Stain index

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.