The Best Coffee Stain Remover for Fabrics and Carpet!

Every coffee drinker has had to deal with a bad coffee stain at one time or another. Seeing as how most people cannot get themselves going without coffee in the morning, a spill is going to happen. Now that every fast food drive-thru offers decent coffee, car spills are also becoming quite common. With coffee spills, make sure that you always blot the area with a dry cloth. If you try to rub out the spill, you will just spread the stain and cause it to set faster.

The best coffee stain remover can be made out of common household items.

If the coffee stain has already set, don’t worry. We have a fantastic coffee stain remover for you. To make your own coffee stain remover for fabrics and carpets, mix 1 teaspoon of a clear liquid dish washing detergent with 1 cup warm water and sponge the area with the detergent solution. Blot again with a dry, clean terry cloth. Then, mix 1/3 cup white vinegar with 2/3 cup water and sponge the area with the solution. Blot dry again. Remove the excess vinegar with a sponge and clean water. Dry with a fresh cloth. Again, make sure to avoid rubbing, this can cause the stain to spread. This homemade cleaning system will remove even the worst set-in coffee stain. Just make sure to always test your fabric first to make sure that it will not discolor.

If you have just spilled coffee on yourself or your car’s interior, there is a simple way to reduce the stain. Using waterless hand sanitizer, you can work out the majority of the stain. With the recent flu scare, if you do not have your own hand sanitizer, I’m sure that someone around you will! Hopefully, they are willing to share.

Related Posts:

• Removing Coffee Stains From Your Cloths
• How to Remove Coffee Stains From Carpet
• Using Coffee Grounds to Remove Tough Odors

Creative Uses For Your Dishwasher

If you’ve got small children, you probably don’t have much time to clean. Here’s a quick to tip to save you time. Be creative with your dishwasher. Any hard plastic or rubber toys can be cleaned and sanitized in the dishwasher. Just make sure you place smaller toys on the upper rack.

A Great General Disinfectant

Tea Tree Oil is an essential oil that has long been used as a great fungicide and antiseptic. It can be diluted and used to heal wounds, cure fungal infections (including athlete's foot), scare away bugs, and it makes a great green cleaner. Tea Tree Oil is available at most health food stores. To make a great general cleaner and disinfectant, add about 15 drops to quart of water. Mix well and place in a spray bottle. This cleaner is great on countertops or for general cleaning. Tea Tree Oil is not cheap, but a little bit goes a very long way.

Another Trick for Nasty Dish Sponges

I’m well aware that the sponge sitting on the side of the kitchen sink is a haven for bacteria. I tried to be good about thoroughly rinsing it out and cleaning it as I mentioned in our article Nasty Dish Sponges. Then, after dinner at a friend’s house, I was helping her load the dishwasher. After the last dish went it, she unceremoniously popped the sponge right onto the top rack of the dishwasher. I nearly slapped my own forehead.

Truth About the Anti-Bacteria Fad

The FDA did a study on the effectiveness of antibacterial soaps and hand cleanser versus regular soap and water. They discovered that no antibacterial soap or hand cleanser will clean your hands any better than plain old soap and water. In addition to not cleaning your hands any better, use of these products may actual mutate some of the bacteria into a more resistant form. Antibacterial products do have a place, hospitals, nursing homes or by individuals who have compromised immune systems. While a crazy super bacteria hasn’t been identified yet, the possibility exists that we are creating the perfect conditions to create one by over use of these products. So, for now I’m going to play it safe and stick to non-antibacterial hand soap.

Disinfecting Your Phones

Just like everything else that we come into contact with on a daily basis it is smart to disinfect the things that we use most often. Phones get a lot of use by a lot of people. Your work phone and home phone should be disinfected regularly. To do this, wipe down the phone with a disinfecting cloth or simply wipe with hydrogen peroxide on a clean cloth. For disinfecting cell phones, make sure that you first wring out all extra moisture from the cloth and carefully wipe the cover. Make sure to not get any moisture into the buttons or near the battery.

Safely Sanitize Countertops

Everyone seems to love those handy quick wipe sanitizers. I am no different. It's great, you finish cooking diner and just pull one out of the container and wipe and toss it out. Your surfaces are now sanitized, fast and easy. However, if you run out or are really watching your budget, you can make your own quick sanitizer. Just pour hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle. There is no need to dilute it, it already is diluted. Spray down the surface, let it sit for a moment, and wipe off with a clean towel. Hydrogen peroxide kills germs and bacteria. Always test an inconspicuous section of your counter to make sure that the hydrogen peroxide doesn't discolor the surface.