| Stains |
Remedies |
| Baby Formula |
Soak in a laundry product
containing enzymes for at least 30 minutes (several hours
for aged stains). DO NOT USE HOT WATER as it will coagulate
the protein in the formula and make stain more difficult
to remove. If stain remains, soak an additional 30 minutes,
then re-wash. Follow product use instructions. Some laundry
detergents, such as Biz Bleach, contain enzymes. After soaking,
launder in warm water as usual. |
| Blood |
If it's a fresh stain, soak in cold
water. For a dried stain, soak in warm water with a enzyme
laundry cleaner; launder. |
| Candle Wax |
Scrape
off surface wax with dull knife. Place stain between clean
paper towels and press with a warm, dry iron setting.
Move paper towels frequently to absorb wax and avoid transferring
stains. Do not iron stains with colored candle wax. Heat
will drive the colored wax deeper into fabric yarns and
often permanently set the wax dye.
Instead, place stain area face down on clean paper towels.
Sponge stain area with nonflammable dry cleaning solvent
such as Energine. Let dry. Launder. If any color remains,
rewash using a bleach-safe detergent.
Another
idea for wax removal: Put the soiled fabric between two
paper grocery sacks, put a towel over the top grocery
sack and then apply a hot iron. This melts the wax, which
is then absorbed by the paper sacks. |
| Chewing Gum |
Apply ice or cold water to harden
residue. Scrape off excess with dull knife. Place stain
area face down on an absorbent paper towel or cloth. Sponge
with non- flammable dry cleaning solvent such as Energine.
Move stain area to different locations on absorbent material
as it picks up. |
| Chocolate and Cocoa |
As
with all stains, treat chocolate stains as soon as possible.
Soak in cold water. Rub detergent into stain while still
wet, then rinse thoroughly. Dry. If a greasy stain remains,
sponge with a safe cleaning fluid. Rinse. Soak in a solution
of cool water and an enzyme detergent. Launder in hottest
water safe for fabric. If stain remains, bleach with hydrogen
peroxide. Wet the stain with hydrogen peroxide and add a
drop or two of ammonia. Add more hydrogen peroxide and a
drop of ammonia as needed to keep stain moist. Do not bleach
longer than 15 minutes. Rinse with water and launder as
usual. (NOTE: Ammonia should not be used on washable silks
or wools). |
| Crayon |
Scrape
off surface wax with dull knife. Place stain between clean
paper towels and press with a warm, dry iron setting.
Move paper towels frequently to absorb wax and avoid transferring
stains. After removing as much stain as possible this
way, place stain area face down on clean paper towels.
Sponge stain area with nonflammable dry cleaning solvent
such as Energine. Let dry. Launder. If any color remains,
rewash using a bleach safe for fabric.
For a washer
or dryer load of crayon marked clothes, use in home dry
cleaning system or take the the professional cleaners.
For more
information about getting out crayons from clothes, check
out this link from the Crayola company http://www.crayola.com/canwehelp/staintips/stain.cfm
Or give them a call at 1-800- CRAYOLA. |
| Deodorants
and Antiperspirants |
For
light stains, pretreat with a liquid laundry detergent.
Launder. If heavy stain, pretreat with a laundry pretreater
and allow to stand for 5 to 10 minutes or soak in warm water
with presoak product for 15-30 minutes. Launder using an
oxygen bleach (color-safe bleach). |
| Egg |
Egg
is a protein stain which can be removed by soaking in cold
water before laundering. Cold water will soften stains when
fresh, but if they are old, then pre-soak in an enzyme detergent
before laundering. |
| Feces |
Soak
in an enzyme detergent or bleach. Launder with detergent
and bleach. |
| Grass |
Soak
stain for 30 minutes or overnight in a solution of water
and an enzyme detergent or bleach. Launder. If stain persists,
rewash using bleach. Avoid using heat and/or alkali products
such as ammonia and some degreaser products. They can set
the tannin and vegetable dye in grass stains. |
| Grease,
Vegetable or Cooking Oils |
If
light stain, use a pretreater. Launder using hottest water
safe for fabric. If heavy or old stain, place stain face
down on paper towel. Apply dry cleaning solvent such as
Energine to back of stain. Replace towels under stain frequently.
Let dry, rinse. Launder using hottest water safe for fabric. |
| Ink |
There
are quite a few products on the market for removing ink
stains (available at drug stores, fabric stores or department
stores or possibly office supply stores).
Some inks in each of the following types--ballpoint, felt
tip and liquid--may be impossible to remove. Laundering
may set some inks. Try one of the following:
laundry pretreater: spray on stain area; launder.
rubbing alcohol or dry cleaning solvent: First sponge
area around stain before applying directly to stain. Place
stain face down on paper towels. Apply alcohol or dry
cleaning solvent such as Energine to back of stained area.
Replace paper towels frequently. Rinse thoroughly and
launder.
Note: Some
people swear by hair spray as a means of taking out ink
stains. This is because most hair sprays contain alcohol.
The disadvantage of using hair spray is the lacquer from
the spray is deposited on the fabric and creates another
stain. |
| Lipstick |
Place
stain face down on paper towels. Sponge back of stain with
dry cleaning solvent (Energine). Move fabric to clean area
of towels frequently. Rinse. Rub liquid soap or light-duty
detergent in stain until outline is gone. Launder. |
| Mildew |
Remove
mildew spots as soon as you discover them. Don't give
mold growth a chance to weaken or rot the material. Brush
off any surface growth outdoors to prevent scattering
the mildew spores in the house. Sun and air fabrics thoroughly.
If mildew spots remain, treat washable articles as described
below.
Dry clean
non-washable articles.
Washable
articles: Pretreat stains. Launder in the hottest water
appropriate for the fabric. Use chlorine bleach if safe
for the fabric. If stain remains, sponge with hydrogen
peroxide (available at drug stores). Rinse and launder.
Upholstered Articles, Mattresses, and Rugs: Remove loose
mold from outer coverings of upholstered articles, mattresses,
rugs and carpets by brushing with a broom in the outdoors
to prevent scattering mildew spores in the house. If surface
is vacuumed, remove and dispose of the bag to avoid scattering
mold spores in the house.
Dry articles by using electric heater and fan to carry
away moist air. Sun and air articles to stop mold growth.
If mildew remains, sponge surface lightly with thick suds
of soap or detergent and wipe with a clean, damp cloth.
Get as little water on the fabric as possible. Another
way to remove mildew on upholstered furniture is to wipe
it with a cloth moistened with diluted alcohol (1 cup
denatured or rubbing alcohol to 1 cup water. Dry article
thoroughly.
Mildewed carpets and rugs should be thoroughly cleaned
and dried. Dry in sun if possible. Contact commercial
cleaning company for extreme cases. If mold has grown
into the inner part of an article, contact commercial
cleaner. The item may not be cleanable and will have to
be disposed of. |
| Mildew Removal from Painted Walls |
Scrub
with a solution of trisodium phosphate, a disinfectant,
or a solution of 1/2 cup bleach and 12 cup mild detergent
in a gallon of warm water. Dry thoroughly. Remove mildew
thoroughly before repainting. Check with local hardware
store. Some mildew resistant paints are available to use
in areas prone to mildew. |
| Mildew Removal from Basements |
Scrub
basement walls and floors with a disinfectant solution made
with products like pine oil, Pinesol or Lysol or use a solution
of chlorine bleach and water. Dry with heat and or ventilation. |
| Mildew Removal from Shower Curtains |
Launder
shower curtain on a gentle washer cycle. Add one to two
white or light colored bath towels to the load and one cup
chlorine bleach to the laundry water. Launder as usual.
To counteract the action of the bleach, add one cup vinegar
to the rinse water. |
| Mud |
Let
mud stains dry naturally before treating for stain removal.
When the mud is dry, brush or vacuum to remove as much of
the soil as possible. Then moisten the stain with water
and apply liquid laundry detergent or a paste made of powdered
detergent and water. Let stand for several minutes. Then
launder using warm water. Check the stained area when removed
from the washer. If a stain still remains, flush with rubbing
alcohol and rinse with clear water before drying. Final
traces of mud stains can be removed by laundering the garments
in water with an addition of chlorine bleach. Check garment
labels carefully to determine if the fabric and dyes will
tolerate chlorine bleach. |
| Mustard |
Hot
water and detergent can set mustard stains, so pretreat
before washing. Scrape off excess. Pretreat and launder
using a bleach safe for fabric.
Chlorine bleach is not recommended for colored clothing
because it will lighten the colors. Use an oxygen bleach,
such as Clorox 2, for colored garments. |
| Perspiration |
Use
a pretreater stain or rub with a bar of soap. If perspiration
has changed the color of the fabric, apply ammonia to fresh
stains, white vinegar to old stains and rinse. Launder with
hottest water safe for fabric. |
| Rust |
Soaking
the stain in lemon juice may remove light stains. If not,
use a commercial rust removal product such as Iron Out or
Whink. Follow package directions carefully. Launder as usual.
Soaking stains in chlorine bleach is not recommended. Bleach
tends to set rust stains in fabrics. |
| Scorched |
Badly
scorched fabric may be damaged beyond repair. Launder using
chlorine bleach, if safe for fabric, or soak in oxygen bleach
(safe for colored fabrics) and hot water; launder. |
| Skunk Odor |
Most
skunk odors call for more powerful cleaning agents. Check
with your local veterinarian, rodent control center or the
fish and wildlife office with your state's department of
conservation. They might carry products or know who locally
carries products to combat skunk odor. Some can be used
to clean clothing as well as dogs and people who have been
sprayed. Two possible brand name products are: "Skunk-Off"
and "Nil-Odor". |
| Urine |
Soak
in an enzyme detergent or bleach. Launder using bleach safe
for the fabric that's stained. Old urine stains and odors
may be impossible to remove. |
