Have a stubborn stain that won’t come out? We have collected some of our best tips for getting the toughest stains out of your clothes. In general, make sure you follow the instructions for laundering items. When cleaning colored items, test a small section to make sure the color will stay before providing a broader treatment. And if the item is dry clean only, let your local dry cleaner take care of it.
Ink stains
Place the stain face down on white paper towels. Sponge with rubbing or denatured alcohol or aerosol hair spray. For more magic marker or felt tip pen ink, try flushing with cold water until pigments are removed; then rub liquid detergent into the stain. Rinse and repeat the process until most of the stain is removed. Then add 1-4 tablespoons of household ammonia (per quart of water) to warm sudsy water. Soak the garment for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly, then launder in warm water. DO NOT mix with chlorine bleach.
Coffee and Tea
Flush the stain with cold water. Then mix together warm water, dish soap, and white vinegar, and use a clean white cloth to blot the stain with the solution. Then launder according to the garment instructions.
Wine stains
Flush the stain with cold water. Then mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide and a blue dish soap like Dawn. Apply to the stain and launder according to garment instructions.
BBQ Sauce
Pretreat the BBQ sauce stains with lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes. Tamp the stains with a small brush or toothbrush and rinse the stained clothing with water. Rub the stained area with laundry detergent.
Oil and grease stains
First soak up as much of the grease as you can with a powder, such as baking soda, baby powder, or cornstarch. Then apply a dish soap meant for handling grease and launder.
Grass stains
Don’t rub grass stains on clothing. It can cause the stain to spread. Pre-treat the grass stains by applying a stain remover or a small amount of liquid detergent. If the clothing is white, wash it with chlorine bleach and laundry detergent. If the clothing is colored, soak it in a solution of water, oxygen bleach, and laundry detergent, then gently dab the stained area. Wash the clothing with laundry detergent and oxygen bleach.
Pet stains
Rinse with cold water. Pretreat with a detergent that contains enzymes, then soak in cold water and Persil® for 30 minutes. Launder Persil® detergent in the hottest water recommended by the garment.
Cosmetic stains
Remove non-oily makeup stains, like eyeshadow and blush, by lightly brushing the powder off of the clothing. Next blot the spot with a damp cloth or a baby wipe. Rinse in cool water, pretreat and wash. For oily makeup stains, lightly blot until the stain is removed. Pretreat and launder as usual after the stain is removed. Because drying will set the stain, DO NOT DRY until it is out. For any shades of lipstick that make it onto your clothing, place the stain face down on clean paper towels. Sponge the area with a small amount of detergent and replace towels frequently. Then rub detergent into the stain until the outline of the stain is removed; launder as usual. If the stain remains, repeat.
Our favorite item in the stain removal arsenal is a high-quality detergent like Persil (original German formula!). Many clients have been amazed at its ability to remove stains, even stubborn ones that stay through several washes with other detergents. Come in or call us today to see how you can start cleaning with the power of Persil!