Stains on furniture   

Valuable hints of how to remove some common stains on furniture with simple techniques and everyday household items.

Water marks on furniture 

When a glass leaves a white ring on the top of a piece of furniture, the mark can often be removed by mixing equal quantities of linseed oil and turpentine. Rub on the white ring marks then apply your furniture polish. In most cases the mark will be lightened considerably, or may even have disappeared completely.

Scratches on glass furniture 

Toothpaste is not only good to look after our teeth. Some toothpastes are successful in removing scratch marks on glass.

Make of mixture of:

1 teaspoon of white toothpaste

1 teaspoon of Silvo or Brasso

Apply with a soft clean pad with backwards and forward movements. This may minimise the scratches or even polishes them out. This mixture can also be used on Perspex.

Chewing gum on carpet, chairs or cloths 

Pick of as much gum as possible. Then apply Eucalyptus oil which will remove chewing gum and grease from carpet or furnishing fabric without damaging the fabric.

Marble protection 

Marble table tops and counter tops are highly decorative, but they are also quite susceptible to staining by spilled liquids. To protect the marble, coat periodically with a good type of car wax, then buff to it shines. In addition, wipe up spilled liquids as quickly as possible.

Scratch marks on laminex 

Clean with an emulsion type cleaner or with metal polish. Wipe the surface down for about two weeks with methylated spirits then protect the surface with silicone wax.

Stains on kitchen surfaces 

Stains on all kinds of kitchen surfaces can be removed using bicarb soda as a paste. If the stain is stubborn, cover with bicarb, sprinkle with vinegar, then rub with a scourer. Use vinegar in a spray bottle to disinfect bench-top surfaces instead of a commercial spray and wipe.

A few drops of Eucalyptus oil on your dishcloth or in the dishwashing water help to make your sink sparkle.

Grease spots on carpet and furnishings 

Carpets and furnishings marked with grease spots can be cleaned by using water and ammonia. It also helps to revive the colours.

Red wine stain 

Red wine stains on carpet, tablecloths, etc. can be removed instantly by pouring white wine over the red wine spot. The white wine neutralises the red wine.

Or use soda water, which is a lot cheaper and probably with the same result. Soak up the liquid and pour more soda water if the red wine spot is still visible.

Rust marks on a bath 

Rust marks on a bath can be removed by rubbing with a cloth dipped in vinegar.