Laundry Stains 101

Last week we had a wonderful activity where we tied quilts and learned about making our Sunday's Simpler.  One of the mini-classes was taught by Sister Jill from the Wilford 2nd Ward on getting our laundry clean (before Sunday of course!).  Here are her hints:

The Golden Rules:

• Act Quickly
• For a liquid:  
• gently blot up any excess with a white cloth or cotton swab
• work from the outside in so that you don't spread the stain further
• do NOT press hard or rub
• Sprinkle oily stains with an absorbent
• If it is a dollop of something (like ketchup or salsa):
• scoop off any excess, again from the outside in to avoid spreading the stain further
• dab the area with cold water, which will lighten most spots and remove some altogether

Disclaimer:
There is no single technique or product that takes care of every spot and spill.  If a garment isn't washable, the safest thing is to take it to a dry clean; Show them the stain and tell them what it is (if you know).  If you want to make sure these treatments don't do more harm than good, test the technique in a hidden area (such as the inseam) before you attempt to slay the dragon.

Your Basic Tool Kit Consists of:

• Your instruments:
• cotton swabs (ideal for dabbing)
• an eyedropper
• a plastic ice cream sample spoon
• Combination solvents (such as Shout or Spray N' Wash) particularly good on greasy stains on washables.
• Oil solvents a.k.a. dry cleaning fluid (such as K2R or Afta) are for greasy stains on nonwashables.  Use only on dry fabric, in a well-ventilated area.  Air clothes after treatment.
• Salt when mixed with water works as a pre-soak treatment for blood stains.
• Digestants (my personal favorite is Wisk, but you can use Biz, Era Plus and the like).  These are enzyme cleaners that eat protein stains like grass, blood and egg yolk.  Apply directly to damp fabric, or dilute in water and then soak clothes.  ALWAYS use cold water when treating blood stains.  Wool and silk are proteins, so digestants should never be used on these fibers.
• Absorbents (e.g. cornstartch, talcum powder, Gold Bond powder)  When faced with a grease stain, gently heap the absorbent onto the stain, wait about a half hour, then invert the fabric so that the heap falls off without spreading.  Then you treat the stain.
• Detergent (e.g. any mild, clear liquid dishwashing detergent - the key word here being CLEAR)  This is an effective all-purpose cleaner.  Apply it straight, wait 5 to 10 minutes, then flush or dab with water.
• Denatured Alcohol (from the hardware store) Breaks down many stains and evaporates without leaving a residue.
• Mineral Spirits (from the hardware store) Use for exceptionally greasy stains like tar.  Air clothes after using.
• Glycerin (from the drug store) is particularly good for ballpoint ink.
• Bleaches - Lots of people gasp when I say "bleach."  But actually, bleaches come in a variety of commonly accepted forms.  Use the following mild bleaches wisely to remove the color left behind by stains:
• lemon juice
• white vinegar (mixed 1:1 with water
• 2% or 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
• Ammonia (2 parts water to 1 part ammonia) Note:  Do not use on wool or silk.
• Chlorine bleach (e.g. Clorox) diluted with water should only be used as a last resort because it almost always alters the dye of the fabric as well as the stain.
• Method:  Use a cotton swab to dab the bleach, or place a paper towel under the fabric.  Use an eyedropper to flush the area with the proper bleach.
• One last note about chlorine bleach:  Bleach is bleach is bleach regardless of the branding.  Fragrance is the only difference between bleaches on the shelf at the supermarket.

Fabric First Aid Cheat Sheet

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