I'm going to go ahead and admit that I'm not the greatest at getting stains out, particularly when it comes to clothing. But, now that I'm a mom and stains are pretty much an every day occurence, I've been trying to take the time to use the tips and tricks I've learned over the years. You know, in the interest of not having to replace all of my furnishings and clothes on a bi-annual basis. Here are some stain-busting tricks I've picked up along with the way, along with a few I'll be trying out soon.
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First a few general tips:
1. Always act fast. If you can avoid it, don't let the stain sit for any length of time.
2. Dab, don't rub. Generally speaking you should never rub a stain to get rid of it. Dabbing up any excess liquid is the way to go, so you're sure not to make the stain deeper.
3. Basic is better. Most stains don't require fancy products to remove. Things like vinegar, rubbing alcohol and dish detergent are often the best stain removers.
Grease/Oil: Dish detergent is made to cut grease, and it works like a charm when applied to oil or grease stained clothes and fabrics. Just dampen a clean cloth, add a bit of dish detergent, rub to form a lather and dab onto the stained item. I usually do this as soon as I notice the grease and then throw the item in the hamper. On laundry day, it's already been pre-treated and the stain is completely gone when it comes out the wash.
Gum/Wax: Rub an ice cube over the gum or wax and chip off with a blunt blade, like a fork or the top side of a butter knife. If there's a stain left where the gum or wax was once the bulk is removed, try the dish detergent method.
Ring around the collar: Shampoo cleans buildup that's caused by oils produced by the skin. The very same oils that cause that annoying dirty ring inside your collar. Apply the shampoo to the stained collar as a pre-treatment.
Wine/Coffee/Tea, etc.: I've successfully removed darkly colored stains from wine and coffee from rugs and carpets by first dabbing as much of the excess liquid as possible using paper towels, then applying either diluted vinegar or diluted liquid laundry detergent and dabbing it with fresh paper towels until the stain was gone. This works best immediately after the spill occurs, but I've also had some success with older stains. Use the same method to remove such stains from upholstery and clothing.
Permanent Marker/Ink: Soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and use it to wipe permanent marker or nearly any type of ink off of hard surfaces like tables, dishes, etc. For fabric stains, gently dab the soaked cotton ball on the stain. Use a fresh cotton ball as necessary. Because of their high alcohol contents, nail polish remover and hair spray will also work.
Unidentified substances: If your not quite sure where a particular stain came from or it's not one I've already discussed above, just remember apples to apples. If the stain is similar to one of the above, try the associated removal method. If you're truly stumped, my first course of action, would be vinegar or dish detergent. These two ingredients, will work wonders on most stains. I also like to use a paste made from the cleaning powder Borax on old stains, especially those on white or pale fabrics. Just apply the paste to the stain, let sit for about an hour, remove the dried paste and wash as usual.
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