We spend so much time wearing our favorite clothes that it’s impossible that we don’t mess them up. Same is true for our sheets. Unfortunately, we also never see stains coming, but they seem to target only those clothes we really love. If you’re constantly a klutz and can’t do anything about it, don’t sigh in frustration just yet. Those seemingly impossible stains caused by red wine, blood, coffee, to name a few, aren’t so tough when you attack them from the right angle. We’ve got here some tips and tricks for quickly removing stains right off your fabrics.
Prevent Setting
The most important thing, no matter what kind of stain your clothes sustained, is to prevent it from setting. Setting here means formation of a chemical bond with the fabric in which it becomes more difficult to remove. To prevent permanent damage to your loved fabrics, follow these general guidelines:
- Treat any stain immediately with water, or with the proper solvent if it is available
- Avoid direct heat. Heat will dry up the stains and facilitate its setting. Do not place stained clothing near radiant heat sources, and try to only use room temperature or lukewarm solvents.
- Apply water or solvents gently, dabbing them onto the stain and letting them soak in.
Selecting the Right Solvent
Step 1 is now done. However, most common stains won’t be removed completely just by dabbing some water on them. The next step is to select the right solvent which, in turn, requires you to know three things:
- What will dissolve the stain in question
- What is safe to use on the cloth you’re working with
- How it is applied
If you know all of these three details that you should know, then it is safe to use that solvent. Read the instructions carefully and ask for help if needed. When in doubt, and you really don’t want to damage your fabric, we suggest bringing your clothes to a dry cleaner instead.
Homemade Solvents
Some people are scared to use solvents because of the possible damage it may have on your fabrics. So, for you guys, we’ve listed some “mild” homemade solvents for quickly removing stains.
- You can create a simple but powerful stain remover by combining lemon juice with cream of tartar.
- To remove spots of blood from clothing, use 3 percent hydrogen peroxide
- If grease spots are your problem, try sprinkling the spot with cornstarch, soak up for a few minutes, and then brush it away.
- If you get ink on a piece of clothing, try soaking the ink mark with rubbing alcohol and wiping it away with a clean, white cloth.
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