The most important thing in spot & stain removal is:
act quickly, before it becomes a permanent stain!
Ballpoint pen / Cosmetics / Milk / Oil / Tar /
Grease:
Clean with turpentine.
Beer / Leaf green / Blood (dry) / Chocolate / Spirits /
Egg / Fruit / Jam / Coffee / Lemonade / Cream / Sauce / Tea
/ Food residues / Wax:
Use 1 spoon of soft detergent or soft soap which you have
dissolved in half a litre of lukewarm water and allow the solution
to remain for a few minutes to lift the stain.
Vomit:
Blot the excess liquid and use a solution of 1 spoon of soft
detergent in half a litre of lukewarm water. Then apply an ammonia
solution.
Butter / Candle wax:
Absorb with blotting-paper and then use turpentine.
Grass:
Dab the stain with alcohol and blot with soft soap or a solution
of lactic acid and water. On white fabrics, use bleaching-liquor
afterwards.
Resin:
Treat with turpentine, white spirit, alcohol or acetone.
Ink:
Softly rub off, alternate with alcohol and vinegar. Then blot
the spot with water.
Chewing gum:
Freeze with ice and rub gently. For old stains: blot the spot
using a dry cleaning solvent or a solution of acetone, alcohol or
turpentine on a white cloth.
Lac:
Use turpentine or alcohol. Clean with alcohol (no methylated
spirit !) or turpentine and sponge the stained area with a soft
soap suitable for delicate textiles.
Shoe cream:
Apply turpentine or white spirit.
Tomato-purée or -juice:
Wash out with lukewarm water, apply a solution of biological
soap and whip it into the rug. Let it sit for 1 to 3 hours so it
can work in gently, and then rinse thoroughly.
Paint:
Act quickly! Apply a small amount of turpentine or white spirit
to a clean, white, absorbent cloth and blot the stain with this
cloth. Do not scrub the area!
Fruit juice:
Rinse thoroughly with cold water and wash the stain out.
Glue:
Sponge the area immediately with acetone. Repeat until
removed.
Mud:
Vacuum the dried mud.
Nail polish:
Apply a solution of acetone.
Red wine:
Blot excess liquid with white tissues. Rinse and wash out. If
necessary bleach with salt.
Rust:
Apply a specialised product, available at the chemist's. Rinse
with cold water and wash out.
Soot:
Dampen, applying a fluid, soft soap for delicate textiles or
dishwashing liquid and allow this solution to remain for a night to
lift the stain.