SIMPLE STAIN REMOVING TIPS

There’s nothing worse than finding a stain on a favourite item of clothing, so we’ve rounded up some tips for getting them out.

INK

Ink is one of the dreaded stains that seem almost impossible to remove. If you know what you’re doing, it’s easy as 1-2-3, though.

1. Lay the garment out flat.
2. If the ink is water-based, it’s a cinch to remove – just rub normal stain remover into it and wash normally. If it’s not water-based, you’ll need to get the nail polish remover. Rub some on and watch it work wonders.
3. Launder the item normally.

BLOOD

It’s amazing how much a small cut can bleed and sometimes, it ends up, horror of horrors, on your clothes. It’s not that tricky to remove a blood stain, though. First, remove any clotted blood from the fabric with the back of a spoon or a knife. Next, wet the stain with cold water and rub some laundry detergent onto it with a cloth. Leave for ten minutes and the stain should disappear. Wash as usual and it will look as good as new with no sign of your accident.

GREASE AND OIL

Spending too many lunch breaks at your desk and have now spilt some grease or oil on your favourite shirt on top of it? Never fear! It’s possible to remove it, albeit a bit tricky. The first thing is not to spread it by rubbing at it with a serviette, which is often our first instinct. If the serviette is wet, it’s even more of a disaster – remember oil and water don’t mix so adding water to the equation is really not helpful. Absorbing the oil is your mission. Grab a cloth and blot or dab as much as the oil out of the fabric as you can, as quickly as you can. Then, when you get home, remove the garment and sprinkle some absorbent powder over the stain. Something like baking powder or talc works well. Leave it overnight and shake it off in the morning. If there is still a patch of grease, rub some ordinary laundry detergent, either liquid or powder mixed into a paste, onto the stain before you wash and leave it for about half an hour before washing it off with cold water. Then pop it into a cold wash as normal. Heat can set a grease stain, so avoid the tumble dryer if any stain remains and repeat the process.

SWEAT

Those ugly yellow sweat stains on the armpits are often a reason to ditch a favourite garment. These stains are actually not caused by sweat at all but by the reaction between aluminium- based antiperspirants and your perspiration and they’re entirely possible to remove, so don’t despair. If the item is white, the key is white vinegar. Cover the entire garment in white vinegar and let it soak for about an hour. Then use an old nailbrush or toothbrush to scrub the stains. Give it a cold wash and hang in the sun to dry and your shirt should be as good as new. For coloured items, soak in warm water and white vinegar. Rinse out the vinegar and then apply a paste of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and salt to the stain. Next, leave it to soak in warm water with hand washing powder and voila!