How many times have you tried to clean that stain of unknown origin printed in the middle of the sofa without any success? Or the chocolate ice cream embedded in the girl's brand new dress? Not to mention the white canvas sneakers that, except white, are already any color or the steering wheel of the car, from which she even has a hard time taking her hands off because of the globs of dirt that accumulates.
Surely on more than one occasion you have thrown the garment in the trash or you have directly given up and have chosen to turn a blind eye to the stain, not knowing that sometimes the solution to your cleaning problems is very much in your hands. closer than you imagine. Specifically, in a kitchen cupboard or on a bathroom shelf. "Most of these stains are removed with vinegar, baking soda, lacquer... and a lot, a lot of patience," says organization and cleaning expert Begoña Pérez, better known on social media as La Ordenatriz.
If you don't know how to clean car seats, remove mildew from your washing machine, or get sweat stains out of clothes, jot down the tips below. And when you go back to the supermarket, don't forget to buy extra white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, soap flakes, good 'forte' lacquer... You'll need them.
Vinegar
Disinfects and cleans windows, mirrors, bathroom screens, stoneware floors...
They explain in 'The great cleaning guide' (Ed. RBA) that vinegar is such an acidic liquid that it is not only capable of "removing dirt and restoring shine to windows and taps in seconds, but it is also a powerful disinfectant ». From now on, you'll be using the vinegar for more than just dressing salads. Expert tip: mix half a cup of vinegar with four cups of water in a spray bottle, shake until both liquids are integrated and apply to glass, mirrors or the bathroom screen. "Go over them with a lint-free cloth and dry them well so that there are no stains," they advise in the guide, in which experts such as Pía Nieto (@piaorganiza) or María González and Rita Cifuentes from The Home Academy (@thehomeacademy_official) participate. , the first school specialized in home organization. Vinegar is also used to clean stoneware floors and "to restore shine and remove white stains from the sink."
Baking soda
It is an infallible brightener, which also works for stains on mattresses
When there are small children at home, one of the most frequent stains and one that causes the most headaches for parents is pee leaks that reach the mattress. There is no need to despair. There is a solution and it is simple. «If the stain is recent, just sprinkle baking soda on the fence, wait for it to dry and vacuum. There is no stain or smell left, ”certifies La Ordenatriz, an expert in order and cleanliness, but also a mother of 7 children. This trick is used to remove stains from mattresses in general. "If they resist, mix the baking soda with vinegar, spray and repeat the operation as many times as necessary," advises the specialist, who receives more than half a thousand queries daily through her social networks.
In 'The great cleaning guide' they are also great defenders of bicarbonate as an "infallible polish". And it has its explanation: "The ions that make it up are capable of displacing dirt and restoring shine to surfaces."
Vinegar and baking soda mix
Whitens both surfaces and clothes. If the vinegar is heated, its effectiveness is multiplied
If vinegar and bicarbonate are two of the star products of the so-called ecological cleaning, when they are mixed their power is multiplied. «It whitens both surfaces and clothes (the classic yellowish circles in the armpit area). However, it is advisable to test beforehand in a little corner or inconspicuous place to check that the area does not discolor excessively. For example, it works great on countertops and wooden boards. With patience and rest, you will be able to remove the burn marks.” It's also great for cleaning iron marks that cause clothes to stick or for whitening the bottom of the toilet. “Empty the water with a mop, apply the mixture of baking soda and vinegar, let it act for at least half an hour and you will see the difference. If, in addition, you have the patience to heat the vinegar, the effectiveness is multiplied", explains Bego Pérez.
The 'magic formula'
Perfect for removing stains on objects that cannot be put in the washing machine
If there is a question that is repeated among the hundreds of queries that The Orderly receives daily, it is how to make the 'magic formula', a natural cleaner to remove stains on objects or furniture that cannot go through the washing machine, such as seats of the car, the sofas, carpets, espadrilles, the straps of the blinds..., but also to eliminate complicated stains such as verdigris. Note: heat half a liter of water, add two dessert spoons of flaky soap and dissolve by stirring. Finally, add half a cup of ammonia coffee to the mixture and let it cool. Pour the resulting formula into a spray bottle and you're done. "The trick to make it perfect is to clean the entire surface and not just the area of the stain," says the expert.
Lacquer and microfiber cloth
Marker stains, discoloration, plastics, gum globs...
You heard right. Lacquer, the product to fix the hairstyle of a lifetime, is another of the cleaning tricks that experts use to remove marker stains, faded clothing, traces of glue... Of course, "it has to be the 'forte' version”, they specify. You spray the affected part and pass a new microfiber cloth. In the case of the typical discoloration of bags due to rubbing against clothing, the cloth must be moistened with water, while, to remove a verdigris stain on a garment, lacquer is applied, then brushed and washed. Lacquer also works very well to remove marker pens, even permanent ones.
From stain to stain
Fat, chocolate, blood, tomato...
For grease stains on clothing, experts advise applying talcum powder to the area, waiting a week and brushing. Or vinegar and baking soda. "Ecological cleaning is effective, but it requires patience," they point out. Chocolate: if it is recent, it is easily removed with a dishwasher and water, while if it has already dried, it is best to brush the stain well. Blood: clothes should be washed as soon as possible with cold water (hot water fixes the stain). Another option is to wash by hand and remove the stain with a little hydrogen peroxide. «On carpets and rugs, dry stains should be cleaned with a sponge slightly moistened with water and ammonia. Rinse immediately with another sponge soaked in water with a teaspoon of vinegar, "they specify in 'The great cleaning guide'. Tomato: «Remove what you can with a napkin and spray the garment with warm water on the back. Next, pass a sponge soaked in water with liquid detergent. If it is white clothes, soak them in water with four tablespoons of perborate. Leave it for a while and wash."
the orderly
bego perez
Housekeeping expert
I am unable to remove stains from the sofa. I do not know what to do
For this type of stain, it is best to resort to the 'magic formula' (water, soap flakes and ammonia). «Apply it to the entire surface, not only in the area of the stain, in this way you will avoid leaving rings, since it is a formula that does not lighten. The idea is to start on the stain with a brush, soft but firm, so as not to burden the fabric. And from there to the seams, briskly, to take away the leftover product remains. Think that there are stains that cannot be seen and with this system we remove them all. Let it dry, but never near a heat source. Forbidden to hit the sun.
twoClean 'gummy' plastic: hairdryer, umbrella, motorcycle helmet, steering wheel...
Lacquer is the most recommended product to clean those traces of unidentified dirt that accumulate and embed themselves in 'gummy' surfaces, as occurs with hair dryers, irons, car steering wheels, motorcycle helmets, umbrella handle and even some seats.
«It is enough to spray 'forte' lacquer on the surface that we want to clean, then we rub it with a soft scouring pad and then we pass it with a microfiber cloth soaked in water. It can be repeated as many times as necessary. Try and you'll see how good it is.
3My white canvas sneakers are dirty, what can I do?
This trick is valid for cleaning the typical white canvas sneakers such as Converse, Victoria or Superga. "Many times putting them in the washing machine only speeds up their deterioration instead of removing stains, especially if they are tumbled excessively." The idea is to submerge the shoes for a couple of hours in very hot water with a scoop of percarbonate (sold in supermarkets). Then they are brushed with a new brush or one that is used only for this type of cleaning and rinsed under the tap, while we continue brushing. Finally, they are left to dry away from a source of heat and the sun.
4Paint chips on the car, bikes...
Rubbing against the columns of the garage, small bumps in which paint is transferred from the other vehicle... «In these cases I usually use the magic eraser, a kind of scourer that you can find in practically any supermarket, it usually works very well for me. But my followers have also told me that they have managed to remove this type of stain with gasoline, Vitroclen, acetone or solvent. In any case, I recommend that you try it beforehand in a place that is not seen much, just in case ». It is also used to 'erase' friction on motorcycles, bicycles...
5I'm having another baby and her brother's clothes have 'storage stains'
«What a surprise we get when we take out clothes that have been stored for a while and we find them full of stains even though we have kept them clean, right? Well, put it in the washing machine with half the amount of detergent you usually use and twice the amount of percarbonate. Put a long program (at least 40 degrees) and, after five minutes, stop it. Leave it with the clothes inside for at least two hours. Then resume washing until it's done. If it doesn't come out to your liking (it works better with light clothing), you can repeat the process as many times as necessary. It is not bleach and the clothes do not spoil.
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