Single Dads Quick Guide to Stain Removal

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SingleDad Guest contributor,Katie Fetting-Schlerf, offers practical Single Parent Home Management advice for the divorced dad. Learn how to remove everyday stains in your household

The Single Dad’s Quick Guide to Stain Removal

By Katie Fetting-Schlerf

Kids
are messy. We know this, yet
preparing for every dropped juice box remains impossible. Accidents happen – and depending on
your child’s dexterity – they may happen a lot. So you have two options: spend a decade with plastic-covered – well, everything – or learn to be a clean-up
pro.

Below
are 5 tips for mopping up some of the most common mishaps.

Spots out of Cloth Diapers

They
look gross and you fear they may be unsanitary, too. Despite cloth diapers being a net environmental positive, they
discolor easily. No one likes to
put something dirty – even in appearance – on their child. So how can you get rid of those
stains? Try boiling them in water
with a little Oxyclean Baby. Dial
down the temperature and let the mix simmer for a half-hour (more severe stains
may take longer). Dump the entire
shebang in the washing machine with a little detergent and wash normally before
hanging the wet diapers in the sun to dry. Repeat as necessary.

Ink out of Car Upholstery

Road trips with
the kids are all fun and games until someone drops the black Sharpie… on your beige interior. And the car’s a
lease. That’s up in two
months. Sound bad? Well, fear not! Swing by the closest drug store and
pick up a fresh bottle of rubbing alcohol and a clean cloth (white works
best). Dip the cloth in the
alcohol then dab the affected area, rotating the cloth as it soaks up ink. (Despite its name, don’t “rub” the
rubbing alcohol into the fabric.
The stain will most likely set.)

Oil out of Leather

Did
your kid just dump a bowl of freshly buttered popcorn on your new leather
sofa? Corn starch is an easy fix,
but you gotta be fast! Sprinkle
the corn starch over the grease and watch it soak up the oil, then vacuum the
powder. This tip comes courtesy of
http://www.leathersolutions.com/leather_stain_removal_tips.php.

Orange Soda Pop out of Carpet

Orange
soda pop has been the bane of parental existence since its introduction. If there’s a white carpet, you can be
sure that there’s a Fanta stain on it somewhere. Thankfully, due to the marvels of modern chemistry, people
have figured out ways to avert this catastrophe. While Oxyclean remains the #1 recommendation, an answer on
ask.com had an interesting suggestion:
Spritz the area with water, then poor regular salt over it. When the salt has changed color, vacuum
it up and poof! no stain. You can also use this homemade technique
on red wine.

Gum out of Hair

Kids
are mighty particular about their hair.
It must be just so. And
“just so” usually does not include a wad of shocking pink ABC gum. So before you rush off to the barber,
know there is a less destructive (and cheaper) method of Hubba Bubba
removal. First, try freezing it
off with some ice cubes – wait for the gum to solidify, then attempt to pull it
out. If it’s still refusing to budge,
dab on some olive oil, wait 20 minutes and comb out. (Peanut butter and Vaseline also do the trick.) When the gum has been successfully
extricated, be sure to wash the hair repeatedly.

Katie Fetting-Schlerf is a
Seattle-based writer whose new
Ford Mustang has beige seats. She has
the rubbing alcohol on standby.

Richard JaramilloRichard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com,
a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children.
RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents
“Make Life Happen…Again!”

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Richard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com, a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children. RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents “Make Life Happen…Again!”