General Guidelines for Stain Removal
by Merciful on Oct 07, 2009 with 0 Comments
I was embarrassed when a friend showed me a stain on my dress. Remove stains easily and stop being embarrassed.
1) Stain should be removed as soon as they occur. If they are left to set in the fabric, they become much more difficult to remove.
2) Do not rub the stain into the fabric. Bolt off as much of it as you can, using a clean cloth.
3) Consider the type of fabric before choosing a stain-removing agent and method.
4) Always start with mild treatments and work up to the more drastic ones.
5) When you are not sure whether a garment is dye can withstand a particular stain remover, try it out first in some hidden or inconspicuous part such as the edge of an inside seam or hem line.
6) After a stain has been removed, wash out every trace of the chemical used; otherwise, that spot will be damaged.
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General Methods for Removing Stains
1. Removal of Absorbed Stains: These penetrate the fabric. The following steps should be followed in their removal:
(i) Place a pad of clean, absorbent fabric under the stained area.
(ii) Use another clean pad containing the right stain-removing agent and work from the outside edge of the stain towards the centre. This drives the stain off rather than into the fabric.
(iii) Wash the stained area thoroughly and rinse well with clean water.
2. Removal of Built-up and Compound stains: With these stains, there will be some residue on the surface of the fabric.
Procedure
(i) Place the clean absorbent pad on the stain.
(ii) Use another pad containing a suitable remover and work from the back of the fabric. This procedure drives the stain off rather than into the fabric.
|
Stain |
Treatment |
|
Animal (protein) Stains, e.g. eggs, milk, etc. |
Rinse with cold water, soak for 30minutes in cold salt water (2 teaspoons of common salt to 1 litre of water). Watch thoroughly. |
|
Blood |
For fresh stain, soak in cold water. If stain is old and set, soak in enzyme detergent in warm water. |
|
Coffee and Tea |
If milk is present, soak in warm water. Otherwise, for white articles, wash with ordinary detergent at as high a temperature as possible. If article is coloured, soak in an enzyme detergent, then rub in a little glycerine and leave for 10-15minutes. Re-wash the article thoroughly. |
|
Chocolate |
Remove any deposit of surface of the cloth and wash in as hot water as the garment will stand. If any stain remains, rub in glycerine and re-wash. |
|
Ball-point pen ink (Biro) |
Apply methylated spirit with clean cotton wool. The wash thoroughly. |
|
Crayon |
Treat from back of the fabric with methylated spirit. |
|
Perspiration |
If it is fresh, wash immediately according to fabric. For older Stain: treat with solution of ammonia. Then use hydrogen peroxide to remove any remaining stain. For coloured fabrics, first try the ammonia on an inconspicuous part of the material to see whether the dye is affected by the remover. |
|
Ice-Cream |
Rub in a little detergent and rinse. If there is any grease stain remaining, use methylated spirit, then wash in as hot water as the fabric can stand. |
|
Ink |
If it is fresh, run cold water through stain. Take care not to spread it too far. For while cotton or linen, rub over the stain with a little milk or a lemon until stain is removed. Wash, boil, and bleach, if necessary. For Coloured fabrics, do not bleach. Rub a halved fresh tomato over the stain. Leave for about 30 minutes, then wash the fabric according to type. |
|
Iron Mould (Rust) |
For light, fresh rust, spread salt on it and squeeze lime or lemon juice on it and leave for fifteen minutes. Rinse and wash off. This can be repeated (done twice) for stain to be completely removed. For heavy old stain, treat with commercial rust remover. Follow the instructions on the container as it may not be safe for all fabrics. Wash and rinse thoroughly after treatment. |
|
Lipstick |
Work from the back of fabric, with a clean pad, using carbon tetrachloride or methylated spirit. Wash and rinse thoroughly. |
|
Mildew |
For white cotton or linen articles; give a mild bleach treatment and wash thoroughly. Repeat the treatment if necessary. For coloured articles, treat with hydrogen peroxide after testing to see that the colours are not affected. Wash and rinse thoroughly. |
|
Nail Varnish |
Scrape off excess polish on the surface. Place a clean absorbent pad on the stain and work with nail polish remover from the back of the fabric. Wash with warm water and soap. Rinse thoroughly. Do not use nail polish remover on acetate or tricel fabrics, as they will be damaged. |
|
Paint |
For emulsion paint; if stain is fresh, rinse in cold water. Continue working the stain until it is flushed out. For oil paint, rub in turpentine. Work the stain from the back of the fabric until it softens. Then rinse without solvent. Wash and rinse thoroughly. |
|
Palm Oil |
For a thick stain, scrape off excess. Wash with good detergent and warm water. If stain still remains, apply kerosene. Leave for some time and wash thoroughly. |
|
Grease or Oil |
Scrape off as much as possible. Rub in turpentine. Rinse thoroughly with solvent. Then wash the article in water that is as hot as the article can stand. |
|
Grass |
If fresh, wash quickly with soap and water. Rinse thoroughly. If dry, apply methylated spirit, then wash thoroughly and rinse. |
|
Shoe polish |
Rub with turpentine and wash thoroughly. |
|
Beer |
Rinse in cold water and wash. If any stain remains on a white garment, give a light bleach treatment and wash again. |
|
Tar |
If fresh, scrape off excess. Then put a clear pad over the stain and apply kerosene from the wrong side of the fabric. Leave for more than five minutes. Rub over gently and wash in hot soapy water. If dry, soak the stain in kerosene for about one hour. Scrape off the surface layer. Then treat as for fresh tar. |
|
Scorch |
An ordinary washing will remove a certain amount of the stain. If stain remains after washing, rub in glycerine and allow to soak for 15-30minutes, then wash thoroughly. Light bleach treatment with hydrogen peroxide may be necessary. Very heavy scorch will damage the fibre and has no remedy. |
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