Professional Cleaners provide you with a small berry removal guide on what you should know while dealing with stains on the sofa.
Berries are a pleasure all year round: fresh from the bush in summer and deep-frozen in winter. Raspberries, blackberries or blueberries are versatile and healthy. They really only have one downside: they leave stubborn stains that do not often come out properly even when washed in the washing machine.
Red and other dark berries stain so stubbornly because they contain intensive color pigments and also tannic acid. The tannic acid in particular is problematic because it binds firmly to the fabric fibers when it dries and can only be removed with difficulty. Therefore, in order to thoroughly remove berry stains, you should react quickly!
Remove berry stains on the go with tap water or sparkling water
If you do not have a chance to pre-treat the berry stain with home remedies, at least rinse it out well. Cold tap water is suitable for this, or even better: mineral water. The tannic acid is dissolved from the fibers by the carbonic acid in the fizzy water. You prevent the stain from becoming irretrievably stuck after it has dried. Please do not rub the stain, just dab gently from the outside in. Otherwise, you could accidentally enlarge the stain.
Vinegar or lemon juice
The secret weapon of these two home remedies is called acid! It combats the intensive color of the fruit and makes it paler, so that the detergent only has to do half the work later. Simply rub the stain with a little vinegar or lemon juice and let it soak in.
Salt
If you cover the stain completely with a heap of salt, it sucks up the moisture like a sponge – and thus out of the fabric.
Sunlight
If, despite all your efforts, the stain is still visible after washing, we simply take advantage of the bleaching effect of the UV light: a few hours of direct sunlight brighten yellowish residues on the upholstery. The best effect is achieved if you lay it out in the midday sun while it is still damp from the laundry.