Stain Removal Tips

Prevent Spills From Becoming Permanent Stains With These Tips

You’re likely to experience more spills and stains on your clothing during the holiday season because of the number of festive parties you attend between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Here are some general tips for treating spills the moment they occur and more tips for treating specific substances to prevent them from becoming permanent stains.

General Tips:

• Blot, never rub, a spill. By rubbing, you are forcing the substance deeper into the fibers and making the stain larger.
   
• Purchase several stain remover pens (such as Tide, Clorox for colors, and Dryel) and carry at least one with you everywhere you go. These conveniently fit in your pocket, purse, suit jacket, and the glove compartment of your car.
   
• Launder the stained garment as soon as possible or at least soak it in water until it can be laundered.
   

Specific Tips for Pre-Treating and Laundering Fabric Stained with:

• Beverages (fruit/juices, coffee, tea, soft drinks, wine, alcoholic beverages), Chocolate & Dairy Products
  • Sponge or soak the stain in cool water. If you’re at a party and can’t locate a stain stick, blot the stain with Club Soda.
  • Pretreat the garment with prewash stain remover (Shout, Resolve, Biz), liquid laundry detergent, and liquid detergent booster (Oxy-Clean MaxForce Laundry Stain Remover), then wash according to the directions on the garment label. If you don’t have liquid detergent make a paste of powdered laundry product and a few drops of water. Again, blot don’t rub the stain.
  • Check the garment label to determine which type of bleach to use: either color safe bleach or sodium hypochlorite bleach (Clorox).
     

NOTE: Older stains may respond to pretreating or soaking in a product containing enzymes (Oxy-Clean MaxForce Laundry Stain Remover), then laundering.

• Candle wax
  • Gently scrape wax off the surface of the fabric with a dull knife (the dull side of a dinner knife is good).
    Place the stained area between two clean paper towels or old dish cloths and press with a warm iron. Move or replace the towels frequently to absorb more wax and to avoid transferring stains.
  • Dyes used in candles are similar to dyes used in cosmetics. Wet the stain and rub it with a bar soap treatment such as Fels Naptha.
  • Launder according to the directions on the fabric label.

• Cosmetics
  • Pretreat the garment with prewash stain remover (Shout, Resolve, Biz), liquid laundry detergent, a paste made of powder detergent and water. Or, wet the stain and rub with a bar soap treatment such as Fels Naptha.
  • Launder according to the directions on the fabric or garment label.

• Oil/Grease (Gravy, butter, salad dressing, hand lotion)
  • Liberally sprinkle cornstarch on the stain and leave for several hours to allow the cornstarch to absorb the oil. Do not rub the cornstarch into the stain.
  • Brush away the cornstarch.
  • If a slight stain still persists, treat the stain with Fels Naptha.
  • Launder according to the garment label directions.
     

For deep stains, you can always depend on A Cleaner World to handle your toughest laundry problems. We’re experts in stain removal and are Certified Sanitone Master Drycleaners. Contact us or stop by one of our nearby locations to keep your clothes looking new and smelling fresh.