Smith's RV Centre

A Guide to Stain Removal

Blood

Treat the blood stain with cold water.  If it is safe for the fabric in question, follow up with hydrogen peroxide or chlorine bleach.  If not, you may want to try an enzyme presoak product or unflavored meat tenderizer on the dampened spot.  Finish up with a rinse of cold water, then dry with a towel.

Chocolate

Several things will work well on chocolate spots; ordinary household detergent, ammonia, an enzyme presoak laundry product, or peroxide.  Remember to test a small, hidden piece of the material before trying to clean the main spot.

Cigarette burns in carpet

One solution is to carefully cut away the scorched fibers from the burned spot.  Then locate a segment of the carpet that is never seen (in the corner of the closet floor, for example) and trim out some replacement fibers.  Squeeze a little liquid glue into the area to be repaired, and set the fresh fibers into the glue.

Coffee

This is one instance when you want to use hot water to remove the spot.  Begin by soaking the stain with an enzyme presoak laundry product or, if the fabric can handle it, a colour-safe bleach or chlorine bleach.  Then finish up by washing the stain out with hot water.  Blot up as much of the moisture as possible with paper towels.

Fruit (including catsup)

If you can catch it in time (before it dries), remove the fresh stain with cool water.  Once the stain is dried into the fabric, soak it in a solution of cool water and a house-hold detergent.  Rinse and dry.

Milk, Cream, Ice Cream

Soak the spot in a solution of warm water and an enzyme presoak laundry product.  Then rinse and blot dry.

Mud

Allow the mud to dry out first.  Then you can brush it to knock loose as much of the caked-on dirt as possible and vacuum it up.  Any mud that remains can be removed by soaking it in cool water.  If there is a residual stain, use a household detergent, then rinse and blot dry.

Mustard

One proven remedy for mustard stains is to use ammonia, another is peroxide.  But always run a test on the material before cleaning to see if damage from the cleaning agents will occur.

Oil/Grease

If you're dealing with freshly spilled oil and grease, try to sop up as much as possible with paper towels or other absorbent material to prevent it from spreading.  The next step is to pick out an inconspicuous little piece of the material on which to test cleaning agents.  You can try using mechanic's hand cleaner on the greasy spot.  Liquid detergent and dry-cleaning solvents also work.  Carburetor cleaner will work very well for all types of oily stains (this is a highly flammable and high-vapor compound so care must be exercised when using it).  Finish up by washing the area with cool water and laundry detergent, then rinse and blot dry.

Tar

Road tar can make a real mess of things inside a coach.  You can try the remedies suggested for oil and grease , but if they don't work, try turpentine.  Surprisingly, mayonnaise will also cut tar.  As always, make sure you test a hidden piece of the material before cleaning the main spots.

Urine

These wet spots need prompt attention and a good wad of paper towels.  Start by soaking up all the moisture possible until the paper towels don't show any dampness when you step on them.  Then wash the area with an enzyme presoak laundry product; rinse and blot dry.

Wine

Begin with a enzyme presoak laundry product and hot water.  If it's safe for the material, try an oxygen bleach and hot water.  If the stain remains, and if the material can safely handle it, you can try a chlorine-bleach solution.