08/01/2018

Barbecue Stains

If you receive an invitation to a barbecue, what do you think is on the menu?  Do you think of it as a verb?  “Hey it’s nice out.  I think we’ll barbecue (i.e. grill out) in the backyard.”  Or do you view the word barbecue as a noun?  Barbecue as pieces of meat either roasted or smoked and basted with a rich, tomato-based or vinegar-based sauce. 

In my world, barbecue is a noun, and when I receive an invitation to a barbecue, and they serve hamburgers, I feel misled.  My dad is the king of barbecue – that is barbecue ribs, smoked pork loin, and pulled pork.  And those dishes come with a delicious tomato-based sauce.  The only downside of those delicious dishes is the drippage, so here are some tips to help if you too have barbecue drippage issues:

• Check the care label to make sure the garment is machine washable.
• If it’s not machine washable, drop it off at one of our locations.
• If it is machine washable, run cold water from the inside of the garment to flush out most of the stain.
• Pre-treat the stain with either a pre-treating solution or some liquid laundry detergent, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
• Rinse and then launder according to the care label’s directions.
• Check the garment before placing it in the dryer to make sure the stain has been removed. 
• If it has, proceed with drying the garment.
• If it has not, don’t place it in the dryer.  Doing so could cause the stain to become permanent.  Instead, either attempt another removal/wash round or take it to a professional.  Too many attempts could cause the color to pull from the fabric.

Now head back out there and enjoy what’s left of barbecue season, and let us know if you have any questions or needs when it comes to providing the best care for your clothes.