stains

family life

Super Stains! How to Eliminate 9 Common Kid Spots and Spills

We've detailed how to clean that baby gear, from high chairs and car seats to breast pumps and bottles, and now our Spring-cleaning series continues with some tips on how to clean those tough-to-treat stains that are just part of living with a kiddo, beyond the baby poo and spit-up days.

We've detailed how to clean that baby gear, from high chairs and car seats to breast pumps and bottles, and now our Spring-cleaning series continues with some tips on how to clean those tough-to-treat stains that are just part of living with a kiddo, beyond the baby poo and spit-up days. Juice, paint, and food spills, muddy boots, rogue stickers, crayon marks, and, yes, even Cheetos (or in my family's case, barbecue Popchips) fingers are just part of living with a little one, but we have a handy-dandy guide on how to beat nine common kid stains. Keep clicking to prepare yourself to battle your kids' spills, smudges, and spots.

How To

Get the Dirt: How to Get Stains Out of White Shirts

Nothing sucks more than spilling coffee, food, or even getting makeup transfer on your perfect white shirt.

Nothing sucks more than spilling coffee, food, or even getting makeup transfer on your perfect white shirt. Believe us, we've all been there before and while your sticky situation may seem hopeless at the time — why does it always happen before a big meeting or even worse, a first date — there is a way to remedy your fashion blunder. All you need are a few household essentials like a white cloth, salt, hair spray, etc., and before you know it, your stain (and stress!) will disappear before your very eyes. Just read below for our no-fail tips on getting all kinds of tricky stains out of white blouses and shirts.

Red wine stains

  • Club soda — Pour club soda over the stain, allow it to bubble up, then blot. Repeat until the stain completely disappears.
  • Salt — For freshly spilled wine, pour a layer of salt over the stain until it has absorbed into the salt. Wait about an hour, then brush away the salt — and the stain!
  • Milk — Pour or blot the stain with milk and let it soak for about an hour. Afterwards, rinse and wash the shirt as normal.
  • Read on for more easy tips on fighting grease, lipstick, and deodorant stains.

    stains

    Put Your Swatches to the Test

    If you're a Bloody Mary sippin', blueberry popping, marker wielding maniac, you better have your best stain fighters ready the next time you consider buying or reupholstering a piece of furniture.

    If you're a Bloody Mary sippin', blueberry popping, marker wielding maniac, you better have your best stain fighters ready the next time you consider buying or reupholstering a piece of furniture. Before biting the bullet on that white linen sofa you've been swooning over for months, it might be wise to run some tests on it. Pick up a swatch (or few) of the fabric and throw some stains on it before handing over the paycheck. You will breathe much easier knowing that the meatball mark on the dining room chair is only temporary and easily treated. Then again, you could be one of those people who just coats everything in plastic and hopes for the best.

    To see my list of top stain-makers worth a trip to the swatch, read more

    How To

    How-To: Remove Red Wine Stains

    Accidents happen, but for those of us who like to decorate with white, they're a real problem.
    How to Get Red Wine Off Upholstered Furniture

    Accidents happen, but for those of us who like to decorate with white, they're a real problem. That's the lesson I learned after a late night left my upholstered bar stools spattered with red wine. I couldn't bear to have them reupholstered, so I mixed up a little potion that took out the stain perfectly, but left ugly rings where the treated material dried. Several years and a lot more red wine later, I've perfected the process — no more stains or ugly rings. Need to get red wine out of your favorite upholstered seats? Check out my tried and true trick.

    How To

    How-To: Say Goodbye to Salt Stains

    If you live in a snowy climate, chances are that road crews are keeping the highways and byways of your hometown ice-free with the use of salt.

    If you live in a snowy climate, chances are that road crews are keeping the highways and byways of your hometown ice-free with the use of salt. It's likely that you, as well, are cutting down on ice on the steps and paths around your home by using salt. While salt can be a great tool, it can also wreak havoc on rugs and carpets inside your home — especially in the entry, where boots can too easily track salt all over these items.

    Even if you've had salt stains on your carpets or rugs for most of this Winter, you can still banish them with some simple ingredients and a lot of elbow grease. To find out how to get rid of those stains, read more

    Holiday

    How-To: Get the Red Out

    As we get closer to the holiday season, you can virtually guarantee that all of the festivities and merry making will lead to a red wine stain or two.

    As we get closer to the holiday season, you can virtually guarantee that all of the festivities and merry making will lead to a red wine stain or two. But don't worry, you can usually combat that stain, especially if you act fast. Learn how to get the red out when you read more

    stain removal

    Fab Tip: Vodka-Infused Cleanliness

    I recently got a tour of the backstage at the San Francisco Opera.

    I recently got a tour of the backstage at the San Francisco Opera. Fab-u-lous. The drama, the behind-the-scenes action, the velvet, lace, beading. Oodles of hats and costume jewelry — I could have played dress-up for hours, it was a real treat. Along the way I picked up a stain-solution tip I'd never heard, or imagined, before. Let's just say, it involved one of PartySugar's preferred poisons . . . Intrigued?


    To learn how to target stains like a pro, read more

    Poll

    Have You Ever Stained Your Hardwood Floors?

    Staining your floors can be a very time-consuming task if you have a large space.

    Staining your floors can be a very time-consuming task if you have a large space. But it's also a very rewarding one. Worn floors do have a certain je ne sais quoi, but unless your décor is shabby chic or cottage-y, they can look a bit informal. A rich wood stain will really transform a room. Have you ever stained your floors yourself?

    Source: Flickr User Philo Nordlund

    decorating advice

    Ask Casa: Getting Nail Polish Off of a Wood Table

    Hi CasaSugar, Last night I spilled clear nail polish on my boyfriend's Room & Board end table.

    Hi CasaSugar,

    Last night I spilled clear nail polish on my boyfriend's Room & Board end table. I’m not exactly sure what it was, but I think it might have been solid maple, cherry, or walnut with a lacquer finish on it. Needless to say, he was not happy. Is there anything I can do about it? Or am I just going to have to live with a lifetime of guilt?

    Thanks,
    Susannah

    To see my advice, read more