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Category: Stain Removal Guide

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Correction Fluid Off Wood

This question was submitted from Tip4tips.

“My son has painted correction fluid over a wooden interior door. How can I remove it without damaging the wood?”

  • A solvent is likely the only sure thing that will remove this. However, the solvent will also remove paint and finish etc. so you will have to use it sparingly (not directly on the door) and pour onto a rag and wipe.
  • If you want to try without a solvent, citrus based cleaners are effective but not as aggressive as general purpose solvents.
  • If possible, get the area wet with a neutral soap and water and try to scrape off using your finger nails or a plastic scraper. Either way you will have a challenge to remove this without affecting the door in some way.
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Crayon from Clothes Dryer

WD-40 works well for removing crayon, as does as a product like Goo Gone. You may have some work ahead though since the heat from the dryer will have set the stain. Try using a green scotch brite scrubber pad, found on pot scrubbers in any grocer store. This pad is abrasive enough to remove the crayon without damaging the interior finish of the dryer.

Precautions:For all dryers we would recommend that you wipe down the interior of the dryer with a damp rag to remove any residue, and if you have a gas dryer leave the door open and allow it to air out for at least 24 hours before using. (This will help prevent your dryer from blowing up.)

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Hardwood Floor Unfinished

Here is a recently submited question:

“How do I clean a hardwood floor without refinishing?”

You can use a few different off the shelf products which both clean and add polish to the floor. You should be sure that you have swept or vacuumed the floor well before using these products. Since they have solids (wax) in them, dust will affect the appearance.

You could also use a wood soap such as a Murphy’s Oil soap which will leave a bit of a sheen after cleaning.  However the shine will not last with the above methods and you will have to constantly re-apply them.

If you have hardwood that is very worn you may have to apply the cleaner/polish product a few times to get the shine up as the wood absorbs the wax.

Use a hardwood floor mop and a spray bottle to apply the cleaner/polish.  Spray only an area that you can effectively clean. A hardwood floor mop looks like a dust mop only the fibers are shorter with a large surface area for polishing and cleaning.  If you don’t have a mop use something like a beach towel which will do an effective job of polishing, but is hard on the knees.

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Paint Stain from Jeans

This question was submitted from Colleen.

“How can I get green paint out of my jeans?”

If the paint has dried you have a challenge.
Try these techniques :

For an old stain try using a paint remover (from a hardware store). Test a small area first. This is a fairly harsh chemical designed to turn paint to mush so it can be removed from furniture for refinishing etc.

Scrape and remove (using a spoon) as much of the paint as possible.

If the paint remover is working apply more as needed. Be careful not scrub, this will force the paint deep into fibers, and can also damage the fibres leaving a hole or much lighter appearance.

If the stain is still there, cover with glycerin and let sit for several hours in an attempt to loosen the stain.

Then treat as a fresh stain and start by sponging out as much of the stain as possible before applying a laundry pre-treat – launder in warm water. Do not put in the dryer. Inspect the stain to see if you have to try again to remove it. The heat from the dryer will set the stain!

If you are fond of these pants try going to a professional cleaner. Point out the stain and ask if they think they can remove it; they likely can with better results than trying at home.

If the paint is oil based the pre-treatment should be a solvent designed for oil based paint (paint thinner).

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Stickers or Sticker Residue

Super sticky sticker stuff..

Say that 5 times really fast.

One of the more common questions we get is how to remove sticker residue. Often glassware comes with price tags that when you remove the sticker, the sticky part remains. Not very convenient when you are pulling out the 10th wine glass from the cabinet when you have a dinner party only to realize that the sticker has yet to be removed.

  • One the easiest solutions is to use WD-40; as it breaks down the sticker residue safely in most cases. It will leave an oily residue which is easily cleaned using soap and water.
  • You can also use a solvent like nail polish remover, but solvents can be more harmful on certain surfaces.
  • To remove sticky residue from something like clothes, use dry cleaning fluid, found in the laundry section of some department stores or your local janitorial supply store. Or you can just get it cleaned at the cleaners. Soap and water or detergent doesn’t break down the sticky residue very well.
  • If you have stickers on glass windows what ever you do, DO NOT use something abrasive like steel wool or an SOS pad, this can and will scratch some glass. You are far better off buying a flat razor which is meant for the job. Found at your local hardware store. Spray some water or Windex on the surface and scrape off the sticky residue with the flat razor. Use caution the handle can get slippery. I find using water or Windex helps the razor from gumming up too quickly with the sticky stuff and you can go longer before replacing blades.

One of my pet peeves is buying pictures which have stickers on the glass front (I won’t mention names…Winners and Homesense) its really frustrating to have to clean off the sticker. It takes longer to do that than hang the picture most times.  Sometimes I wet a cleaning cloth with water and just let it sit on the sticker for 20 minutes and usually it comes off okay.  My question is why can’t we put the price sticker on the back of the picture?…

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Stickers on Clothes

To remove a sticky label that refuses to peel off a new piece of clothing, try this:

  • Spray the label with ordinary rubbing alcohol, or, if you don’t have any rubbing alcohol, use non-aerosol hairspray. Or use a dry cleaning fluild, which can be purchased at any janitorial supply store.
  • Blot with a thick (white) terry towel or gently scrape the label off the clothing with a paring knife, a butter knife or another straight edge, such as a credit card or a ruler.
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Canvas Shoes

Canvas is made from hemp and is used for casual shoes and sneakers. Some “canvas” sneakers are made from cotton. Rubber is traditionally used for the sole. They are considered low-maintenance footwear.

Tools:

  • Nylon bristle brush or old toothbrush
  • Cleanser such as laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid or a “suede and fabric” shampoo
  • Nylon scrub pad
  • Baking soda
  • Plain paper
  • White cream shoe polish (for white canvas tennis shoes)

Manufacturers may suggest spraying the tops of new canvas sneakers with a fabric care spray before you wear them. Your best bet is to follow any care instructions included with your sneakers.

Technique:

  • If the sneakers are muddy, wait until they are dry before cleaning
  • Knock off any loose dirt by smacking the sneakers on the pavement or tapping the soles together over a waste basket or newspaper
  • Wipe them with a damp cloth to remove any remaining caked-on dirt
  • Remove laces
  • Rinse shoes with warm water inside and out
  • Scrub the canvas sneakers’ outsides, insides and liners gently with a toothbrush or nylon brush and a mixture of water and mild detergent
  • Rinse with clean cool water
  • If scuff marks remain, scrub gently with nylon pad. Rinse again
  • If the liners still retain foot odor, scrub them with a paste of baking soda and water
  • Wash laces in with a load of like-colored laundry
  • Stuff canvas sneakers with crumpled brown paper bags, paper towels or white office paper, not newspaper or colored paper as the ink can transfer onto the canvas
  • Let them air-dry along with the laces. Do not dry them near a fireplace or heater. Direct heat breaks down canvas fabric and causes shoes to become dried out and brittle
  • When the shoes are thoroughly dry, replace inserts and laundered laces
  • Sneakers with mesh inserts can be cleaned the same way as plain canvas shoes
  • If stains persist on white canvas sneakers, lightly dab on white liquid shoe polish

Colored Canvas Sneakers and Special Detailing

When cleaning colored canvas sneakers, be sure to use a non-bleaching soap, and do a small spot test with your cleaning mixture to be sure it doesn’t fade or leach out color.

If your sneakers have leather detailing, dampen and clean the canvas as directed and use leather cleaner on any leather parts.

Washing Canvas Sneakers in a Washing Machine


I also have gotten good results by cleaning canvas sneakers in the washing machine, but most shoe manufacturers discourage machine washing sneakers since it can break down the adhesives used to glue the shoe together.

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Hard Water or Soap Stains from Showers Stalls

I started using a small plastic squeegee in my shower to keep the hard water stains and soap stains to a minimum, although it didn’t last long (too cold to be cleaning the shower down after the water stopped).

You should clean hard water and soap stains away regularly. The longer they sit, the harder they are to remove. If allowed to sit for long periods of time, the stain may become permanent.

A good home cleaning remedy is plain white vinegar and lemon juice. It helps to loosen and remove hard water deposits from glass shower enclosures.  Apply a generous amount of cleaner and agitate with a nylon scrub brush and rinse off using a plastic squeegee.

Store bought cleaners listed below will remove stains on your surfaces. Caution:  Use eye protection and gloves

A commercial acid based cleaner found in any janitorial supply store are what professional cleaning companies use to scour hard water deposits.

Lime-A-Way or CLR are products that remove hard water deposits, rust stains and soap scum. There are tub and tile cleaning products that remove soap scum and also contain sequestering agents and heavy duty acids such as phosphoric acids.

Glass shower doors become stained easily with hard water deposits. The lime scale attracts soap scum, dirt, mold and mildew. To remove these stains with this buildup, try cleaners made for hard water scale or lime removal such as Wink, Zud or Comet.

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Anaerobic Resin

Anaerobic resin is most commonly known under the trade name Perma-lok. Used for locking the threads of bolts and nuts, it cures to a permenant bond in the absence of air.

Before glue cures, simply wash with mild detergent and water. Once glue has hardened the only way to break the bond of the glue is with shear brute force.

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