Removing Water Stains: The Best Home Remedies

Remove water stains
The best home remedies for upholstery, shoes & Co.

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Substances contained in water can leave unsightly marks on materials when they dry out. You can find out how to remove water stains here.

There are different substances in the water, such as B. salt or lime. If the water dries, these substances remain and leave traces on our furniture or clothing. But there are very simple ways to remove water stains with home remedies. Here you can find out the best tricks and tips.

Remove water stains on shoes

The cold autumn and winter months in particular often cause unpleasant weather. For us, this means: wet feet and, conversely, water stains on the material. And of course, sprinkled salt also contributes a large proportion to unsightly water stains on the shoes. With these tips you can easily remove the unsightly stains:

  • Cloth shoes: Remove the coarse dirt, loosen the laces from the shoes and put the shoes together with the laces and insoles in a laundry net. It is best to wash everything in the washing machine with old towels or a sheet. Sheets or towels are advisable so that there is no imbalance in the drum. Put some wool detergent in the machine and use the delicate or wool cycle at 30 degrees. Then stuff the shoes with newspaper and let them dry on edge in a well-ventilated room. Here are more tips on how to wash shoes and then dry them.
  • Suede shoes: Use a spray bottle and spray the shoes everywhere with distilled water. Then stuff them with newspaper and let them dry well.
  • Smooth leather shoes: Use a damp cotton cloth and wipe the stain. Then let the shoes dry and rub them with shoe polish later.
  • Generally leather shoes: As a further tip, you can also try a potato slice on leather shoes and dab it over the stain: The starch contained in the potato should bind lime and salt. Use a raw potato slice (about 1 cm thick) and dab it from the edge to the inside of the stain. Repeat the process until the edges of the stain are gone. Subsequently, dab the area again with a clean cloth with distilled water and immediately wipe it dry with another cloth. Finally, blow dry the leather completely with a blow dryer on the lowest setting. Finally, you can maintain the leather with shoe polish or beeswax. Suede, on the other hand, can be roughened with a suede brush.

Remove water stains from clothing

The number one solution to water stains on clothing is the washing machine! After the laundry has been washed through and dried again, the unsightly water marks should be removed. Clothes that are not allowed in the washing machine, on the other hand, can be washed in a water bath with lukewarm water and a splash of vinegar (do not use vinegar essence!) soak for a few minutes. As you do this, gently pull the garment through the water a few times. Then rinse it out with clean water. Then squeeze it out and hang it to dry.

Note: The vinegar smell will then dissipate on its own. Vinegar has the nice side effect that it also makes the colors shine!

Remove water stains from upholstered furniture

Has the drinking bottle spilled on the car seat or the flower vase spilled onto the couch? Unsightly water stains are the result! These tips can help quickly:

  • Stains that are still damp can be treated with salt. Sprinkle some salt on the surface: it will soak up the moisture. Note: Do not rub the salt, otherwise the fabric could be damaged.
  • Light-colored upholstery with dried-on water stains you can treat with lemon juice. You can also use half a lemon: dab gently over the stain. Then dry the stain with a clean rag. Warning: the acid could cause the fabric to wear out faster.
  • Another possibility is Gall soap on: Wet the stain with distilled water. Carefully spread some gall soap on the stain, leave it on for ten minutes and then rub the area again with a damp cloth (with distilled water). Pat the stain dry and blow dry. Note: Test the method beforehand in an inconspicuous place on the material. If the color is fading, the method is not suitable.

Remove water stains on the carpet

How often do you accidentally knock something over and then worry about ruining the carpet! But here, too, there is a quick remedy for water stains.

  • Damp water stains: Sprinkle either salt or, if available, cat litter on the stain so that the moisture is soaked up. Then you can vacuum everything away with the vacuum cleaner.
  • Dried water stains: Mix some vinegar and water and spread it over the water stain. Then let everything dry. Vinegar prevents limescale from building up.
  • Laundry small carpets just put them in the washing machine and let them dry well – and the problem with the water stains is over.

Remove water stains on wooden furniture

If at some point the beautiful wooden table is decorated with circles of water glasses that have been put down, it is very annoying. Sometimes only helps with water stains on wood sand down, but as a quick countermeasure, these tricks are useful first:

  • on untreated wood can you do a little toothpaste Rub on the water stain with a cloth. Attention: Dark woods can discolour and this method is not suitable for varnished wood either!
  • Alternatively, a Mixture of a little oil (e.g. olive oil, sunflower oil) and fine saltthat is rubbed on the stain. Polish the area with the paste until the water marks fade. Then clean the stain with distilled water and dry everything. To avoid further water stains, the wood should be protected with beeswax or wood oil.

Looking for more household tricks? Learn how to remove grass stains, remove oil stains, and clean silver.

Sources used: utopia.de, otto.de/reblog

Brigitte

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