Removing Stains
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March 2007
I got a smudge of diaper ointment on my (of course!) black pants
as I was (of course!) heading out the door to work. I wiped it
off with a damp washcloth to remove the majority of it, but it
was visible throughout the day. (I sat with my legs crossed a lot.)
The pants are washable, so that night I ran them through a
regular load of laundry. It had no impact on the mark.
Any suggestions before I pay for drycleaning (which may not work
anyway)? The pants are 63% polyester, 33% rayon, 4% spandex.
The diaper ointment is Burt's Bees/Baby Bee.
Many thanks!
Claire
I saw something on TV about taking out greasy stains using waterless
handcleaner - the kind mechanics use to clean up after working on cars.
You might test it on the inside bottom hem first.
anon
A product called 'Goop' is incredibly effective in getting all sorts of
oil stains out of
clothing: http://www.goophandcleaner.com/ . I think they carry it at
Home Depot.
Unfortunately, if you've already put the pants through a laundry cycle
using warm water or a dryer, then you may have set the stain. Still,
it's worth a try or to have it on hand for future use. Good Luck!
Karen
try liquid castile soap (dr. bronners). it really cuts grease well, it
got melted chapstick (went into the dryer...) out of a rayon dress. pour
on a little, then hold the fabric in your 2 hands with your thumbs on
either side of the stain, and agitate it back and forth by sliding your
thumbs along side each other.
rinse under the tap and try again. you can also agitate while rinsing.
loves laundry
Sounds like a ''grease'' stain. Here's my miracle cure, provided by the
folks who make chapstick. It works on other ''grease''
stains as well. Go to an auto supply store and buy something called
''Goop''. Rub the Goop on the stain. Generously. Get it into the fibers
and let it pill up a top a bit. Leave it that way for several hours or a
day. Then take Wisk and rub the Wisk into the stained area. Let that sit
an hour. Then wash as normal. Works for me everytime time!!!
Too many chapsticks thru the wash!
Here is my little miracle recipe to remove pretty much every stain
(incl. grass, mold, blood, etc.):
Spray the stain with a stain remover (any brand will do) and let it sit
for 5 minutes, or so. I put the clothing in the washer and turn on a
small load (on either warm or hot).
Sometimes I accumulate several articles of stained clothing and throw
them all into the same load (don't mix whites with colors, though). Then
I add 4 scoops of Oxy clean to the load and let the washer agitate for a
few minutes. Then I stop the washer and let the load soak for 24 hours.
That will get rid of pretty much every stain that you may have. Good
luck!!!
JOJ
I've found that baby wipes work really well on stains - surprisingly
well. An artist friend once got yellow oil paint out of her new rug
using baby wipes. Seems like diaper ointment would be a "natural" for
wipes, too. I've also had great luck with oxyclean and Tide. Soak in
warm water (Oxy needs warm water to "activate" it, I think.) Be gentle,
and patient - soak repeatedly in fresh applications.
Fran
Go to Poppy Fabrics at College and 51st Streets in Oakland (well, call
first) and buy a 1.7 fl oz squeeze bottle of Carbona Stain Devils: Rust.
This is one of a series of stain removers, all specific to a particular
stain, and my experience says they work. Made in Germany, god knows
what's in it, so keep it away from the kids, but hey, if it works, it works.
When I bought it, it cost $1.65. Works on fabrics, tiles, and baths.
The other cleaning miracle I've discovered in the past 12 years is
coconut oil soap. It was the only thing I could find to take poster paint
stains out of my daughter's dresses.
Aug 2003
Does anyone know of a magic trick for getting out those
yellowish milk-spit stains from baby clothes? We are
expecting our second child soon, and despite the fact that I
washed everything thoroughly before I packed it away two
years ago, a few things have mysteriously developed that
pale yellow stain. It'd be nice to at least pretend that the
new baby is getting lovely new clothes!
I got the hand-me-down blues
ZOUT! is the best stain remover known to woman kind.
Gets out ANYTHING, blood, wine, those brown spit stains,
banana, avocado, eegad - I've relied on it for 20 years.
Sometimes out of stock, but usually available at Walgreens
Longs or Safeway, in a blue/purple labelled plastic bottle.
Linda
... tips on getting out all kinds of stains?
Yes... "Hints from Heloise" heather
I've never had chocolate stains -- however, Citrasolv works very well on
oily stains. We use it diluted in 4 parts water for greasy cleanups.
Slosh some on the stain, and put it in the laundry as usual an hour
later. You can buy Citrasolv at health-food stores; it's made from
citrus-peel oil so at least it *smells* nontoxic. It's expensive by the
pint so we order the gallon size (still not cheap).
I once found a great website on stain removal -- I think I typed
"clothing stain removal" into the search engine. It explained (too
late!) that bleach worsens rust stains. Kathleen
Consumer Reports Books publishes "How to Clean Practically Anything".
It's a wonderful household resource. Chocolate, according to this book,
is best removed with detergent after having scraped off any excess.
Ammonia is a second suggestion.
While I'm on the subject of household resources, another favorite of
mine is "Household Hints and Handy Tips" from Readers Digest. From
plumbing to first aid, this book always has what I'm looking for!
Regan
The best book on stain removal is Don Aslett's Stainbuster's Bible, The
complete Guide to Spot Removal. It deals with all kinds of stains and
all kinds of surfaces. For further information write to Don Aslett's
Cleaning Center
PO Box 39
Pocatello, ID 83204.
The phone is 208-232-6212
Paul
I have found "Quick N Brite" to be an amazing product to get out all
sorts of stains, including chocolate and blood (that had been washed and
dried a couple of times already!). It even got out the *permanent*
marker that my daughter drew onto the couch, with no damage to the
couch!!! You can buy in on-line, at the web-site "As Seen on TV" (not
sure of the exact address, but if you search for Quick N Brite or As
Seen On TV, you'll find it). It's amazing, non-toxic and environmentally
friendly. We are replacing pretty much all of our household cleaners
with it. Dawn
From: Diana
A few years ago when I subscibed to Consumer reports, they sent me
two freebie books, one of which was titled "How To Clean Practically
Anything". It has a pretty good section on stains. For chocolate, it
says: Supplies - Absorbent, digestant, oil solvent
Washables - Apply absorbent then oil solvent; use digestant for any
remaining stain.
Nonwashables - Dry clean.
(Absorbent=any dry powder that will soak up excess liquid associated
with the stain. ie: cornstarch or talcum powder. Use only enough to
soak up the liquid. Oil solvent=liquid products described as "dry
cleaning" solvents. Apply as directed in a well ventilated space,
preferably outdoors. Available on most hardware stores. AVOID products
containing perchlorethylene, which is considered quite hazardous.
Digestant=an enzyme available in pure form (ie: pepsin or amylase) or as
a component in some laundry products. Keep the
treated area moist and allow at least a half hour before laundering or
rinsing. CAUTION: not for use on wool or silk.)
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