How To Remove Any Stain

We’ve all been there. Too enticed by that double-stacked juicy hamburger to be concerned with the repercussions of diving right in. Your taste buds may thank you but your newly purchased dress shirt that is now sporting a grease stain definitely won’t. Assuming the bib look won’t come into style anytime soon, it’s better to be prepared for what may happen. From red wine, grass stains and your girlfriend’s makeup, there are a few things you need to know about removing stains. Let’s get down to business.

Prevention

Water is your friend. Not only is it cheap (free) but it’s also the first step to treating any stain. The general rule of thumb is that the longer the stain remains the harder it is to remove. By soaking the garment in lukewarm water immediately after staining it will slow down the binding process. Be sure to completely saturate the fabric/stain and then either apply club soda or salt depending on the type of stain. If you’re at home go ahead with full treatment. If you’re out eating ribs at your favorite steak house, excuse yourself to the bathroom and bare the embarrassment of walking around with a watermark versus having to throw out that shirt.

Avoid applying pressure to the stain, both with water and detergent. Instead, gently dab into stain.

Types of detergents

The product-cleaning aisle in the supermarket is an overwhelming place. We’re here to help. Here’s the basic info you need to know to make an informed stain-removing decision.

Water: Did we mention water works like a charm? It’s also cheap, safe and effective.

Salt: Apply to top of wetted stain to lift particles. Perfect for armpit, red wine and blood stains.

Vinegar/Lemon Juice: Acidic cleaners are good for most fabrics besides wool. Mix with lukewarm water and use for coffee, grass, and glue stains.

Detergent: Either dish or laundry, detergent is effective for more heavy duty stains like gravy, burger juice and chocolate smears. Soak garment in warm water with detergent for 20-30 minutes and then wash.

Oxidizing bleaches: Most common one you’ll find is hydrogen peroxide which should be diluted with water as it will damage most materials. This is a good solution for colour stains like makeup or grass.

Glycerin: This product will help draw stains out of fabric. Mix with detergent and water and let sit for 15-20 minutes for best results. Good for ink/dye stains.

Digestants/Enzyme Cleaners: Use these for natural organic stains like egg yolk, pet urine, blood and sweat. Will also treat odor. Not suitable for wool/silk.

Fabric Breakdown

Cotton: Soak in water, throw in the washing machine and if stain is still visible after washing use a diluted solution of bleach as a last resort. Detergents and light acids like lemon juice and vinegar will work best.

Wool: This is a very heat sensitive material so make sure to use lukewarm or cold water when you first treat it. Avoid all bleach and acidic solutions, as they will permanently damage the fabric. Treat with water, wool-safe detergent and get to a dry cleaner ASAP.

Synthetics: Use a standard laundry or dish detergent for this fabric.

Silk: Treat with water but make sure to soak the entire garment to avoid water spotting, which will look almost as bad as a food stain. Apply a glycerin stain remover to silk garments.

Tip: test out a patch of fabric that isn’t easily visible before treating the stain to ensure you won’t damage or discolour the entire fabric.

How-To Apply

• Saturate stain with water
• Dab/soak indirectly. Don’t scrub! That will only encourage the particles to bond with the fabric fibers.
• Apply salt or absorbent to top of stain
• Apply solvent to the backside of the garment, underneath the stain.
• Lay garment face down on a paper towel to allow the solvent to sink in completely. Wait about 20 minutes before checking on it; you don’t want the solvent to dry and stain the garment further
• Put in the washing machine or take to dry cleaner for final stain removal