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Stain Removal

General Guidelines for Stain Removal:

The basic rule for stain removal: Give Your Product Time to Work. Mary's Concentrated Green Cleaner Clean Ez removes most stains other than red wine or red dye. CleanEz or an organic cleaner needs 10 to 15 minutes to break down a stain. Silk, wool including wool carpet, linen and Persian carpets are exceptions. Follow manufacturer recommendations.

*NOTE: Always place a piece of plastic between layers of clothing to prevent the stain from soaking onto the second layer. Put a clean, old towel on your work surface to protect the surface.

Clean a spill immediately. The longer a stain sets the more stubborn it becomes to remove. Use a clean white rag to remove a stain. The color from the rag could transfer to the surface you are cleaning. Apply the cleaner to the rag and blot on the stain and wait 10 to 15 mintues.

When working with liquid spills remember liquid hits the padding under carpet and spreads. What looks like a small stain on top of the carpet is triple that size on the pad. Begin at the outer most edge of the stain then work towards the center applying your cleaner. That way when you come to the most heavy concentration of the spill the outer edges are diluted, which will help prevent the stain from spreading.

When working with carpet always blot never rub. Rubbing breaks down the fibers and weakens the material. After 15 minutes, blot to remove the stain. Reapply the cleaner rather than attempting to rub out the stain. Move the rag after each time you blot to prevent spreading the stain.

How to Blot: Make a knuckle and poke that into a damp towel with a 50/50 solution of distilled white vinegar to water. Twist your wrist clockwise. Carpet fibers are twisted clockwise and this motion prevents fuzzy spots

Rinsing Finish by rinsing with plain water. Use cool water to treat a stain. Heat of any kind sets a stain.

Wash the garment after removing the stain then air dry. Dryer heat permanently sets the stain if the stain is not

Note: The guidelines here may not apply to every fabric or surface. Before using a cleaner on any fabric or surface, test an inconspicuous spot first for colorfastness.

Mary's website, goclean.com and her book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Cleaning contain a removal guide for specific stains and a ton of green cleaning tips.

Copyright' Mary Findley, 2005

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