How To Make Your Own Non-Toxic Stain Remover

Natural Cleaner. Vinegar, Baking Soda, Salt, Lemon

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It’s a fact of life. Stains happen. Everything from clothing to furniture, carpets to car seats — no matter how careful you are, a stain is bound to happen at one time or another. The key is what you do to get rid of them.

Your local supermarket is loaded with stain removers. Unfortunately, most of them are expensive and toxic. Ever read the labels on some of those stain removers? They usually say things like “wear gloves, don’t breathe, don’t blink, and don’t touch.” Well heck, wouldn’t it be much simpler to say “don’t use?”

You can avoid those chemical stain removers by making one of your own. The first thing to remember is to deal with the stain as soon as you possibly can. The longer the stain sits, the more it makes itself at home. Like an unwanted guest, the longer they stick around, the harder they are to get rid of.

In a nutshell, with this list of the following items, you should be able to create your own natural stain remover:

  • Baking soda
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Natural soap
  • White vinegar
  • Oxygenated bleach
  • Lemon Juice
  • Sunlight

One thing to remember is that if you try a stain remover on your clothes and the stain is still there, try putting the item in direct sunlight. The trick is to put the item in the full sun while it is still pretty wet. If you have one of those front loading washers, you know that they leave your clothes fairly dry. Put equal parts of vinegar and water in a spray bottle and saturate that stain. Now place it in direct sunlight for at least two hours. This works perhaps 90 percent of the time.

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cleaning and home concept - close up of male cleaning stain on c

Photo credit: bigstock.com

Super Natural Stain Remover

Ingredients:

  • 3.3 ounces of white vinegar
  • 3.3 ounces of pure soap (such as Castile soap)
  • 3.3 ounces of mineral water
  • A spray bottle

Place all ingredients in the spray bottle and shake a few times before use. Spray on the offending stain and allow to work for 10 or 15 minutes. You can scrub with a brush if you like, but this isn’t necessary most of the time. Wash the item if possible, or rinse with a bit of cold water or use a wet rag to wipe off. If you cannot wash the item (such as a car seat) and the stain is still there, repeat the application. Some older, more set-in stains might require two to four treatments to get rid of them. Don’t give up! If you can wash the item, but the stain is still visible, you can reapply the stain remover and rewash or try our trick of putting it out in direct sunlight.

 

READ ALSO: 25 Reasons You Need More Cornstarch In Your Life (#15 Is The Best!)

 

Using the ingredients listed above, you should be able to remove just about any stain from almost any item. Lemon juice works well on rust or perspiration stains. Simply mix with a bit of water, leave it in the sun for a few hours, then dry.

Other stains, especially red-colored stains such as wine or blood, often come right out by simply pouring some hydrogen peroxide on them, waiting for a few minutes, and then rinsing in cold water.

There are dozens of combinations using the ingredients above. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find the best “recipe” that works for you.

References:

www.sciencedirect.com

www.tandfonline.com

www.sciencedirect.com

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