

Mud: For light staining, allow stain to dry, then shake off excess mud. Cut potato in half, rub over stain and launder.

Red wine: If on fabric, immediately soak with soda water or white wine and blot with kitchen paper. Then cover stain with salt and leave for five minutes, rinse in cold water, rubbing fabric against itself.

Rust: On clothing, cover marks with lemon and leave to dry outside. On carpets and upholstery, mix equal parts ammonia and boiling water, leave to cool. After a colour test, sponge mixture onto rust and rinse off.

Scorch marks: For small marks on woollens or carpets, rub marks with the edge of a silver coin.

Tar: Rub eucalyptus oil into the back of mark and blot. If stain is still there, rub in liquid detergent and rub fabric against itself in hot water.

Tarnish: Rub tomato sauce into tarnished pans. Leave for five mins and rub off.

Toothpaste: Scrape off excess. Add one tablespoon of white vinegar to one litre of warm water. Add a dash of washing-up liquid. Soak for 30 minutes. Rinse and air dry. Don't forget to do colour test first.

Yellowing: Freshen off-colour whites by soaking fabric in a bowl containing two to three denture-cleaning tablets. Leave soaking for several hours.

For more ideas see Stain Removal by Stephanie Zia, Bounty Books

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