Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Preparing to remove the stain
• Method 2 of 4: Removing water-based stains
• Method 3 of 4: Removing the Oil Stain
• Method 4 of 4: Removing blood stains
• Tips

Have you spilled coffee on the pages of the tutorial? Have you put important documents on the dirty kitchen table and have greasy stains on them? Or did you accidentally cut your finger on a page in a library book and a drop of blood got on it? Do not panic! This article will show you how to remove stains from paper without damaging it.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Preparing to remove the stain

1. 1 Act quickly. This is the most important tip in this article.The sooner you start getting rid of the stain, the better the end result will be. Stains that remain on the paper for a long time are absorbed into it more and are not easy to remove.
   • If a stain appears and has dried on a valuable document or page of an expensive book, don't worry, you can still remove it! However, this will not be so easy, especially for those who have no experience in removing stains from paper. If you can't get rid of the stains with the tips in this article, see a professional.
2. 2 Estimate the amount of damage. Can a book or document be saved? You can remove a stain only if it is located on a small section of the page. You can easily remove a stain from a few drops of tea, but you are unlikely to be able to fix anything if you spill a whole teapot on the paperback book.
3. 3 Determine which stain you have. Check the stain before taking any action. You will only be able to remove a stain if you know which substance is causing the stain. In this article, you will find tips on how to get rid of the three most common types of stains:
   • Water-based stains. Such spots appear most often. Typically, stains are caused by spilled coffee, tea and other beverages. These liquids act like a dye that leaves a colored stain after drying.
   • Oil or grease stains. These stains are caused by grease or oil on the paper. Typically, this stain can appear during cooking. Unfortunately, this stain is much more difficult to remove than water-based stains, as grease and paper leave behind oily transparent stains.
   • Blood stains. Blood very often gets on the pages of the book. This can happen as a result of a nosebleed or a cut. Since blood is a liquid substance, do your best when removing the stain so that there is no yellow mark left afterwards.

Method 2 of 4: Removing water-based stains

1. 1 Blot any liquid that has spilled on the pages of a book or document with a dry paper towel. Fold the napkin in several layers and carefully blot any liquid that has spilled onto the paper. If your napkin gets too wet, take a dry one. Blot the liquid thoroughly, while being careful not to spread the wet spot. Lightly press down on the tissue while blotting the water to avoid damaging the paper.
2. 2 Wipe dry the waterproof surface and place the stained sheet on it. You must be absolutely sure that the work surface is completely clean! Otherwise, you will have another stain. Place clean, waterproof items on the corners of the page. This is to prevent the paper from wrinkling.
3. 3 Lightly dampen a clean paper towel and blot the stain thoroughly again. Do this until the stain is colorless. If the stain is still wet, you can easily make it colorless using this method. If you are unable to remove the stain, proceed to the next step.
4. 4 Prepare a vinegar solution. Take a bowl and mix half a glass of white vinegar with half a glass of water in it. Be careful, as some types of vinegar stain the paper. Therefore, only use clear vinegar. Be careful not to spoil the paper further.
5. 5 Soak a cotton ball in the vinegar solution and gently rub a small word on the paper with it. See if ink is removed from the page. In some cases, a vinegar solution can remove ink. Therefore, be very careful. Select the most inconspicuous part on the page and rub it with a cotton ball dipped in vinegar.
   • If you notice that the ink disappears after you blot the page with a cotton ball dipped in vinegar, you should not use this method, as you can completely ruin the document or book.
   • If the cotton ball stays clean after you wipe it over the floor, proceed to the next step.
6. 6 Blot the stain with a cotton swab dipped in vinegar. The vinegar solution will make the stain colorless. If the stain is large or dark, you may need to repeat the entire process using a clean cotton ball. If you use a clean cotton ball, you won't damage a book page or document any more.
7. 7 Blot the stain with a dry paper towel. Wait for the paper to air dry. If the stain was on one of the pages of a book, leave the book open to that page. Place paper towels on both sides of the page where the stain was previously.

Method 3 of 4: Removing the Oil Stain

1. 1 Blot excess oil with a paper towel. Do this as quickly as possible. Greasy stains do not absorb as quickly into the paper as water-based stains. Wash your hands thoroughly before moving on to the next step. Your hands should not be greasy.
2. 2 Fold the paper towel so it is larger than the stain. Also, fold it in several layers. Place the towel on a clean, hard surface. Check the surface again for cleanliness. If it has oil on it, you can add more stains. Suitable surfaces would be a kitchen countertop, glass table, or metal workbench. Do not use a wooden table for this purpose.
3. 3 Place a paper towel under the stained page. Make sure the stain is over the paper towel. It is best if you position the paper towel so that it protrudes two centimeters from the edge of the stain. This should be done in case the stain gets bigger.
4. 4 Fold a second paper towel and place it over the stain. As with the first paper towel, make sure the second one is also folded in several layers. Also make sure the paper towel protrudes two centimeters from the edge of the stain. It is important to do this to prevent oil from getting on the object that will be described in the next step.
5. 5 Place a heavy book on top of a second paper towel. Use a hardcover textbook or dictionary. Any other heavy and flat object can be used instead of a book. If the stain is inside a book, place paper towels, close the book, and place the second book on top.
6. 6 Remove the book after a few days. You may not even notice a trace of the stain. If the stain persists, replace the paper towels and place the book on top again and leave it overnight. If the stain still persists, proceed to the next step.
7. 7 Sprinkle baking soda on the paper to cover the stain completely and leave it there overnight. The stain should be covered with a thick layer of baking soda. The sheet of paper should not be visible under the thick layer of baking soda. You can also use other absorbent bulk materials.
8. 8 Remove the baking soda and assess the condition of the sheet of paper. Repeat the process mentioned in this and the previous steps several times until the stain is completely gone. If you still cannot achieve the desired result, seek professional help. However, keep in mind that such services are very expensive.

Method 4 of 4: Removing blood stains

1. 1 Blot the blood stains with a cotton swab or paper towel. If the stains are caused by the blood of a stranger, be careful. Wear gloves when removing stains. Some pathogenic bacteria in the blood can be dangerous, even outside the human body. Therefore, be extremely careful. After you remove the stain, discard any items you used to remove it.
2. 2 Dampen a cotton ball with cold water and wipe the stain thoroughly. If possible, chill the water using ice cubes. Never use warm or hot water if you need to remove blood stains! Otherwise, the stain will be absorbed even more into the paper, and you will not be able to remove it.
3. 3 Blot the damp spot with a dry cotton ball. Do this very carefully until the stain is completely dry. Do not rub the stain when it is dry. Otherwise, you may damage the paper.
4. 4 Repeat the process described in steps 2 and 3 until you have completely removed the blood stain. You will most likely have to do this several times. If the stain is fresh, you probably won't need further action. If the stain still remains, proceed to the next step.
5. 5 Purchase a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. Repeat steps 2 and 3 using hydrogen peroxide instead of water. Repeat the process several times as necessary. Do not use bleach to remove blood stains! Otherwise unsightly yellow spots may remain.

Tips

• Be extremely careful when trying to remove the stain! Blot the paper, do not rub it. Otherwise, you can ruin the paper and make the stain look even worse.