Tips for removing burn marks on carpets, upholstery, floors

If your carpet has a burn mark in plain sight, don't despair. A light burn or scorch mark can sometimes be completely removed by rubbing the affected area with steel wool, which will lift away the scorched fibres.

• Mix 5 ml (1 tsp) of laundry detergent powder in 125 mm (1/2 cup) of water and use an old toothbrush to rub this gently into the burn.
• Blot up any excess mixture and sponge again with a damp cloth.
• More of the stain can be removed by dabbing with a solution of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water.
• After cleaning, carefully snip away any remaining charred material with a sharp pair of nail scissors and then allow the area to dry thoroughly.
• Snip some pile from an unobtrusive area of your carpet or from around the edges.
• Fill the burn hole with craft glue and stick the threads of carpet in place. Trim to match the pile.
• A very large burn area may need to be cut out with a sharp exacto knife and replaced with a section of matching carpet — a good reason for keeping some extra pieces of carpeting when your carpet is laid.

• You'll have to cross your fingers. If the burn didn't completely penetrate the fabric, you might be able to disguise the scorch mark.
• Wet a paper towel with plain water and dab it on the burn. Be careful not to rub or you'll damage the fibres further.
• Blot with a dry paper towel.
• If that doesn't take most of the charred spot out, put a drop of mild liquid laundry detergent on a wet paper towel and blot the spot.
• Follow up by blotting with first a wet paper towel to remove the detergent and then with a dry paper towel to absorb the char stain itself.

There's a little more hope. If the burn isn't all the way through the wood, you might be able to remove enough of the burn to make it less noticeable.

• If the burn is small, use a cotton bud to apply a little mineral turpentine to it. If char remains, rub lightly with some superfine steel wool (0000). If your handiwork leaves a small indentation in the surface, fill it in with clear nail polish. You might need to apply several layers of nail polish to build up the surface until it is level and smooth.
• If the burn is primarily a scorch mark, you might find that a little bit of methylated spirits works a lot of magic. Put a little on a soft cloth and dab it on the scorched area. It will dry quickly, but wipe away any residual moisture. Repeat the process until you are satisfied.
• If you don't have methylated spirits on hand, sprinkle lots of dry baking soda on a wet sponge and then rub in small circular motions until the char disappears.
• If it's burned beyond a scorch but not too deeply into the surface, you might do a cosmetic fix using a thin paste of cigarette ash mixed with a little paraffin oil. With a soft cloth, gently rub in the direction of the grain. Do that twice, then follow up with coats of clear nail polish, as you would for a small burn or a scorch mark.