Don’t get salty while tackling salt stains! Let I Care Cleaning help you to learn the quickest and most efficient way to get rid of salt stains. During the height of the winter months, salt residue can appear everywhere and become an issue for your vehicles, clothing and flooring.
Salt is a cold climate necessity to keep your roads and pathways safe from ice buildup. Let our blog help you make quick cleaning for removing any salt residue. A salt stain resembles a white stain covered in a powdery substance that can appear anywhere salt could have touched.
The 5 most common places salt stains appear are:
- Shoes and Boots
- Clothing
- Carpets
- Inside Your Car
We will touch on each of these areas to outline the tools necessary and the steps to clean each area.
What Will You Need?
Before we talk about how to clean affected areas, let’s get all the necessary materials together. White vinegar solutions are a great natural and cost-effective method for completely removing a salt stain. Mixing a 50-percent vinegar solution in a spray bottle will be handy for several stain removal projects throughout your home, salt stain being one of course. Professional cleaning products can be effective as well. You can read the labels of your favourite cleaning products to see if they are recommended for stubborn salt stains.
Once you have your chosen cleaning solution prepped, you need to gather the other necessary tools for your cleaning project. These tools/materials can vary for where your stain is located, but this is a comprehensive list. The items needed will be:
- Warm Water
- Clean Cloth
- Dry Vacuum
- Scrubbing Brush
The type of cloth and brush will depend on the material you are cleaning. For softer surfaces, make sure to use a softer scrubbing tool to prevent damage. Leather surfaces are easily damaged by rough brushes and clothes, for example. Consider this when setting off on your adventure to get rid of salt stains.
Shoes and Boots
Shoes and boots are notorious for being covered in salt and spreading the mess throughout your home. Making sure your footwear is free of any salt will make sure they last longer and keep you from creating a larger mess in your home.
Cleaning footwear is a fairly simple cleaning process. Change out your cloth and brush depending on the material of your shoes. The 3 steps for footwear cleaning are:
- Apply a small amount of your cleaning solution to your cloth and wipe the affected area. (Be careful not to oversaturate soft material shoes such as UGGs or other cloth-based footwear.)
- Allow the shoes to dry. (This timeframe can differ based on the type of shoe.)
- Recondition the footwear such as applying leather glaze or shoe shine.
These 3 easy steps will clean any footwear you own and help you get through the winter months.
Clothing
Just like footwear, other apparel items are exposed to salt during the winter. Finding salt stains on your clothes is quite a regular occurrence. Salt on your clothing can cause damage resulting in discolouration or the breaking down of fabrics. It is important to clean these areas the moment a stain is spotted.
Cleaning salt from clothes does not have to be a hassle. The earlier you treat an area, the easier the stain will come out.
- Wash the area in cold water to remove all salt on the clothing.
- Use a soft brush on the area to remove any leftover or stubborn debris.
- Wash the clothes as usual.
Simply pretreating and giving extra attention before washing will be enough to remove salt from clothes.
Carpets
Carpets are notorious for catching any material brought into your home on your shoes and boots. Salt is no exception. Salt can easily fall off of clothing and footwear only to get caught in your carpets. Just like clothing, these stains can cause fibre breakdown and discolouration If left untreated.
Cleaning carpets is always easiest when the affected area is dry. Follow these steps to make sure the area is properly cleaned:
- Vacuum the affected area to remove any excess debris or salt.
- Apply small amounts of your cleaning solution and allow it to dry.
- Pat dry the area with a rag or paper towel.
- Vacuum the area again after lifting any compressed fibres.
Taking the time to properly clean your carpets will extend their lifetime.
Inside Your Car
Much like your carpets, our cars can be a catch-all for debris and stains. Salt stains are even more common in your car than in your home. Knowing how to address these stains will keep your car fresh and protected.
Cleaning the inside of your car is much like cleaning your carpets. These easy steps will make sure all the areas are properly cleaned:
- Vacuum the area. Remove floor mats if the stain is on the floor and the mats are removable.
- Apply small amounts of cleaning solutions and pat dry with a rag or paper towel.
- Thoroughly dry the area to prevent any mildewing or odour.
Protecting your car will make sure your investment will be the freshest and cleanest for many miles to come.
We hope these ideas can help you protect your apparel, carpets and vehicles. For any cleaning needs, feel free to contact us to see how we can best serve you.
At I Care Cleaning, we pride ourselves on offering high-quality commercial and residential cleaning services in Indianapolis, Greenfield, and the surrounding areas.
Our team is keen on detail and flexible to accommodate your unique needs.
Be part of our growing happy client base enjoying our exceptional service delivery. Contact us today!
