Before you begin any cleaning task, always remember the most important lesson: Start the process of removing any stain as soon as you notice it. The longer the stain sits and sets, the harder it becomes to remove. This White Paper reviews the most common types of stains, and describes some of the simple, environmentally friendly and inexpensive things you can do to remove them.

2. How To Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free
How to Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom
Stain-Free and Still Save Money
Introduction
Before you begin any cleaning task, always remember the most important lesson:
Start the process of removing any stain as soon as you notice it. The longer the stain
sits and sets, the harder it becomes to remove. This White Paper reviews the most
common types of stains, and describes some of the simple, environmentally friendly
and inexpensive things you can do to remove them.
How to Identify the Six Different Types of Stains
How many of us know that the colour of the stain indicates which mineral is building
up on the surface, and that different minerals need to be treated in very different
ways? Here are the six most common colours of stain that can be found in almost
every bathroom and kitchen, and how to deal with them:
Red or Brown Stains
These stains result from rust, or iron in your water. Rust deposits along the edge of
the surface are a common problem for those residing in an area with high iron
content in the water. There are certain kinds of bacteria that thrive in such water,
and these are responsible for creating this red or brown residue. There are several
ways of dealing with this problem, and you may have to experiment with more than
one method to find out which works best for you.
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3. How To Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free
• A mixture of borax powder and lemon juice proves effective in certain areas.
Apply the paste to the rusted areas and allow it to dry before rinsing.
• Oxalic acid is a very effective rust remover. For best results, rinse after
applying a solution of one part oxalic acid to ten parts water.
• You can also use a combination of scouring powder, cream of tartar, and
hydrogen peroxide. This mixture takes approximately half an hour to remove
the stains. Scrub the stains, let the mixture sit, and then rinse it away.
Green or Blue Stains
These stains result from copper or acid in your water. When water is too acidic, it is
heavily laden with brass and copper contents. The result is blue or green stains on all
your plumbing fixtures. These stains slowly wear away all of your fittings. Acidic
cleaners or any all-purpose cleaner can remove these metallic stains. You can get
acidic cleaners in all forms—many toilet, bath or kitchen cleaners available on the
market are acidic.
• Among household products, white vinegar is a very effective agent for
removing brass and copper stains from sinks. Lemon juice, which contains
citric acid, is equally as effective.
• Phosphoric acid, which can be helpful in removing these greenish stains, is
commonly found in stain removing products, while oxalic acid is especially
effective as a rust remover.
• A heavily diluted combination of hydrochloric or sulphuric acid can be used to
remove long-term and extremely stubborn stains.
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4. How To Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free
Brown or Black
These stains result from manganese and other minerals in your water. Because of
the presence of calcium and magnesium in water, hard deposits called limescale
gather on sinks. Common cleaners do not work as effectively on these deposits. You
can remove limescale with any solution containing "sequestrants". These are
compounds which prevent minerals from chemically bonding with other minerals to
produce scum, film, or limescale. Here are some examples of the more effective
sequestrants available:
• The combination of cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide
• A solution of one teaspoon Calgon water softener in one gallon of water
• A mixture of white vinegar and baking soda
• Two to four tablespoons of trisodium phosphate mixed in one gallon of water.
Cleaning Products and their Methods of Removing Stains
There are three main groups of cleaning products. Each group has their own
advantages and disadvantages:
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5. How To Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free
ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE
Natural Cleaners Cost-effective Most effective on simple stains
Environmentally friendly May not work on all stains
Harmless if ingested Takes time to see results
Chemical Cleaners Concentrated Dangerous if ingested
Fast-acting Can damage some surfaces
Highly effective Special disposal often required
Commercial Product is guaranteed Expensive
Cleaners Convenient to use Dangerous if ingested
Clear instructions for use Only effective on specific stains
Some of the most recognisable examples of these 3 cleaning groups can be found in
your own home. Here is a non-exhaustive list of the most commonly used cleaners.
Natural Cleaners:
• Baking Soda
• Lemon juice
• Vinegar
• Cream of Tartar
• Soap Nuts
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6. How To Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free
Chemical Cleaners:
• Bleach
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Borax Powder
• Oxalic Acid
• Diluted Hydrochloric Acid
Commercial Cleaners:
• Soft Scrub
• Barkeeper’s Friend
• Dettol
• Bath Rubber
• Flash
Baking soda is probably the best general-purpose
natural cleaning tool there is. As an alkali, it can soften
hard water, improve laundry performance under hard
water conditions and even remove hard water
calcification spots. Because it's an abrasive, you can
also use it to clean almost anything. Read an article
about the uses of Baking soda.
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7. How To Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free
As both lemon juice & vinegar are mildly
acidic, they are great for removing rust
stains, cutting through filmy residue on
glass and ceramics, and sparkling up your
sink and toilet.
You can also add a squeeze of lemon to
your other homemade cleaning products
to add a fresh, lemony scent. Find out
more about natural kitchen acids.
Normally used for baking, cream of tartar is a
powder that can simply be mixed with water to
create a powerful cleaner. Great for cleaning
aluminium and stainless steel, a well-mixed
cream of tartar cleanser is all you need to get
those kitchen appliances shining. Learn more
about Cream of Tartar.
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8. How To Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free
Soapnut shells are economical and leave your
surfaces fresh and clean, eliminating the need
for artificial softeners. Natural and chemical-
free, simply add a few nuts to cold water, bring
to the boil and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
Then soak a clean cloth in the mixture and wipe
away those stubborn stains. Discover the
secret properties of Soapnuts.
Cleaning with bleach is one of the best ways
to disinfect your home and remove stains.
Use bleach, diluted in warm water, as a
powerful cleaner. Making sure to wear
rubber gloves, dip a clean cloth in the
solution, wipe down the affected area and
after 10 minutes, rinse it with a fresh damp
cloth. Understand bleach better.
Hydrogen peroxide works best on stains that are protein-
based, on carpets, grouting and work very well as
deodorisers. However depending on the acidity level of
the cleaning product used, it may not work as well on
hard floors, since it could damage the surface layer.
Check out this page on hydrogen peroxide.
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9. How To Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free
Borax powder, made from the naturally occurring
mineral sodium borate, has many applications and is
widely used as a cleaning agent. It acts as a water
conditioner, controls alkalinity and can be used to clean
walls and floors. It leaves sinks and toilets sparkling and
is a very effective stain remover. Find out more about
Borax.
Oxalic acid is widely used in commercial rust
removers as an acid rinse, where it is extremely
effective at removing rust stains. A weak diluted
solution will remove rust stains from tubs and sinks,
but caution must be taken as this substance is toxic.
Learn how to use acid cleaners safely.
Hydrochloric acid in particular needs to be handled with
great caution. Ensure you have adequate ventilation.
Heavy gloves, eye protection and mask must be used.
Dilute the acid to a 60% acid 40% water solution. Apply
the mixture and scrub the area with a toothbrush or a
soft bristle brush. Once the stain is removed, quickly
rinse the area.
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10. How To Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free
Simple tips to prevent damage to your surfaces
Always take the condition of your porcelain fixtures into consideration before using
any cleaner. An older sink that is stained may have lost its finish, in which case the
stain could be permanent, and some cleaners may make it even worse.
There are also circumstances where it is not advisable to use an acid solution,
depending on the particular type of fixture or fitting being cleaned. An example of
this would be porcelain enamel. As it is a glass surface fused to a metal base it is
advisable not to use acid cleaners on these types of surfaces.
Porcelain enamel is acid-resistant but not acid-proof, and the glass coating can be
gradually dissolved by repeated contact with acids, exposing the metal underneath,
and resulting in a lot of damage.
Keeping Yourself and Your Family Safe
• Use only one product at a time
• Rinse well before applying a different cleaning product
• Respect any instructions given and follow them exactly
• Never mix chemicals as this can be extremely hazardous
• Keep cleaning products out of the reach of little hands
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11. How To Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free
Conclusion
Always give the product you’re using time to work. Don’t think a product is useless if
it doesn’t start acting immediately. You may have to wait up to 30 minutes for the
product to get to work once you’ve put it on a stain, before you start seeing visible
signs of cleaning.
If you follow these simple tips, you can easily keep your bathroom and kitchen
sparkling clean and be sure you and your family are safe from chemicals; all while
saving money and being kinder to the environment.
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12. How To Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free
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13. How To Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free
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resources & tools for people interested in improving their homes and for plumbing
and heating professionals, while continuously updating its product portfolio with
stylish, high quality products, perfectly fitted for every bathroom, kitchen or any
other room in the house.
About Us
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products starting with bathroom suites, baths, showers, towel rails, furniture, sinks,
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