Guide for Removing Stains and Spots

“Out, darn spot! Out, I say!”

With different people in the home and varying ages, stains are bound to end up on their clothing.

Maybe you were visiting with an old friend talking about old times over coffee, had a good chuckle and accidentally spilled some on your clothes.

Luckily, there are a lot of solutions to help you remove stains and not have a closet full of harsh chemicals to clean them. Look no further than you own cupboards.

Removing Greasy Stains:

There’s nothing worse than thinking a commercial detergent is going to get out a greasy stain, only to end up with a dark circle setting into your favorite shirt and ruining it.

If you act quickly, you can get the stain out immediately without ever leaving your kitchen.

As soon as it happens, cover the stain with salt to absorb the grease. After a few minutes, if the stain is still there, dab the stain with a clean cloth soaked in straight white vinegar.

Use a paper towel or clean cloth towel to place under the stain to avoid transferring the grease stain elsewhere on the shirt.

Red Wine Stains:

Why does it always seem when we wear white, we slop? You had company over for dinner and spilled red wine on your blouse, never fails, white is like a magnet for dirt and spills. Luckily, there are some items in your kitchen that can save an outfit from red wine.

As soon as the spill happens, go change your shirt then sprinkle baking soda over the stain. Now stretch the stained cloth over a bowl and pour boiling water through the stain.

Another solution is to immediately soak the stain in water, then form a pouch with the stained area of cloth and pour in some cream of tartar. Spin the area of the cloth to seal in the cream of tartar and let soak again. Rinse off the cream of tartar and dip in and out of hot water, then wash as usual.

Coffee and Tea Stains:

If you catch a coffee or tea stain quick enough, usually rinsing the stain with cold water can prevent any permanent damage.

But sometimes you just can’t get to a stain quick enough, like when you spill some coffee on your shirt during an important business meeting, your boss probably won’t take too kindly to you running to the bathroom to clean the stain.

For set-in coffee and tea stains, use a solution of two parts water to one part vinegar. Soak the stain in this solution and let it dry in the sun.

Ink Stains:

Ink stains almost seem to be a fact of life. I usually end up with ink stains on my sleeves by leaving an uncapped pen in front of me at my desk and leaning my arm against it.

• For white fabrics, spread a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar on the stain and let the garment sit out in the sun, then launder as usual.
• The same combination can be used for color garments, but check for colorfastness on the inside first. Let soak for 20 minutes, than rinse and launder.

In a pinch, club soda will prevent the ink stain from setting.

Grass Stains:

Treat the stain with a mixture of water and rubbing alcohol; wet the grass stain then pour on some rubbing alcohol.

Let sit as you would with any pre-treatment product and wash as usual. Don’t put the clothing in the dryer until you’ve checked to see if the stain is gone.

Staining a garment does not mean it’s ruined. And remember, running to your kitchen can clean a stain just as well as running to the commercial chemicals.