– Remember many of  these recommendations work for other types of household stains

The first and most important action to remove a garment or carpet stain is to act fast and its vital to know what type of stains you’re dealing with before choosing the most appropriate pre-treatment and washing methods to use.

1. Sweat

As we know sweating is an essential function of the human body, containing an average of three million sweat glands, however this can cause bad odours on our clothes.

Sweat smell in our clothes are caused by butyric acid and that is what causes the smell to come back as the garment is ironed or worn again. To get rid of this, you can try vinegar and soda to remove sweat smell in your clothing and as a preventative measure as well.

  1. Baking Soda- Soak your garment in baking soda and water for minimum of an hour and then launder in the washing machine. Be careful with coloured laundry, silk and wool as soda can cause discolouration or damage the fabric.
  2. Vinegar- The smell of vinegar can at times be off putting, nevertheless, soak your sweaty clothes in a bucket of vinegar diluted with water before washing. Let it soak for at least an hour before washing in the machine.

To prevent the sweat smell from lingering, adopting some personal hygiene habits such as:

  • Shave your armpits frequently to reduce sweat build up and shower more regularly.
  • Wear an undershirt which will absorb the sweat from easily reaching your outer shirt.
  • Change out of gym clothes after work out as the material of activewear often clings to odour-causing bacteria.
  • Wash your clothes immediately after exercising to stop the bacteria from breeding.
  • Air-dry damp clothes, don’t leave damp clothes in your washing machine or basket as these breeds bacteria, making the sweat

smell worse.

  • Never re-wear your activewears

 

2. Ink

A solution, dye or pigment that is used for colouring a surface to produce an image or a text. To get ink out of your clothes or from your sofa, you need to act fast and immediately place a cloth or paper towel underneath the garment so it can soak up as much ink as possible.

  1. White vinegar is a great remover and can also get ink stains out of your clothing.
  2. Rubbing Alcohol- Using a clean cloth, dab the stain with rubbing alcohol, do not rub as this will make the stain penetrate deeper into
  3. the fabric. Continue blotting until the stain is completely removed, then spot treat with laundry detergent and wash as usual
  4. Baking Soda- Mix baking soda and water to form a paste, then using a cotton ball, gently apply the paste to the ink stain and dab lightly. After the stain has been lifted, simply wipe with a clean cloth or kitchen paper towel.
  5. Hairspray- Make sure to use an alcohol- based hairspray, lay the garment on a clean cloth, spray some hairspray onto the stain and it will slowly disappear, then you can wash. First complete a test to this method to ascertain that the hairspray does not create more stains on your garment.

 

3. Coffee

The good news is that coffee stains are not permanent. There are several ways you can get rid of coffee stain on your garment or even a spill on your carpet/furniture.

The number one tip to remove a stain is always to act quickly, letting the stain dry is counterproductive.

  1. Cold water – Start simple with cold water, sponge the area with a damp towel and blot it dry with a dry one. If you’ve acted quickly, this should remove the stain.
  2. Vinegar- Mix water and white vinegar together, dip a towel in this solution, scrub the stain gently until it disappears and don’t forget to launder as the vinegar smell may linger
  3. Washing detergent- Laundry Detergent or dishwashing detergent will do this trick, let this sit on the stain for a few minutes and rinse out as necessary.
  4. Baking Soda- Use water and baking soda to form a paste. Scrub gently on to your fabric or carpet until the stain is gone, then rinse with cold water.

 

4. Chewing Gum

(a) Rub the affected area with ice, then scrape with a butter knife or a scraper.

(b) For more delicate fabrics, try dabbing some rubbing alcohol on the area with a Q-tip, sponge or a cotton ball. Allow the alcohol to dry, then scrape the gum off with a butter knife or cuticle tool, you can then launder as desired.

(c) Vinegar: This all purpose and inexpensive liquid can also help with gum removal. Heat a quarter cup of the vinegar in the microwave. Dip the garment section in the warm vinegar, the scrap with a butter knife or a scraper, then wash as desired.

 

5. Grease

Firstly, make sure you check the label on the garment. If the instruction says dry clean, you’ll be best taking it to a professional cleaner. It’s never a good idea to use solutions that may damage delicate or specialty fabrics, such as silk, suede or velvet.

(a)Liquid dishwashing soap is very effective at removing grease on clothes, just like it does on your dishes. As a pre-treatment, apply a few drops of liquid dish soap to the stain and let it soak in, rub gently with your fingers or a clean piece of cloth to help work it in. Then launder as necessary.

(b) The aloe vera method- Always use 100% aloe vera as it works the best. The amino acids in aloe vera are very efficient at breaking up grease. Lay your garment flat and dampen the stain area with cold water, rub in the pure aloe vera gel for 2 minutes, then wash the item in cold water.

(c) Hairspray: Funny as it may sound, hairspray is functional at getting rid of dried grease stains. Grab a piece of cardboard and a can of hairspray, lay your garment out flat. Place the cardboard or towel underneath the stain and between the fabric (you don’t want the hairspray going through to the other side of your garment/clothing). Apply hairspray so the stain is damp, let it sit for 20-30mins, finally handwash or machine wash according to your fabric care instructions.

 

6. Lipstick

Lipstick Stain Removal

Lipstick can surely enhance our looks but can be frustrating when it transfers on to our clothes.

(a)Rubbing alcohol is notably effective at removing lipstick stains, since alcohol can break down oily and waxy stains.

To start with, scrape away excess lipstick with a blunt knife or dull edge, then dampen a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol. Gently rub the onto the stain and clean afterwards with cold water.

(b) Hairspray- Yes! Hairspray can remove dried-in grease stains due to its most active ingredient, which is alcohol. Therefore, if your apparel has already been washed and dried, but the stain is still visible; spray the hairspray onto the lipstick stain, allow it to sit for 15minutes. Take a clean piece of cloth, dip in warm water to wipe off the hairspray, wash the fabric as usual.

(c) Glycerin- This liquid solution is an ingredient used in soaps, moisturisers and sunscreens, etc. It can help with lipstick stain by loosening up the stain, thereby making it easier to remove.

To do this, apply a small amount of undiluted glycerin unto the stain, gently work the liquid into the fabric with a clean, damp cloth. Let it sit in for 30 minutes, then blot away the stain and rinse the affected area under cold running water.

(d)  Shaving cream- The soapy blueprint of shaving creams makes it a great solvent for lipstick removal. Apply a small bit of shaving foam onto the stain, just be a little careful not to scrub. Let it soak in for 30 minutes. Subsequently wipe off the stain with a clean, damp cloth and wash as usual.

To prevent stains from setting in, remember to soak the garment in cold water as soon as possible. If you’re not sure about the stain type, it’s better to use cold water. However, for oily stains, you’ll want to use warm water.

Except when it comes to pre-treatment, the good news is that most stain removal procedures are similar.

 

   References

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