Woman and Son Doing Laundry

Tackle the Toughest Stains

By Sitex Corp   /    Monday, March 23, 2015   /   , , , ,

Get ready to achieve the impossible. No, you won’t be able to fly (sorry) but even the toughest stains are no match for you, Laundry Hero.  SITEX knows stains, and we know you have to act fast to remove the toughest ones. These tough stains should be treated as soon as they happen for best results. The longer they’re allowed to sit, the harder they will be to remove. Another tip is to treat these stains before you attempt to wash and dry the garment. The heat of the dryer can cause the stain to set in even more, making it almost impossible to remove later. Now that we’ve laid the ground rules, you laundry champion, here are all the tools you need to remove the toughest stains.

Grease: For grease or oil, head into the kitchen, but don’t touch that sink! Trying to treat the stain with water will set it more, but dish detergent and cornstarch are absorbent all-stars. If you’re using dishwashing detergent, cover the grease spot with detergent, use a little cool water and scrub the area with a toothbrush to work the detergent into the stain. Let it sit for a few minutes, rinse off all the detergent, and launder as usual.

Using corn starch works as well for carpets as it does on clothing. You’ll just need to cover the area with cornstarch and let it sit out for a few hours or overnight. After that time throw out or vacuum up the starch, and wash the garment as usual.

Grass: A childhood staple, grass stains are stubborn reminders of the great outdoors. If it’s on your clothing, dab the stain with rubbing alcohol. Let the spot air dry, and rinse with cool water. Then, work a little laundry detergent into the spot, and let it dry again. Then wash according to instructions. With acidic materials like alcohol, lemon, or vinegar, always test it on a hidden spot to make sure it won’t further stain your clothing.

If the outdoors came in, staining your carpet, vacuum the area to remove any debris, and blog a damp white towel on the spot. Mix some laundry detergent and water into a loose paste and work it into the stain. Rinse with water and blot dry with paper towels. If there is still some staining, use the rubbing alcohol trick from above until the stain is completely gone.

Wine: Wine, especially red wine, is notorious for ruining pristine clothing and furniture just as the evening’s getting fun. If you’ve spilled some on clothing, blot as much of the excess liquid as you can. Combine 1 tbsp. dish soap, 1 tbsp. white vinegar and 2 cups of warm water, and sponge-blot it on the stain. Let it stand for a minute or two, and blot the stained area with a clean, dry towel until the stain is gone.

If wine is now soaking into your carpet, blot the excess with a towel. Pour a little bit of water on it and blot again. You need to make a paste of 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water and apply directly to the stained area. Allow that to dry, and vacuum up the powder. You should be able to remove whatever’s left with a regular carpet stain remover.

Sweat: As the weather heats up, perspiration stains can ruin your day. If you’re currently sweating, dry your armpits with a paper towel. It’s not pretty, but it’ll help protect the fabric. When you get home, treat the perspiration marks with a pre-wash stain remover, then wash your clothing in the hottest water recommended for the fabric. If your first instinct is to bleach out sweat stains (which can leave white fabrics yellow), try the regular stain remover first. Over-bleaching can also turn whites yellow, which is what we’re trying to prevent.

Blood: We’re not going to ask how it happened, but if you get blood on your clothing try to treat it as soon as possible. Lay the garment on a flat surface, and blot off as much as you can with a damp towel. Do not scrub it. Let the garment soak in cold water with some detergent, shampoo, or lemon juice. After soaking for a little while, let the garment set for an hour. Spray detergent directly to the stain, and agitate the spot to remove as much as possible. For older stains, follow the above steps and then soak the garment again overnight with detergent on the stain. If that doesn’t work, dab hydrogen peroxide directly on the spot. Allow the garment to air dry, then wash as usual.

Wax: Wax is tricky. Is it a solid? Liquid? Either way, rubbing furiously while it’s still drying is one way to make sure it’ll never come out of the fabric. Instead of scrubbing wax, you’ll want to freeze it and scrape it off. For garments and tablecloths, put the entire thing in the freezer, and break the frozen wax to pull it off. Launder the item as usual. For carpets or larger items, use ice cubes to freeze the wax, then scrape it up. You can use a little carpet cleaner to get the rest out.

Rust: Like wax, you won’t want to rub a rust stain. Rust is actually tiny particles, and scrubbing at it will push it further into the fabric fibers. Luckily, you have a few options with rust: a commercial rust remover that is fabric safe, a product containing surfactants (most detergents have this), or simply lemon and vinegar. A rust removal product will have instructions on the bottle. If you choose lemon or vinegar, the fabric will need to sit longer (about a day). Using lemon or vinegar, lay the garment flat and squeeze lemon juice/vinegar on the stain. Sprinkle salt on the lemon or vinegar and let it sit.  This should remove most of the stain, then you’re able to wash as usual.  While you have a few different options for removal absolutely do NOT try to remove these stains with chlorine bleach. Bleach will react with the rust, making the stain larger.

Now that you’re equipped with some tools, go forth and succeed, super laundry men and women, but remember SITEX is always here when you need to call for backup. We’re specially trained to handle all of your garment needs, and not even the most fearsome laundry piles and villainous stains can discourage us.