Wood and furniture are an important part of any home décor. A Stain on them certainly creates a depressing look and produces a repelling effect on the whole atmosphere. You may have the best fixtures and furniture, but people will inevitably notice those dark and dirty spots and then think poorly about the entire setup. It is up to you to ensure these stains don’t play spoilsport and put an undesirable end to your flawless home decor. On many occasions these stains prove fatal as they end up damaging the furniture and textures. Below are some useful tips for removing them.

Patience is a good virtue while cleaning your furniture. You also need to invest sufficient time as they need soft and consistent handling. Most finishes protect the surface of wooden furniture by forming a protective coating. Ensure that you don’t remove this finish any more than is required, i.e. only to the extent where it’s affected.

For removing water stains, chlorine bleach is the best option. For better results apply the bleach under direct sunlight, and in case it is not possible use a heat lamp to preheat the furniture. If the stains don’t disappear you can repeat the process a maximum of three times. After the strains are gone, allow the bleach to dry, and then rinse the bleach with a solution of water and white vinegar.

For relatively new and less severe oil stains, place a blotting paper on the stained area and heat it with a hot iron and repeat the process until the spot disappears. Machines, such as the Hoover VP A0310 hand steam cleaner, might also be of some use here. For more severe stains, however, you should make use of a mixture of fuller’s earth and liquid dry-cleaning spot remover.

To deal with heat marks apply a solution that is a mixture of citric acid and cigarette ashes over the affected area.

In case of ink stains, try options like – a solution of oxalic acid and warm water in case of persistent stains; wax cream or a damp cloth, rottenstone and oil, for simple strains .

You can remove water-based paints using a damp cloth first, followed by a dry cloth top to remove the moisture. For oil paints use liquid based solvent-base wax on the affected area.

Tags: bleach, cleaning, oil, stains, wood