Write down what happened and the actual instructions for the item, keeping what you observed apart from what you do not know, so you can ask the maker or a specialist instead of trying product after product.
How to use this sheet
- Print the card or copy it onto paper, one card per item or per mark.
- In the Observed column, write only what you saw, read or did. Copy care-label wording exactly as printed.
- In the Unknown column, write what you are unsure of. Write 'unknown' rather than guessing a material, cause or product.
- List every product already applied, with its name as printed on its container and the order, if you recall it.
- Fill in the questions at the end. Decide whom each one is for: the maker of the item, the maker of a product used, or a specialist.
- Keep the card with your own papers and hand it over when you ask. This page does not collect or receive anything.
Handover card
Use plain words. Describe the room generally (for example 'living room'). Do not write your address, names of household members or any health details on this card.
On a small screen, scroll the table horizontally. Use the PDF for handwritten notes.
| Field | Observed (seen, read or done) | Unknown or not sure |
|---|---|---|
| Item (type of item; general location such as 'living room') | ____ | ____ |
| Material, as stated by a label, document or the maker (or 'unknown') | ____ | ____ |
| Care-label wording, copied exactly, and which part of the item the label seems to describe (or 'no label found') | ____ | ____ |
| Spill or mark (colour, approximate size and position on the item; put any suspected cause and uncertainty in the Unknown column) | ____ | ____ |
| Time noticed (date and time if known; otherwise 'unknown') | ____ | ____ |
| Treatments so far (blotted, anything applied, anything walked or sat on it; product names as printed, in order if you recall) | ____ | ____ |
| Product directions (whether you read the product's own directions; whether they appear to match or conflict with the care label) | ____ | ____ |
| Changes noticed (colour on the cloth, spreading, change in texture or colour, odour you can still notice, whether the mark has reappeared and where; observations only) | ____ | ____ |
| Dates the changes were seen | ____ | ____ |
Questions to take to the maker or a specialist
Write each question in your own words, and note whom it is for and the date you asked.
- For the maker of the item or material
What do your instructions permit for this item and this kind of mark? Does the label I copied cover the whole item or only a part of it?
- For the maker of any product already used
Do your directions cover this material? What do they say about rinsing and drying?
- For a specialist
How would you identify the material? What would you need to see first? What should I avoid doing in the meantime?
- Other question
Anything on the card you could not fill in and want answered.
- Reply received (who, when, written or spoken)
Keep the reply with this card.
What this card does not do
It gives no cleaning method and does not say what will remove a mark or what has caused one. A mark that keeps returning is recorded as an observation only, without a cause.
Neither the care label nor a product's directions authorises the other. Write down both, and note anything missing or conflicting before any further product is applied. Instructions for carpet do not carry over to upholstery, and leather needs its own instructions from the maker or supplier. See the spot and stain chart for the carpet stop points and caring for upholstered furniture for reading an upholstery care tag.
Choose a product suitable for the actual surface, follow its label, and do not mix cleaning products or chemicals. For a spill involving body fluids, or when safe handling is uncertain, ask an appropriate professional rather than relying on this card.
Before you hand the card on
- Label wording is copied exactly, or 'no label found' is written.
- Every product already applied is listed by its printed name.
- Observed and Unknown columns are not mixed.
- No address, household names or health details are on the card.
- Each question has a named recipient.
- The card, any receipts or paperwork for the item and any photographs you took are kept together with your own papers.
Questions about using this sheet
I do not know what the material is. What do I write?
Write 'unknown' in the material row and record where you looked for a label and whether you found one. Add any purchase paperwork or maker name you have. Do not guess the fibre. Ask the supplier or maker how the material can be identified, and note their reply on the card.
Should I wait to fill in the card before doing anything else?
The card does not tell you what to apply, so it does not replace the care label, the maker's instructions or any product's directions. Fill in what you can without delaying whatever the label directs. If the label and a product's directions disagree, or you cannot tell what is permitted, record that and ask before applying anything further.
Sources and scope
The card is a record for asking questions. It gives no stain-removal, chemical, heat, solvent or pet-deterrent method.
It does not diagnose the cause of a mark, the condition of any backing or any health outcome.
The CDC reference is US public-health guidance and does not approve any product for any textile.
The maker's instructions for the actual item and the directions for any actual product govern what may be applied.
This is a personal paper worksheet. It collects, uploads and sends nothing, and it is not cleaning, inspection, emergency or clinical help.