Materials and surfaces
Every material we have researched, from cotton and wool carpet to marble, grout and painted walls, with what each one can and cannot take.
Automotive
- Fabric car seat Tough synthetic cover over deep foam containing heaters, sensors and airbag hardware, so treatment stays shallow and th...
- Leather car seat Leather Car Seat needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkal...
- Car carpet Synthetic pile on thick moulded underlay glued to the floor pan, so the pile dries quickly and everything underneath it...
- Car headliner Thin fabric bonded to foam with a heat and moisture sensitive adhesive, so almost any wet cleaning risks permanent sagg...
- Dashboard plastic Textured plastic over electronics and vents, where spraying is the real hazard and solvents strip the UV finish that ke...
- Car boot liner A moulded rubber or TPE tray that lifts out with the spill still in it. Nearly everything is available on it except sol...
- Seat belt Load bearing safety webbing with a fire retardant coating. Mild soap only, never solvent or bleach, and never retracted...
- Alloy wheel Identify whether the wheel is lacquered, polished, anodised or matt. Work on a cool wheel, rinse loose grit and use a c...
- Car paintwork Rinse loose grit from cool bodywork before touching it. Use a shampoo approved for the paint and any wrap or coating. G...
- Windscreen Clean only cool glass with a soft cloth, controlled water and a glass-safe product permitted for any tint or coating. K...
- Number plate A number plate may have acrylic, printed, raised or bonded parts. Start with cool water and a soft damp cloth. Use only...
Carpets and rugs
- Synthetic carpet Man made pile that tolerates most treatments better than wool does, and where over-wetting causes more failures than an...
- Wool carpet A protein fibre that needs low alkalinity products, gentle handling and very little water, and that is permanently dama...
- Polypropylene carpet Polypropylene Carpet needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, a...
- Nylon carpet Nylon Carpet needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkalis,...
- Carpet tiles Synthetic pile on a waterproof backing, laid loose or lightly tacked, so the standard method is minimal water and the f...
- Stair carpet Ordinary carpet on a surface where spills run downwards and where damp underfoot is a safety problem, so the method wor...
- Sisal A strong agave fibre that copes well with mechanical cleaning and badly with water, taking sharp tide marks that usuall...
- Seagrass matting A waxy natural fibre that shrugs off a spill briefly, marks if liquid gets past that, and is the one natural floor fibr...
- Jute rug A soft cellulose floor fibre that absorbs liquid readily, dries slowly and shows a tide ring from almost any wet cleani...
- Shaggy rug Long pile that hides the true extent of a spill and mats permanently if rubbed, so the method is parting the pile, blot...
- Persian rug Hand knotted wool, often on cotton, with dyes that can run. Minimal moisture, no alkali, no bleach, and a dye test befo...
Clothing and fabrics
- Cotton A hard wearing natural fibre that takes water and most household cleaners, and whose main enemy is drying heat applied...
- Polyester A smooth synthetic that resists absorption and tolerates enzymes and long soaks, but glazes or melts with heat that oth...
- Polycotton A blend that absorbs like cotton and is heat limited like polyester, so it stains readily and has to be treated cool.
- Wool A protein fibre that felts irreversibly with heat and agitation and is digested by the same enzymes that remove protein...
- Merino wool Fine wool, often superwash treated so it can be machine washed. The label decides which set of rules applies, and every...
- Cashmere Very fine, short staple goat hair. Softer and weaker than wool, so it pills and breaks under handling that ordinary woo...
- Silk A lustrous protein fibre that is attacked by alkali and enzymes, marked by water spotting and dulled by any rubbing, so...
- Linen A strong, very absorbent flax fibre that takes long cool soaks well, shrinks with heat and is weakened by bleach.
- Denim Cotton that is easy to treat and dyed in a way that is easy to damage. Cold water and a soak are fine. Rubbing, bleachi...
- Viscose A cellulose fibre that loses much of its strength when wet, marks with water, and shrinks with heat, so treatment is co...
- Nylon A smooth synthetic that washes easily in cool water but yellows permanently with chlorine bleach and with heat.
- Acrylic fabric A synthetic wool substitute that takes enzymes and cool washing well, but pills with rubbing and loses its shape and lo...
- Elastane The stretch fibre inside a blend, degraded by chlorine, heat and oils. It does not stain much, and it is the part that...
- Fleece Brushed polyester with a raised pile. Easy chemistry, but the pile mats with heat and pills with rubbing, and softener...
- Corduroy Cut pile cotton where the ribs crush permanently under heat and pressure, so it is washed inside out and never ironed o...
- Chiffon A sheer light weave with almost no body. Fresh marks rinse out readily, and the risk is distortion from handling rather...
- Satin A weave with long surface floats that give it its shine. The shine snags and dulls easily, and the fibre underneath dec...
- Jersey A cotton knit that washes cool and easily, stretches out of shape if handled wet, and pills if you scrub it. Almost eve...
- Canvas A heavy cotton weave that tolerates firm treatment, complicated by water repellent finishes and by the leather and meta...
- Lace Fine threads and open holes, structurally weak at every junction, so it is supported at all times and never twisted or...
- Faux fur Acrylic pile on a knitted backing. It melts with heat, dissolves with solvents and mats if you scrub it. Cold water, a...
- Sheepskin Wool on tanned leather. The wool washes cold with a wool detergent, the leather backing must not be soaked, and heat sh...
- Down filled jacket A technical shell over stitched down baffles. Local treatment is far preferable to washing, because wet down clumps and...
- Waterproof jacket A laminated shell with a water repellent finish that is stripped by softener, residue and stain removers, so cleaning i...
- School uniform Usually polycotton, sometimes with a wool or acrylic jumper, and always under time pressure. Cool soaking works, heat d...
- White shirt Cotton or polycotton with no dye to protect, so an oxygen soak is available and chlorine bleach is still the wrong tool.
- White trainers Several materials glued together, so hand cleaning by part beats any machine. Heat is the main enemy of the adhesive an...
- Sports kit Polyester with elastane and applied badges. Easy chemistry, but heat destroys the stretch and lifts the transfers.
- Swimwear Nylon or polyester with elastane. It barely stains, and the rules are all about protecting the stretch from chlorine, h...
- Wedding dress Layered silk, tulle and beading, frequently glued as well as sewn. Specialists say not to use water, detergent or alcoh...
- Baseball cap Cotton or polycotton with a stiffened brim that may be cardboard. The fabric washes easily and the brim decides whether...
- Tie Bias cut fabric over a wool interlining. Water makes the layers shift and the tie twists permanently, so silk ties are...
Household textiles
- Bed sheets Washable cotton or polycotton that responds well to cold treatment, and that gets washed hot enough to set anything the...
- Duvet cover Duvet Cover needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkalis, s...
- Pillow The filling decides the method. Fibre and feather wash, solid memory foam must never be submerged, and drying through i...
- Pillowcase Pillowcase needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkalis, so...
- Mattress Something that can never be rinsed, so the method is minimum moisture, patient blotting and a long air dry rather than...
- Mattress topper Mattress Topper needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkali...
- Towel Absorbent looped cotton, built for repeated washing. The stain comes out with enzymes and the hot hygiene wash is avail...
- Tea towel Cotton or linen cloth built for hard washing. Treat the mark cool, then wash hot, and check which fibre it is before ch...
- Tablecloth Usually cotton, linen or polycotton, often white, and large enough that soaking the whole cloth beats treating one spot.
- Curtains Layered fabric, lining and interlining that shrink at different rates, so spot cleaning in place beats washing or dry c...
- Fabric blind Stiffened or coated fabric that ripples permanently if it is wetted, with roman and vertical blinds behaving more like...
- Cushion cover A removable cover over a separate pad. Removing the cover makes it a laundry job, and the pad has to be checked separat...
- Throw A blanket on furniture, so it takes the spill the sofa would have taken. The fibre decides the detergent and weight dec...
- Blanket Usually cotton, acrylic or wool. The fibre decides whether biological detergent is safe, and everything else is ordinar...
- Doormat Coarse coconut fibre on a rubber or PVC backing. The fibre takes firm mechanical cleaning, and the backing is what suff...
- Lampshade Fabric or paper on a laminated backing and a metal frame, held with adhesive. Water opens the seams, rusts the frame an...
- Ironing board cover Coated cotton over a thin foam pad, which is going to be heated deliberately, so nothing can be left in it before it go...
- Apron Usually cotton or polycotton, and built to be stained, so it takes a longer soak than most clothing. Pre treat before w...
Kitchen and bathroom
- Laminate worktop A sealed surface that wipes clean easily and cannot be scoured, sitting on a chipboard core that swells if water reache...
- Stainless steel A non porous metal that shrugs off heat, water, solvents and alkalis, and is ruined by chlorides. Grease wipes off with...
- Glass Glass needs stain treatment matched to its exact composition, coating and tolerance for moisture, chemicals and abrasio...
- Glass ceramic hob Glass Ceramic Hob needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids...
- Ceramic sink A thick glazed fireclay or china bowl, tougher than a basin, where the residue ends up in the waste and the grey marks...
- Toilet Glazed china that tolerates a bleach based cleaner, so the hygiene job is straightforward. The seat, the hinges and the...
- Acrylic bath A soft plastic surface that scratches, crazes with solvents and is damaged by bleach and strong disinfectants, so the s...
- Shower screen Shower Screen needs stain treatment matched to its exact composition, coating and tolerance for moisture, chemicals and...
- Ceramic basin Glazed vitreous china that nothing penetrates. Warm soapy water cleans it, abrasives scratch the glaze, and the fitting...
- Oven interior Oven Interior needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, al...
- Oven glass Oven Glass needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkal...
- Chopping board A food surface where hygiene sets the standard, and where deep knife scoring makes a board impossible to clean properly...
- Plastic food container An easy material with awkward details: lid seals, threads and grooves hold residue that washing the box itself never re...
- Kettle Kettle needs stain treatment matched to its exact composition, coating and tolerance for moisture, chemicals and abrasi...
- Tap Tap needs stain treatment matched to its exact composition, coating and tolerance for moisture, chemicals and abrasion....
- Chrome Chrome needs stain treatment matched to its exact composition, coating and tolerance for moisture, chemicals and abrasi...
- Brushed steel Brushed Steel needs stain treatment matched to its exact composition, coating and tolerance for moisture, chemicals and...
- Induction hob Induction Hob needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, al...
- Microwave interior Microwave Interior needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acid...
- Extractor hood Extractor Hood needs stain treatment matched to its exact composition, coating and tolerance for moisture, chemicals an...
- Composite sink Stone particles in acrylic resin: harder than acrylic, softer than ceramic, and prone to a dull residue film rather tha...
- Enamel Enamel needs stain treatment matched to its exact composition, coating and tolerance for moisture, chemicals and abrasi...
- Enamel bath Glass fused to metal. Chemically tough and easily dulled, because abrasives roughen the surface and a roughened enamel...
- Shower tray An acrylic or gelcoated stone resin surface that behaves like acrylic, with a silicone joint and a waste that hold the...
- Shower curtain Either machine washable polyester or a plastic liner that is wiped rather than washed. Neither absorbs, so the stain is...
- Silicone sealant A soft bead attached to two surfaces, damaged by vinegar, bicarbonate and bleach according to its makers, and replaced...
- Splashback Splashback needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkal...
- Melamine A hard thermoset surface that stains from dried on food and is permanently dulled by bleach and abrasive pads, so the a...
- Cast iron Cast Iron needs stain treatment matched to its exact composition, coating and tolerance for moisture, chemicals and abr...
- Aluminium Aluminium needs stain treatment matched to its exact composition, coating and tolerance for moisture, chemicals and abr...
- Brass Brass needs stain treatment matched to its exact composition, coating and tolerance for moisture, chemicals and abrasio...
- Copper Copper needs stain treatment matched to its exact composition, coating and tolerance for moisture, chemicals and abrasi...
Leather and suede
- Finished leather Hide under a pigmented coating, cleanable with mild soap and water and damaged by almost everything stronger, where esc...
- Aniline leather Uncoated hide that absorbs anything that touches it and records the edge of a treated area, so the working unit is the...
- Nubuck Napped hide with no coating. Dry treatment and brushing do most of the work, and anything damp has to be applied across...
- Suede Unfinished leather with a raised nap and no protective coating. Water marks it permanently, so brushing, erasing and ab...
- Faux leather A plastic coating on a fabric backing. The surface wipes clean easily, and liquid that reaches the backing lifts the co...
- Patent leather A plastic film or lacquer over a hide. A damp cloth cleans it, solvents destroy it, and ordinary leather products do no...
- Leather sofa Leather Sofa needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkalis,...
- Leather shoes Leather uppers glued to a sole over a fabric lining and often a card insole board, so cleaning stays on the outside and...
- Leather bag A hide with a finish over it, and almost everything that removes a stain also removes the finish. Blot, use very little...
- Leather jacket Never machine washable, easily marked by water, and ruined by heat and solvents. Blot, work the whole panel, condition...
Outdoor surfaces
- Patio slabs Patio Slabs needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkalis, s...
- Block paving Block Paving needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkalis,...
- Fence panel Fence Panel needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkalis, s...
- Rattan furniture Rattan Furniture needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, solven...
- Metal garden furniture Metal Garden Furniture needs stain treatment matched to its exact composition, coating and tolerance for moisture, chem...
- Parasol fabric Parasol Fabric needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkalis...
- Trampoline Trampoline needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, solvents, bl...
- Artificial grass Artificial Grass needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkal...
- Tarmac Tarmac needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, solvents, bleach...
- Gravel Loose gravel tolerates a controlled cool-water rinse, but mixed stone types and the absorbent layer below make acids, s...
- Render Render needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkalis, solven...
- Pebbledash Pebbledash needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkalis, so...
- Brick Brick needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkalis, solvent...
- Greenhouse glass Confirm that the pane is glass, rather than polycarbonate. Use water and a soft cloth, avoid scourers, do not lean on g...
- Garden shed Garden Shed needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, solvents, b...
Paper and keepsakes
- Paper A fragile absorbent sheet that tears and skins when wet, so the entire method is drying and support rather than cleanin...
- Card Thick, often laminated paper that absorbs heavily, warps as it dries and delaminates where the layers separate.
- Book pages A block of paper that dries unevenly and grows mould in the middle, so the method is standing it open, interleaving and...
- Photograph A gelatin image layer on a paper or plastic base. Wet, the emulsion is soft and sticks to anything, and touching it tak...
- Canvas print Inkjet ink on a coated canvas stretched over wooden bars. The ink moves when rubbed and the frame marks the fabric if i...
- Cardboard Compressed wood fibre with a starch glue between the layers. Water swells it, separates the layers and leaves a tide li...
Plastics and metals
- Plastic A non porous surface where the milk mark is a deposit rather than a stain, so the risks are scratching and solvent dama...
- uPVC window frame uPVC Window Frame needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, solve...
- uPVC door uPVC Door needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, solvents, ble...
- Acrylic sheet Acrylic Sheet needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, solvents,...
- Polycarbonate Polycarbonate needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, solvents,...
- Vinyl Plasticised PVC where solvents, alcohol and heat draw the plasticiser out and leave it hard and cracked, while soapy wa...
- Rubber A non porous but chemically vulnerable material: soapy water cleans it and bleach, solvents and oils degrade it gradual...
- Silicone An inert, non porous, heat tolerant material that washes easily and characteristically holds smells and a greasy film.
- Foam An open cell sponge that absorbs freely and dries very slowly, so the method is blot, dilute, absorb and then a great d...
- Polystyrene Polystyrene needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, solvents, b...
- Painted metal Painted Metal needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, solvents,...
- Galvanised steel Galvanised Steel needs stain treatment matched to its exact composition, coating and tolerance for moisture, chemicals...
Stone and tile
- Marble Porous calcium carbonate that absorbs stains into the stone and is etched by any acid, so the method is a poultice and...
- Granite A hard siliceous stone that resists acid far better than marble but is still porous, so a stain that soaks in still nee...
- Quartz worktop Quartz Worktop needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, solvents...
- Limestone Porous calcium carbonate that absorbs stains into the stone and is etched by any acid, so the method is a poultice and...
- Travertine Calcareous stone with natural voids that are either filled with a softer grout or left open, and either way the holes a...
- Slate A siliceous stone with a riven textured face that holds a spill in its hollows, and usually a sealer or an oil dressing...
- Sandstone A siliceous but highly porous stone where absorption is the main problem and the loosely bound grains are removed by ab...
- Terrazzo Stone chips in a cement or resin matrix, where the matrix decides everything. Neutral cleaners only, and acids attack a...
- Ceramic tile A glass glaze that nothing penetrates, set in porous cement grout that does. The tile is easy and the joints are the wh...
- Porcelain tile The densest common tile, effectively non absorbent unless it is polished, set in grout that absorbs freely.
- Quarry tile An unglazed fired clay tile that absorbs like the grout beside it, and whose maker warns specifically against acid and...
- Mosaic tile Small pieces with a great deal of grout between them, so the joints dominate and any staining shows as a grid rather th...
- Grout Porous alkaline cement between tiles, dissolved by acid, easily made worse by hard brushing, and best protected by seal...
- Concrete Alkaline cement that is etched by acid and, unsealed, absorbs almost instantly. Whether it is sealed decides which prob...
- Terracotta A very porous unglazed clay tile that depends entirely on its sealer, which acidic and bleach based cleaners strip.
- Solid surface worktop Solid Surface Worktop needs stain treatment matched to its fibre, finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, s...
Upholstery
- Fabric sofa Upholstery where the manufacturer cleaning code decides everything, and where over-wetting causes rings and odour that...
- Microfibre sofa A very fine, tightly woven pile that resists absorption briefly and then shows water rings and nap direction as clearly...
- Velvet sofa Thick absorbent pile whose look depends on pile direction, so a spot treatment leaves both a water ring and a change in...
- Linen sofa A plant fibre that turns a damp patch into a yellow brown ring as it dries, so the water is a bigger risk than most sta...
- Chenille A pile upholstery fabric that drinks a spill in seconds and is permanently flattened by rubbing. Blot straight down, us...
- Dining chair fabric Thin fabric over foam on a board, usually removable. The fabric is the easy part and the foam underneath is the constra...
- Office chair A thin foam pad or a tensioned mesh over a plastic and metal mechanism, so the fabric is straightforward and the hardwa...
- Headboard Vertical upholstery next to a bed, where spills run downwards, buttons collect liquid and a lingering smell is directly...
- Footstool A small upholstered box that can be lifted and turned, which makes even treatment and checking underneath genuinely eas...
Walls and decor
- Washable painted wall A matt finish with a stain repellent surface, designed to be wiped, where abrasion rather than water is what destroys t...
- Matt emulsion A deliberately porous flat finish that lifts pigment and burnishes when wiped, so on standard matt the realistic repair...
- Silk emulsion A less porous sheen finish that genuinely wipes clean, where the visible fault is uneven sheen rather than lifted pigme...
- Gloss painted woodwork A hard non porous paint film that wipes clean, with mouldings and edges where liquid can get behind the film into the t...
- Wallpaper Printed paper over water activated paste, where moisture lifts seams, marks the face and cockles the surface, and vinyl...
- Vinyl wallpaper A washable vinyl face over water activated paste, so the surface tolerates cleaning and the seams still do not.
- Textured wallpaper Embossed paper where the relief crushes permanently under a wet cloth and the texture holds liquid where nothing reache...
- Artex ceiling Establish whether the textured coating contains asbestos before touching a mark. Leave uncertain or damaged coating int...
- Bare plaster A highly absorbent unsealed surface that cannot be washed, where the accepted repair is to dry it, seal the stain and p...
- Ceiling Identify the finish and substrate. A cured washable paint may allow a barely damp cloth after a hidden test; ordinary m...
- Radiator Radiator needs stain treatment matched to its exact composition, coating and tolerance for moisture, chemicals and abra...
- Coving Coving can be paper-faced gypsum, solid plaster, foam or timber. Identify both core and coating. Keep unpainted or dama...
- Picture frame Identify the finish before cleaning a frame. Gilding, gesso, exposed timber, painted mouldings and laminated board have...
- Mirror Treat the front glass separately from the backing, silvered edges and frame. Use a barely damp soft cloth on cool glass...
Wood and flooring
- Laminate flooring A hard sealed surface over a fibreboard core, where the mark is easy and the water used to remove it is the actual risk.
- Sealed wood A finish rather than a surface. Spills come off easily if you catch them, and become a refinishing job if the liquid ge...
- Luxury vinyl tile A printed vinyl plank under a clear wear layer that cannot be refinished, with joints that warp if moisture gets into t...
- Vinyl flooring An impermeable printed sheet with a wear layer and very few joints, where the seams and the room edges are the only rou...
- Solid oak Solid timber that moves with moisture and cups at a wetted joint, and that can be sanded and refinished, which most flo...
- Engineered wood A real wood wear layer on a stable core, where the face takes cleaning and the joints do not, and where steam is the us...
- Varnished wood Varnished Wood needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkalis...
- Oiled wood A finish that penetrates the timber rather than coating it, so it is repairable locally and is stripped by ordinary det...
- Waxed wood A soft surface film that marks white with water and is removed by detergent, so the method is minimal moisture followed...
- Painted wood A paint film that wipes clean, over timber that swells if liquid reaches it through any chip, crack or worn edge.
- Unfinished wood Raw timber with no protection at all, which absorbs instantly, raises its grain with water and can only be corrected by...
- Butcher block worktop Laminated hardwood staves finished with oil, where the oil provides the water resistance and cleaning removes it, so re...
- Pine A soft, absorbent timber, often lightly finished, with gaps between old boards that take a spill straight through to th...
- MDF Compressed wood fibre and glue that swells permanently when wet, protected only where it has been sealed, and replaced...
- Wood veneer A very thin slice of real wood on a board, where water at the glue line bubbles the veneer and where sanding goes strai...
- Parquet Small blocks in a pattern, so an unusually high proportion of joint, often bedded in an adhesive that releases when dam...
- Linoleum A natural linseed oil and wood flour floor on jute, which is damaged by both alkalis and acids, and which its maker res...
- Cork flooring A soft cellular material that absorbs and swells, protected entirely by a lacquer or wax seal that wears through in tra...
- Bamboo flooring A hard laminated grass milled into planks, as vulnerable at the joints as any wood floor and prone to visible colour ch...
- Skirting board Usually primed MDF, which swells if it gets too wet, sits where every spill collects, and must be dried rather than lef...
- Wooden decking Wooden Decking needs cleaning methods matched to its finish, construction and tolerance for water, heat, acids, alkalis...