Natural stain removers

Common household stains
Most sticky household stains and coloured marks can be removed using natural ingredients and the bleaching effect of sunlight. You should rarely need to use chemical bleach or any of the proprietary stain removers on the market.

• For sticky substances such as glue or chewing gum, first scratch off as much of the substance as possible, then use a citrus cleaner.

• Chewing gum on clothes may also be treated by holding the affected item over a steaming saucepan until the gum is soft enough to pull off, taking particular care not to damage fabric that has a pile. Alternatively, place the garment in the freezer compartment. When the chewing gum is frozen, it can be lifted.

• Remove laundry detergent residues (left on fabric when washed in an over-full machine) by giving the item a second rinse.

• Scrape off shoe polish, then dab the affected area with neat ethanol alcohol.

• Soak rust stains for 20-30 minutes in a solution made from the juice of 1 lemon mixed with 1 heaped tablespoon of table salt. Rub well, then wash and dry outside in the sun to bleach. Repeat the process until the stain has disappeared.

• Soak sweat stains in water to which 1-2 tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice, or a handful of baking soda, has been added. Wash the article according to the care instructions on the label.

• House paint spills: Always act on paint spills while paint is still wet. Oil paints can be removed with turpentine, although once the paint is dry this natural solvent will not have an effect. Sometimes a hot vinegar solution will remove oil paint that has just dried. Latex paint spills should be soaked in cold water first, and then gently rubbed off with a sponge and straight turpentine.

Scorch marks
Remove scorch marks with the simplest of remedies – lemon juice or sunlight.

• When ironing fabrics on too hot a setting, you may scorch the material. If the scorching is light, and the affected item is 100 per cent cotton, such as a napkin, the lemon juice method works well. First soak the scorched area in pure, freshly squeezed lemon juice. Rinse out in warm water and then leave outside to dry in sunlight and benefit from the bleaching action of the sun. Alternatively, use a "soft chemistry" bleach.

• Apply lemon juice to the scorched area and place in the sun. Then machine-wash with a "soft-chemistry" detergent.

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Excerpted from Organic Home by Rosamond Richardson. Excerpted with permission from Dorling Kindersley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced without permission in writing from the publisher.