Tips for removing impossible stains 

Mud, wine, oil, mould…There are as many types of stains as there are garments or objects in our homes. But an impossible stain on a garment or a delicate surface may imply a “catastrophe” that is very difficult to resolve. If at some point you have got rid of a garment or an object because of a difficult stain, today we bring you the solution. As well as those specific products for removing this type of stain, there are home-based remedies that work… even better! 

Impossible stains in the kitchen

Burnt pan

If you have ever burned the bottom of a pan or casserole and you haven’t managed to remove the burnt surface, don’t despair, get a bottle of food-grade vinegar and some bicarbonate. This mixture never fails!  

• Cover the base of the pan or casserole with vinegar (approximately four centimetres). 
• Put it on the heat and, once it is boiling, add the bicarbonate.
• Let the mixture do its work and, later, clean it with a scourer and soap.

Glasses that are yellowing with use

Use and the passing of time may make our glasses and goblets turn yellowish and lose their sparkle. If you have already tried with an anti-lime scale product but it hasn’t worked, try with sodium percarbonate and hot water.  

What to do:

• Immerse the glasses in sodium percarbonate and hot water for approximately five hours.
• Rinse the glasses thoroughly to remove the remaining compounds. 
• Wash them with soap and a scourer or put them in the dishwasher on the usual setting.

Impossible stains in the bathroom

Yellowing WC lid

Do you have a white WC but the lid has yellowed? Don’t worry. The material this is made of and its continual use cause it to end up looking yellow. What’s the solution? Rub the surface with a “magic eraser” dampened with water. This “eraser” is a sponge consisting of melamine foam, a chemical compound that acts like a kind of sandpaper and which removes any stain by sanding it down and trapping it in the sponge. 

Lime scale deposits in the WC 

Lack of use, along with the absence of continuous cleaning, may cause the bottom of the WC to darken by accumulating lime scale. If you are fed up of scrubbing this surface and it is still looking stained, try food-grade vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. 

What to do:

• Empty the water from the WC using a mop.
• Heat up a litre of vinegar and pour it on the stained surface. 
• When the vinegar is warm, pour on bicarbonate of soda and let it work for approximately three hours. Then, scrub the stain with a clean scouring pad. 
• Flush the WC to clean away the mixture. 
• If the stain persists, empty the water from the WC once again and scrub the rest with a magic eraser. 

Impossible stains on clothes

Chocolate

This is one of the most common stains for children. If you have already tried everything but the stain is still there, take note of the tip below! 

• Prepare a mixture of water, ammonia and alcohol.
• Dampen a cloth with this and rub the stain gently. Then, machine wash and… it’s ready! 
• Note! If the stain is completely dry, first scrape it gently with a knife or similar to remove the excess and let the mixture work on the rest.  

Perspiration

To remove perspiration stains… Lemon juice is all you need! 

What to do:

• Squeeze a lemon directly over the stain and let the juice work for between 30 to 40 minutes. After this time, wash the garment as usual. 

Impossible stains on shoes

Stains on leather shoes

Leather is one of the most delicate and difficult fabrics to clean because it has a porous texture which does not tolerate dampness well. If you don’t know how to clean your leather footwear, we recommend you make a mix consisting of a litre of hot water, two spoonfuls of soap flakes and a spoonful of ammonia.  

What to do:

• Spray your shoes with the mixture, this way you will avoid ending up with different shades on them. 
• Rub until the stain has gone, let them dry and… they’re ready!

White trainers and rubber soles 

White canvas trainers are a real headache when it comes to removing the stains produced on this type of material. A tip for removing stains but preserving the white colour of the footwear is to immerse them in hot water for two to three hours along with two spoonfuls of sodium percarbonate; then, scrub the trainers with a brush and rinse them with cold water. A tip for cleaning the sole is to clean them with the “magic eraser” dampened with water.