The stains caused by ash can be quite dark, and spread easily if they are rubbed. Therefore, one of the most important things to remember about removing an ash stain is to rub as little as possible, because that will just spread the stain further.

Below are instructions for how to remove ash stains from fabric, clothing, upholstery and carpet.
Step 1: Shake off any excess ashes from the fabric, being careful not to spread the stain further or grind the ashes into the fabric.
Step 2: Run the fabric, inside out, under cold water to flush out as much of the ash as possible.
Step 3: Pretreat the stain with a laundry prewash stain remover.
Step 4: Launder in the hottest water the fabric will allow to get out the ash stain, and either chlorine bleach if the fabric will allow it, or color bleach if not.
Hint: Make sure the stain is gone after washing, but before you place in the dryer or you may set the stain. Repeat if necessary.
Step 5: If these steps do not work you can next try sponging the ash stained area with rubbing alcohol to remove the stain. Then, launder as normal.
Step 1: Brush off any excess ashes from the upholstery, being careful not to spread the stain further or grind the ashes into the upholstery.
Hint: You can also use a vacuum cleaner to help remove the ashes before you begin. For full instructions, see below in the carpet stain removal section.
Step 2: Mix a solution of two cups cool water and one tablespoon dishwashing liquid.
Step 3: Using this solution, sponge the stain from the ashes with a clean white cloth.
Step 4: Next, blot at the solution until the liquid is absorbed.
Step 5: Repeat steps 3-4 until the ashes stain is removed from the upholstery.
Step 6: Now that the stain is removed you should get plain cold water and a new white cloth and sponge the area to remove the cleaning solution, and then blot dry.
Hint: Be sure to get the upholstery only as wet as necessary to remove the stain for this ashes stain removal technique.
In the alternative for removing ashes stains from upholstery, instead of using the dishwashing solution you can use dry cleaning solvent.
You can also get more information on how to clean upholstery here.
For ashes stain removal from carpet use the dry cleaning solvent suggested above for upholstery.
Prior to using the dry cleaning solvent, however, vacuum up as much of the ashes as possible from the carpet.
If the ashes are damp you can absorb some of the liquid by sprinkling them before vacuuming with cornstarch or baking soda.
Are you a stain magnet like me? If so, check out the A to Z Stain Removal Guide which gives directions for how to remove over 100 types of stains from all kinds of surfaces.
Below are examples of the most common stains discussed in the Guide.
Photo by AlbieGirl

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CAUTION: This website is provided for informational purposes only, and Stain-Removal-101.com provides it as is, without warranties or guarantees. Some stains just won't come out, and are permanent. Further, some stain removal methods can harm your item, so if the stained item is sentimental or expensive call a professional. See disclaimer of liability for more information.
See the A-Z Stain Removal Guide for even more types of stains.
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