Removing Stains From Washable Fabrics

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It happens- you reach for your cup of coffee and just as you take that sip, it dribbles on your shirt. Maybe, your husband decided to change the oil in the car and when he walks in the door, you stop him and stare at the grease stains on his clothes. Then laundry day arrives, you begrudgingly collect your son’s clothes from his bedroom floor and as you prepare to wash them, you notice those tough to get rid of, set in grass stains.

It is best to treat the spill as quickly as possible to avoid them setting in. Some stains are harder to treat then others. Factor in fabric types, color of clothing, and what type of stain it is you need to treat. Here is a simple guide to pre-treating and removing stains with many common household items.

Fruit juices, coffee stains, tea, alcohol, soft drinks, and even rust can be treated with undiluted lemon juice. Pour enough juice on stain and rub in. Allow to sit for 30 minutes before washing. Wash according to fabric directions.

Protein stains can be troublesome, if not completely undesirable to treat. Stains such as chocolate, milk and vomit should be pretreated in 1 quart dishwashing detergent, with 1 Tablespoon of Ammonia added for approximately 30 minutes. Rinse well, and then wash as usual. To treat bloodstains, sprinkle meat tenderizer to completely cover the stain. Allow to sit an hour. Brush off tenderizer and wash as usual.

Grass Stains are cumbersome to deal with; they just take a little more time and attention. Begin by sponging a pre-wash cleaning agent on stains and then allow it to dry. Using nail polish remover, sponge over dried cleaning solvent, again allow to dry. Next, flush with pre-wash cleaning agent; with a wet sponge gently blot stain. Allow to dry and then wash as usual.

Red Ink, Perspiration and urine stains. Mix ½ teaspoon of dishwashing detergent, 1 Tablespoon of Ammonia in 1 quart of warm water. Soak fabrics in mix for an hour then rinse. Sponge with rubbing alcohol and rinse. Wash as usual.

Black or Blue Inks. Sponge with rubbing alcohol, allow to dry and then rinse. Mix ½ teaspoon of liquid dish detergent with 1 Tablespoon of Vinegar, into 1-quart bucket of warm water for an hour. Rinse and dry. Wash fabrics as usual.

Grease Stains. There are a few options you have in treating grease stains. The sooner you can get to them the better!

In a 1-quart bucket of warm water, mix ½ teaspoon dishwashing detergent, 1 Tablespoon vinegar and soak greasy fabric for an hour. Rinse and wash.

Another way to treat grease stains is to sprinkle some salt on the stain, rub it in and wash as usual. You can also apply some cornstarch to stain and allow to set for approximately 10 minutes, brush off and wash as usual.

Oil-based products such as cosmetics, paints, crayons. You will want to tend a paint stain before the stain sets. Using a pre-treating cleaning solvent, sponge the fabric and wash as soon as possible, as directed.

Red Wine. There are over-the-counter stain removers you can purchase to remove red wine stains, however, the most important thing to remember when dealing with this particular spill, is that it needs to be treated promptly. Sprinkle talcum powder, salt, or cornstarch on the spill, allow to dry and wash as usual.