Whether you are trying to make sure you get back every last penny of your security deposit, or if you are moving into a place that desperately needs scrubbing from top to bottom, you may need a little a little help with stains. You better believe that your landlord will take money off your return for crayon on the wall or oil on the driveway. Not to mention, if the stains are at the new place, it will probably make your skin crawl every time you look at them, not knowing the story behind them.
Carpet
You may not even notice that nail polish, red wine or Kool-Aid stain anymore, but that does not mean that someone else won’t. Unfortunately, a carpet cleaner probably won’t remove it either. Ideally, you will know what the stain is, or you may need to go through a trial and error phase.
Have you scrubbed that rust stain that your shaving can leave behind in the bathtub, but it won’t go away? Rust can be tricky to treat, but not impossible.
Whether you changed your own oil and had a little spill, or if your car was just leaking oil one day, those stains in the driveway or garage of your rental home need to be removed. If the stain is wet, you can simply sprinkle baking soda, cornstarch, cornmeal, sand, or kitty liver on it to absorb and then sweep when dry. For an old stain, scour it with a stiff brush, and apply a paste made of baking soda and water. Rinse with a garden hose. If a stain lingers, a concentrated laundry detergent will often help. Apply full strength, scrub, and rinse.
Crayons
The person who lives in your new place prior to you probably appreciated their child’s artwork on the wall, but that does not mean you do. Grab a hair dryer and dish soap. Blow hot air on the wax until it heats up and starts melting. At this point, you can apply a little dishwashing soap to a cloth and wipe away. Alternately, WD-40 and disposable cleaning erasers work wonderfully too.
Nicotine
You know nicotine coated walls need to be washed from top to bottom, but what do you do about that stain on the counter from when your cigarette fell off the astray. Use a rough cleaning pad or old toothbrush and scrub on a paste made with a stain remover and baking soda. If there is a trace of a stain left behind, try mixing baking soda with bleach, but test this in a tiny spot before lathering it on the top of the vanity.
You may not even notice that nail polish, red wine or Kool-Aid stain anymore, but that does not mean that someone else won’t. Unfortunately, a carpet cleaner probably won’t remove it either. Ideally, you will know what the stain is, or you may need to go through a trial and error phase.
- Red Wine – Apply white wine, and then spot clean with a carpet cleaning product. You may need to go back and forth a few times.
- Kool-Aid – A few drops of blue Dawn dish soap in water will do the trick. Moisten a cotton ball with the solution, and let it sit on the stain.
- Fingernail Polish – A white cotton cloth and non-acetate polish remover should lift it right out.
- Coffee – Heat the stain with a wet cloth soaked in hot water. Dab with white vinegar, rinse, blot with a clean cloth and repeat until the stain is gone.
Have you scrubbed that rust stain that your shaving can leave behind in the bathtub, but it won’t go away? Rust can be tricky to treat, but not impossible.
- Asphalt, Linoleum and Vinyl – Use a rust remover, such as Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser and Polish.
- Brick, Concrete and Granite – Create a poultice using seven parts lime-free glycerin, six parts lukewarm water, one part sodium citrate, and just a dash of calcium carbonate to achieve a paste texture. Apply, leave to harden and scrape away. Repeat if necessary, or rinse and pat dry.
- Carpet – Apply lemon juice and salt, flush with water and blot. Repeat if needed.
- Ceramic or Porcelain – Gently rub the stain with a pumice stone. Apply a paste made of lemon juice and borax. Rub into the stain and allow to dry completely before rinsing away.
- Stainless Steel – Dampen a fine-grade emery board and gently rub the stain. Then, rub with an onion slice. Rinse with hot water.
Whether you changed your own oil and had a little spill, or if your car was just leaking oil one day, those stains in the driveway or garage of your rental home need to be removed. If the stain is wet, you can simply sprinkle baking soda, cornstarch, cornmeal, sand, or kitty liver on it to absorb and then sweep when dry. For an old stain, scour it with a stiff brush, and apply a paste made of baking soda and water. Rinse with a garden hose. If a stain lingers, a concentrated laundry detergent will often help. Apply full strength, scrub, and rinse.
Crayons
The person who lives in your new place prior to you probably appreciated their child’s artwork on the wall, but that does not mean you do. Grab a hair dryer and dish soap. Blow hot air on the wax until it heats up and starts melting. At this point, you can apply a little dishwashing soap to a cloth and wipe away. Alternately, WD-40 and disposable cleaning erasers work wonderfully too.
Nicotine
You know nicotine coated walls need to be washed from top to bottom, but what do you do about that stain on the counter from when your cigarette fell off the astray. Use a rough cleaning pad or old toothbrush and scrub on a paste made with a stain remover and baking soda. If there is a trace of a stain left behind, try mixing baking soda with bleach, but test this in a tiny spot before lathering it on the top of the vanity.
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