How to Get Rid of 5 Tough Stains
Featured by: Team Beach Body Coach Sarah Thawley
How much do you spend on clothing and services like dry cleaning every year? The average American spends $1,700. But, no matter what your budget is, it pays to know how to save money and prevent your favorites from getting an early retirement. Your clothing—especially anything you work out in—is constantly exposed to stains. In fact, a compelling argument could be made that a fulfilling, happy life is one that's especially stain prone. So pat yourself on the back, and get to work with these stain tips.
How much do you spend on clothing and services like dry cleaning every year? The average American spends $1,700. But, no matter what your budget is, it pays to know how to save money and prevent your favorites from getting an early retirement. Your clothing—especially anything you work out in—is constantly exposed to stains. In fact, a compelling argument could be made that a fulfilling, happy life is one that's especially stain prone. So pat yourself on the back, and get to work with these stain tips.
Offending Stain: Sweat
A summer wedding. Your office with a broken air conditioner. Falling asleep on the couch while catching up on Mad Men. Even stress-free moments can raise your body temperature enough to turn the armpits of your favorite button-down a not-so-sunny shade of yellow. Why does this happen? Because your antiperspirant's aluminum salts mixed with the urea and sodium in your sweat and caused the chemical reaction that dyes your shirt.
How to remove: Don't use regular bleach. It can actually make this stain worse. Instead, use oxygen bleach (such as OxiClean) as it can bust up those chemical bonds you accidentally formed.
Home remedy: Make your own organic bleach substitute with 1 cup water, ½ cup hydrogen peroxide, and ½ cup washing soda. Baking soda might do, as you're more likely to have it in your cupboard, but it does have a more acidic pH than washing soda. If you can't find washing soda, you can release some of baking soda's acidity by baking it on cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 400°F.
A summer wedding. Your office with a broken air conditioner. Falling asleep on the couch while catching up on Mad Men. Even stress-free moments can raise your body temperature enough to turn the armpits of your favorite button-down a not-so-sunny shade of yellow. Why does this happen? Because your antiperspirant's aluminum salts mixed with the urea and sodium in your sweat and caused the chemical reaction that dyes your shirt.
How to remove: Don't use regular bleach. It can actually make this stain worse. Instead, use oxygen bleach (such as OxiClean) as it can bust up those chemical bonds you accidentally formed.
Home remedy: Make your own organic bleach substitute with 1 cup water, ½ cup hydrogen peroxide, and ½ cup washing soda. Baking soda might do, as you're more likely to have it in your cupboard, but it does have a more acidic pH than washing soda. If you can't find washing soda, you can release some of baking soda's acidity by baking it on cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 400°F.
Offending Stain: Blood
It's not just the stuff of horror movies or dramatic accidents: maybe it was a dry day and your nose burst into histrionics, or you grabbed a file at the wrong angle. Or you were in a knockdown drag-out brawl with Macduff. Hey, these things happen.
How to remove: If it's a fresh bloodstain, hit it with cold water and soap as soon as possible. Because blood is organic, it requires enzymes to break it up, just like your saliva breaks down food. (In fact, in a pinch, some people swear by saliva to break down bloodstains.) That means petroleum-based "soaps" like dish detergents are out and true soaps like Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castille or Murphy's Oil Soap arein. If that doesn't do the trick, spray Zainz! on the stain and let it sit for at least ten minutes. After spot treating, wash as usual. It may take a few cycles to remove the stain, so be sure to inspect the area before drying, because a tumble dry cycle will lock in the stain.
It's not just the stuff of horror movies or dramatic accidents: maybe it was a dry day and your nose burst into histrionics, or you grabbed a file at the wrong angle. Or you were in a knockdown drag-out brawl with Macduff. Hey, these things happen.
How to remove: If it's a fresh bloodstain, hit it with cold water and soap as soon as possible. Because blood is organic, it requires enzymes to break it up, just like your saliva breaks down food. (In fact, in a pinch, some people swear by saliva to break down bloodstains.) That means petroleum-based "soaps" like dish detergents are out and true soaps like Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castille or Murphy's Oil Soap arein. If that doesn't do the trick, spray Zainz! on the stain and let it sit for at least ten minutes. After spot treating, wash as usual. It may take a few cycles to remove the stain, so be sure to inspect the area before drying, because a tumble dry cycle will lock in the stain.
Offending Stain: Grass
Sliding into home on a baseball field? Or did you just trip into your peonies? Either way, you've now got a grass stain.
How to remove: Grass stains can be difficult because the green pigment in plants' chlorophyll is trying to become one with the fibers of your clothing, which is known as a "dye stain." So while a hearty scrub is often required to get a stain out, never rub a grass stain, as it will only work the pigment deeper into the fibers. Begin by removing the bulk of the stain-causing agent. This can be done with a vacuum if you have a small enough attachment and a large amount of grass stain. For a smaller stain, blot with a wet cloth. After the bulk of the stain has been removed, blot with a sponge and rubbing alcohol then rinse with cool water. If the spot still hasn't released, massage a spot treatment (such as Mötsenböcker's Lift Off Stain Remover for Foods, Pets, & Beverage or Zout Triple Enzyme Formula) into the fabric, let it dry, and wash the garment normally.
Sliding into home on a baseball field? Or did you just trip into your peonies? Either way, you've now got a grass stain.
How to remove: Grass stains can be difficult because the green pigment in plants' chlorophyll is trying to become one with the fibers of your clothing, which is known as a "dye stain." So while a hearty scrub is often required to get a stain out, never rub a grass stain, as it will only work the pigment deeper into the fibers. Begin by removing the bulk of the stain-causing agent. This can be done with a vacuum if you have a small enough attachment and a large amount of grass stain. For a smaller stain, blot with a wet cloth. After the bulk of the stain has been removed, blot with a sponge and rubbing alcohol then rinse with cool water. If the spot still hasn't released, massage a spot treatment (such as Mötsenböcker's Lift Off Stain Remover for Foods, Pets, & Beverage or Zout Triple Enzyme Formula) into the fabric, let it dry, and wash the garment normally.Offending Stain: Mud
Getting caught in the rain is extremely romantic in the movies. In real life, it still has a tiny chance to be romantic, but it has a huge chance of causing muddy pant-legs.
How to remove: This is not the toughest kind of stain, as long as you allow it to dry first. Once the mud is dry, scrub away the bulk of it with a laundry brush or an old toothbrush. Then, soak the item in a mixture of warm water (but not hot!) and dish detergent and white distilled vinegar. Use one tablespoon of detergent or vinegar for each quart of water. If the stain is light, skip ahead to applying a spot treatment (such as Blue Dawn dish detergent) and then wash as usual.
Getting caught in the rain is extremely romantic in the movies. In real life, it still has a tiny chance to be romantic, but it has a huge chance of causing muddy pant-legs.
How to remove: This is not the toughest kind of stain, as long as you allow it to dry first. Once the mud is dry, scrub away the bulk of it with a laundry brush or an old toothbrush. Then, soak the item in a mixture of warm water (but not hot!) and dish detergent and white distilled vinegar. Use one tablespoon of detergent or vinegar for each quart of water. If the stain is light, skip ahead to applying a spot treatment (such as Blue Dawn dish detergent) and then wash as usual.
Offending Stain: Ink
If you've ever had a ballpoint pen explode in your pocket, then congratulations, you're versed in non-digital communication! But also, you have a fairly tough stain: the dreaded ink stain.
How to remove: Since the invention of hairspray, the urban legend is that it removes ink stains. And the truth is: sorta. Hairspray sometimes gets results with ink stains. It's more successful on synthetic fabrics like polyester than natural fabrics like cotton or wool. It's probably not worth buying exclusively for the stain alone, but if you have some around, give it a try with a hearty drench onto the stain and blot it up with a cloth. If that doesn't work, you may need a targeted ink remover such as Amodex Ink and Stain Remover, which utilizes lanolin to lift the stain. Use a laundry brush or old toothbrush to work it into the fibers before washing as usual. Is the stain still stuck after washing? Try soaking it overnight in one part white vinegar, two parts whole milk. Remove, let dry, and then wash as usual.
If you've ever had a ballpoint pen explode in your pocket, then congratulations, you're versed in non-digital communication! But also, you have a fairly tough stain: the dreaded ink stain.
How to remove: Since the invention of hairspray, the urban legend is that it removes ink stains. And the truth is: sorta. Hairspray sometimes gets results with ink stains. It's more successful on synthetic fabrics like polyester than natural fabrics like cotton or wool. It's probably not worth buying exclusively for the stain alone, but if you have some around, give it a try with a hearty drench onto the stain and blot it up with a cloth. If that doesn't work, you may need a targeted ink remover such as Amodex Ink and Stain Remover, which utilizes lanolin to lift the stain. Use a laundry brush or old toothbrush to work it into the fibers before washing as usual. Is the stain still stuck after washing? Try soaking it overnight in one part white vinegar, two parts whole milk. Remove, let dry, and then wash as usual.
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