Getting Rid Of Stains
Great article by Kelly Machbitz of Tampa Florida.
There’s nothing worse than pulling one of your favorite garments out of the wash to see a stain that seems to have appeared out of nowhere. Don’t think about throwing it out until you try one of these unexpected –but highly successful– home remedies. Before you do, however, be sure to test first on an area that won’t be visible, such as on the inside of a hem.
Coffee Stains: Saturate the stain with white vinegar (the same ingredient you clean out your coffee maker with) and let sit for 30 to 60 minutes. Then launder garment as usual.
Felt-tip Pen or Marker Stains: Apply rubbing alcohol to stain and let sit 10 to 15 minutes. Launder as usual.
Fruit or Vegetable Stains: Moisten the stain with lukewarm water and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt, let sit for 15 minutes, then rinse. If the stain is still visible, apply rubbing aclohol or white vinegar and let sit for 30 to 60 minutes. Launder garment as usual.
Grass Stains: First saturate stain with rubbing alcohol and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse and apply a small amount of liquid dish soap and scrub gently with a tooth brush or washcloth. Launder as usual.
Ink Stains: Apply glycerin to stain and rub well with a soft wash cloth or tooth brush. Let sit for 15 minutes. Launder garment as usual.
Makeup Stains: Saturate stain with hairspray. Rinse with vinegar, then launder as usual. For lipstick stains, try saturating stain with rubbing alcohol. Then launder garment as usual.
Oil/Salad Dressing Stains: Rub stain with good old fashioned cornstarch to absorb oil. Then saturate stain with a liquid laundry detergent and launder in warmest water possible (check garment care label).
Red Wine Stains: You might have heard the method of using white wine to remove red wine stains. This works well, but vinegar (a much cheaper solution) usually works just as well. Saturate stain with vinegar, then apply a generous amount of salt. Let set several minutes, then rinse with vodka (yes, more alcohol!), and launder as usual.
Tea Stains: Ever wonder why they always serve lemon wedges with tea? In addition to tasting great in the beverage, it happens to be a great antidote to tea stains. Apply lemon juice to stain, then launder as usual.
If you are concerned about doing it yourself, take the item to your local dry cleaning professional – one that comes highly recommended. Be sure to advise them what the cause of the stain was, how long it has been there, and the methods you tried to remove it. By arming them with all the information, you have the best chance of getting your garment back stain-free.
