Life happens and evidence of those happenings are all around us. There is that wine stain on the cream Berber carpet. There is your grandson’s crayon marks on the living room wall. Do not forget about your husband’s oil stain on the grout in the kitchen. It is one thing when life happens, but it is completely another when life’s happenings cost you money. If you are renting, those stains could equate to a loss of your rental deposit. Here are some ways to get stains out of your rental property – so your landlord will never know you had a life.
How to Get Wine Stains Out of the Carpet
You need to treat this when it is still wet. First blot up as much of the wine stain as possible. Now pour a little cold water on the stain. This will help dilute the wine making cleaning up easier. Keep blotting with a dry cloth. When you have soaked up as much of the wine stain as possible, mix three parts baking soda with one part water to form a paste. Gently rub that into the carpet. Let dry. Once it is dry, vacuum up the powder. Ta Da! The stain is gone.
How to Get Crayon Marks off the Wall
We are going to give you a couple of different methods for getting crayon marks off the wall. Option #1 is to grab a damp rag and dip it into some baking soda and lightly scrub the mark. Presto! Option #2 is to spray it with some WD-40 and wipe it down with a clean rag. It shouldn’t affect the paint or the wallpaper. If you are worried, try a little in a non-visible spot. Option #3, got mayo? Yep, spread a little mayonnaise on the crayon mark and let it soak for a couple of minutes and wipe off. Hellman’s must have had kids.
How to Get Oil Stains Out of Grout
Oil and grout are a bad combination. Grout is porous and the oil will soak into it. For this challenge we need to use something that will pull out the stain from the grout. First, generously pour baking soda over the area. Wet a few paper towels with mineral spirits and lay them over the baking soda. Now cover the area with plastic wrap and tape it down with some masking or Scotch tape. Let it sit and stew for a couple of hours. Uncover the area and wipe off the baking soda. It make take a couple of treatments but it should work.
How to Treat Mildew Stains
Kitchens and baths are notorious for partying with mold and mildew. The damp environment attracts and feeds this unwanted guest. Treating a mildew or minor mold problem is super easy. Get yourself a spray bottle and fill 10 percent of the bottle with unscented bleach and the rest with water. Simply spray and walk away. When it dries the mildew should have vacated the premises. Just make sure that the overspray doesn’t land on anything that is not bleach resistant.
How to Clean Kitchen Grease off Cabinets
Getting grease off your kitchen cabinets is not one of those chores that land on the top of our To Do list, but it can make a kitchen, and the food that comes out of it, quite unappetizing. White vinegar has a great knack for cutting grease. Wet a clean dry cloth with undiluted white vinegar and wipe down the cabinets. You will want to make sure all the vinegar is wiped off with a warm water rinse. Another option is to use some of your grease cutting dish soap in the hottest water you can stand. Use a scrubby sponge and attack those cabinets with a pot scrubbing circular motion. Wa-Lah! New cabinets appear.
In order to maintain your home or apartment, regular cleaning is a must. But since life happens in unexpected ways, from time to time we will need to devote a little extra attention and effort to treating any stains, mildew, or grease build up. Not only will you feel better about your home, but it will go a long way in making sure you get back all of your rental security deposit.
