Removing Food Stains
Stains left behind by food are some of the most frustrating because they usually arrive due to careless and clumsy actions. But, since there's no sense in crying over spilled milk - or ice cream, coffee or salsa - this section provides you with tips and tricks on how to remove food stains from just about anything.
Note: Always test an inconspicuous area for colourfastness, etc. before treating the exposed area. Also note that certain stains are permanent.
Butter
Butter stains can be removed by several methods. Remove the excess as quickly as possible. Make a paste of laundry powder and water, and work into the stain. Launder per care label instructions. Ammonia will also work well to clean grease stains such as butter, but be careful to insure that it is not going to bleach out the colour of a garment. Test on an unseen area, such as a seam allowance first.
Removing Chewing Gum from Clothing 
Chewing gum can be removed by first hardening the gum with an ice cube. Scrape off all that you can with a dull butter knife, rub the area with a good pre-treat enzyme product, and launder per care label instructions. Rubbing the spot gently with a liquid laundry detergent before wash is helpful in removing gum. In carpeting, the process is much the same. Remove any excess you can with a spoon or dull butter knife and place a baggie of ice on the gum stain to harden. Then, chip away the gum once it is hard, and dissolve any remaining gum with a carpet cleaning solution, and blot to remove the gum. Use a quarter teaspoon of a good dishwashing detergent to one cup of water, and blot the stain to remove any trace. Rinse well, and blot up excess with a clean white cloth.
Removing Chewing Gum from Shoes
First, you must decide whether you want to attempt to remove any of the gum before trying this handy method for gum removal. It's strictly a matter of choice and circumstance. If you aren't going to be able to get to this right away, and you still have places to go, then you may want to attempt to scrape as much off as possible. Simply use a dull knife to scrape off the gum or rub the sole of the shoe against a concrete sidewalk in an out of the way area.
Take the shoe with the gum and place it in a plastic grocery bag or large food storage bag. Press the area of the shoe with the gum onto the plastic of the bag. Clear an area in the freezer. Place the bag into the freezer with the shoe still inside. Allow the gum to freeze. This will require at least an hour if not two hours.
Once the gum is frozen, remove the shoe and the bag from the freezer. Pull the bag and the shoe apart from each other. The gum should stick to the bag and solve your dilemma.
Removing Chewing Gum from Shoes using a Spray
This solution for removing gum from your shoe requires that you either have this product already or that you purchase it. Take a can of WD-40 and spray the area of the shoe with the gum. Allow at least one minute to pass. Use a paper towel or rag to wipe away the gum and the oily spray from the shoe. Use a clean rag or paper towel to wipe the shoe a second time to remove any additional residue. Throw the rag or paper towels away.
Chocolate
Mix one teaspoon of a mild ph balanced detergent (a mild non alkaline non bleaching detergent) with a cup of lukewarm water and blot. Mix one tablespoon of household ammonia with half a cup of water. Repeat and sponge with clean water. Launder per care label instructions.
Cheese
Mix one teaspoon of a mild ph balanced detergent (a mild non alkaline non bleaching detergent) with a cup of lukewarm water and blot. Mix one tablespoon of household ammonia with half a cup of water and blot. Mix one teaspoon of mild detergent with a cup of lukewarm water and sponge with clean water. Launder per care label instructions.
Tomato Sauce 
Always make every effort to rinse a stain while still fresh. To remove tomato based sauce stains from clothing, quickly blot as much of the stain as possible from the garment. Do not attempt to rub in any fashion, as this only embeds the stain further. Run the stain under running water, doing so from the back side. This forces the stain back out through the fabric. Then, rub a little liquid detergent into the stain, being careful to do so gently. If the garment is white, you can use a bleaching agent such as hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar to further reduce the stain. Lemon juice is also known to work, too. Launder the garment per care label instructions. Be sure to check the stain before putting in the dryer. If the stain is still present, do not dry it - the dryer will set the stain further. If the stain is persistent, use a pre-treatment stick to remove. Carpeting can be cleaned by flushing the stain with cool water, blotting up excess with a motion from the centre of the stain to the outside. Pour a little lemon juice or rub with a slice of lemon to remove stain. (Be careful on wood!) Flush with cool water, and blot up excess. If the stain persists, use a wet spotter on the stain. Cover with an absorbent pad that is moistened with the wet spotter, and keep an eye on the stain. Keep the pad moist until the spotter has had a chance to eradicate the stain. Blot clean with cool water and a white cloth to remove residue.
Egg
Mix one teaspoon of a mild pH balanced detergent (a mild non alkaline non bleaching detergent) with a cup of lukewarm water and blot. Mix one tablespoon of household ammonia with half a cup of water and blot. Mix one teaspoon of mild detergent with a cup of lukewarm water and sponge with clean water. Launder per care label instructions.
Fruit
Blot up all liquid and mix one teaspoon of a mild pH balanced detergent (a mild non alkaline non bleaching detergent) with a cup of lukewarm water and rinse with white household vinegar. Sponge with clean water. If stain remains, blot with isopropyl alcohol. Launder per care label instructions.
Gravy
Gravy stains, as many sauce stains, can be removed by saturating the stain with a pre wash spray. Allow to penetrate, and launder per care label instructions. If the stain proves to be a tough one, rub with a heavy duty liquid detergent, and launder. To remove from carpeting, carefully scrape with a spoon to remove as much of the stain as possible. Apply a carpet stain remover, and apply an absorbent material such as cornmeal. Allow enough time for the absorbent to pick up the gravy. Remove the absorbent from the carpet pile.
Ice Cream
Mix one teaspoon of a mild pH balanced detergent (a mild non alkaline non bleaching detergent) with a cup of lukewarm water and blot. Mix one tablespoon of household ammonia with half a cup of water and blot. Mix one teaspoon of mild detergent with a cup of lukewarm water and sponge with clean water. Launder per care label instructions.
Salsa
Mix one teaspoon of a mild pH balanced detergent (a mild non alkaline non bleaching detergent) with a cup of lukewarm water and blot. Mix one tablespoon of household ammonia with half a cup of water and blot. Mix one teaspoon of mild detergent with a cup of lukewarm water and sponge with clean water. Launder per care label instructions.
Mustard
Condiment stains, can be removed by first blotting up the stain as quickly as possible. Then, sponge the stain with cool water, work a little liquid detergent into the stain gently with your fingers, and rinse in cool water. Apply a good stain remover, to the stained area, and launder per care label instructions. Never dry a garment in the dryer until you are sure the stain is fully removed. This will set the stain permanently, and it will never be completely removed. In carpeting, if the stain is fresh, using soda water very often removes the stain. Blot up the excess, being careful not to rub into the carpeting. Soak with soda water, and blot up excess, using a clean white cloth. Keep after it until the stain is gone. Window cleaner is also reported to remove many carpet stains from condiments, but be advised that window cleaner contains ammonia, and it may bleach out carpeting, leaving a spot more noticeable than the stain. Test on an area of carpeting where it will not be noticed.
Sweets 
Sweet stains can generally be removed by using a good pre-soak, and laundering in warm, sudsy water. Never dry any garment in the dryer before you insure the stain is gone, as the heat from the dryer will set the stain. If the stain persists after a general washing, pre-soak once again and add a few drops of ammonia to the pre-soak. Allow to soak for 30 minutes, and rinse with cool water. Then, soak the garment in a solution of one quart warm water to one tablespoon of white vinegar for about an hour, rinse well, and launder per care label instructions. Remove sweet stains from carpeting by scraping up the excess with a spoon, and sponge with warm water. Blot the stain with a white cloth until all evidence of the stain is gone. If the stain persists, use a wet spotter mixed with a little white vinegar, and let stand for as long as it takes to remove the stain. Rinse well with water to remove any trace of the cleanser, and blot until dry with an absorbent cloth.