All of us love wooden furniture for its durability and aesthetic appearance. However, when it comes to cleaning and maintaining it, there can be quite a few challenges along the way. Even with regular cleaning and maintenance, some stains and ugly marks can be left behind on your furniture, ruining its beauty.
However, before you begin to remove the stains, it’s necessary to understand what different stains can look like. For instance, water stains have a faded look, whereas heat stains leave a white mark. When DIY cleaning your furniture, keep in mind that one wrong solution could ruin the look of your furniture forever. This is why you need to understand what remedies you can use and when. To help you out, here are the top 6 effective ways you can remove stains from your furniture.
1. Baking Soda
If you want to remove water or heat stains from your furniture, a pretty simple and easy remedy is to use baking soda. Baking soda can remove even the strongest stains like gravy, oil, and grease marks. Simply add a small amount of baking soda with one tablespoon of water and make a paste. Ensure that the paste isn’t too diluted, otherwise the remedy will have a negative effect. Apply the baking soda mixture to the afflicted area and rub in a smooth circular motion until the stain starts to disappear.
2. Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly can be used to swiftly erase stains left over from food, drinks, or other greasy things. All you need to do is apply a small amount of petroleum jelly to the stained area and leave it overnight. After a day, the petroleum jelly will absorb the moisture from the stain, and you can easily wipe it off with a cloth. Most water stains can be easily treated with this remedy. However, if the stain doesn’t come off after one application, repeat until the stain goes away.
3. Salt and Oxalic Acid
Whether it’s a gravy stain or a water stain left from a damp beverage, salt can easily remove stains from your furniture and make it look as good as new. Just make a paste with salt, and a small amount of water; the paste should be thick enough to not let moisture get absorbed into the furniture. Using oxalic acid with this paste or even as a stand alone ingredient is a great way to bleach wood effectively. People that have used it have had nothing but great things to say about it. Take a sponge to apply the mixture and gently clean the stain in a circular motion. Don’t worry if the spot loses some of its shine as compared to other parts of the furniture, because you can always use some furniture polish to make the spot look clear and shiny again.
4. Toothpaste
Using toothpaste to clean furniture stains is one of the best, most effective, and cheapest ways to remove strong dirty stains. However, make sure that you use non-gel toothpaste instead of gel toothpaste because it doesn’t contain the necessary elements required to remove the stain. Simply apply the non-gel toothpaste over the stained area and use a soft, clean cloth to rub off the stain. After doing this, you should apply furniture polish for a good surface finish.
5. Car Wax
If your furniture polish isn’t effective against tough stains, it’s time to call on the help of your car wax. This method can be used to remove water stains and also other greasy stains. All you need to do is apply a dab of the car wax to the stain ring, whether it’s water absorbed or heat-induced. After it gets dried, use a clean cloth to wipe off the ring stain and then use polish to create a shiny finish.
6. Baking Soda And Toothpaste
For stronger stains, it is advised that you create a mixture of both baking soda and toothpaste. Next, apply this mixture to the stained area with a soft cloth until it starts to get warm. Wipe off the stain with a damp cloth and dry the surface immediately. Ensure that you repeat this process three times before the stain finally wears off.
Furniture stains are not just an eyesore, but also make cleaning and furniture maintenance difficult for you. While there are numerous other remedies and solutions you can try when removing furniture stains, it’s important that you understand when to use each of these. The majority of furniture stains are caused by dust or negligence; which can easily be avoided if you schedule regular clean ups and take care of furniture that is a hassle to clean. However, there are a lot of ways to remove stains, and by using them correctly, you’ll be able to make your furniture look as good as new.
