Now that I am spending my days outside digging in the dirt, I’ve noticed my clothes are taking a little bit more of a beating. And while it’s just dirt, glorious dirt, it reminds me of when The Girl and Monkey Boy were little–a day in the dirt meant a few more challenges in the laundry room.
So, in anticipation of us all spending A LOT of time outside in the next few months {can you tell I have cabin fever?}, here’s a few tips on getting out some of those tougher laundry stains:
- For grease stains, believe it or not, use chalk. Run plain old white chalkboard chalk across the grease stain and launder as usual.
- For butter or cooking oils, dawn liquid dishwashing soap works great as a pre-treater. Dab some on the stain, let it sit for 10 minutes and launder as usual.
- For pen or expo marker stains {expo markers used to be my nemesis on the kids’ clothes!}, use rubbing alcohol. Put a rag behind the stain, so it doesn’t soak through to the other side of the fabric and dump a little rubbing alcohol onto the spot. Blot stain out. Repeat until gone, and then launder as usual.
- For blood stains, use hydrogen peroxide {if your fabric is color fast}. If not, use an oxygenated bleach {i.e. oxyclean}. Pour either onto stain as soon as possible and add a little COLD water {hot water will cause the stain to set}. Repeat process until stain is gone.
- For mustard stains, rinse thoroughly with cold water to flush out as much as you can. Put glycerin on the stain and rub in gently with fingers or a soft brush. Allow glycerin to sit for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cool water and launder as usual.
- To remove crayon from clothing, wash as usual with laundry detergent, but also add 1 cup of baking soda to the cycle. If stain is still visible after washing, repeat with oxygenated bleach.
- For deodorant and sweat stains, apply distilled white vinegar to the garment. Allow to sit for an hour, launder as usual.
- For red wine stains, soak garment in cold water for about 1/2 hour. Then, use a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and dawn liquid dishwashing soap as a pre-treater. Allow mixture to sit for 15 minutes before laundering.
- For grass stains, soak garment in cold water in oxygenated bleach for about 1/2 hour and launder as usual.
- For strawberry stains, rinse thoroughly with cold water. Then, use rubbing alcohol. Blot out stain. Repeat until gone.
For ALL stains, make sure not to dry your clothes until you know the stain is completely gone–it will only help to set the stain. Also, depending on the fabric, you probably should test for color fastness when using rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. I figure the stain is going to ruin the clothes anyway if I don’t get it out, so color-fastness is not really a worry at that point.
How about you, do you have any great stain-removing secrets up your sleeve?
Got stains that I’ve missed? Check out Talking Dirty Laundry with the Queen of Clean. It’s a comprehensive stain removal guide to just about anything.
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Penelope says
Just a little story to share on the effectiveness of rubbing alcohol.
My sister in law called me in a panic one time. She was helping a bride prepare for her wedding and told me how someone in the family left a toddler alone with a red pen and the wedding dress. After I got over that fact, I told her to find 91% rubbing alcohol, as it works better, and to get a load of cotton swabs and prepare for a long sit. It took a while, but she was able to get every last bit out of the satin. It was late when she called me, so no dry cleaners available to help, and the wedding was the next day. Though I wasn’t there, she told me she and the bride were thrilled with the results.
Also, enzymes work well on grass and food stains. So I make a spray out of a detergent with enzymes as a stain spray. Saved lots of baby and kid clothes over the years.
Tessa says
I have found washing soda to be extremely successful in getting out all kinds of stains. It is found near the Borax in the laundry area. I put 1/4 to 1/2 cup in the drum of the washer (I have a front loader, and it works great in there!) and then proceed as normal. That stuff is like magic and works great with all the laundry detergents that I have used.
Michelle says
My boys never tell me right away when they get stuff on their clothes. I typically find it when sorting laundry. My go-to stain remover? Elbow grease and Fels Naptha soap.
I also make my own laundry soap, and clothes have been cleaner since I started doing that.
Jubilee says
For Stains on Polyester or other type fabric even set in stains use Aerosol Hairspray on the stain then let dry. Rub it and the stain will literally lift off in flakes. Works like a charm on many different stains but not on all fabrics. Worth a try though to see as it does not leave any stain. MUST BE Aerosol Hairspray.
Susan Reid says
Shannon Lush is the “Queen of Stain Removal” in Australia. I have a few of her books that are excellent. http://shannonlush.com/
Jen says
So, this isn’t really earth friendly, but my “nothing has worked, what do I have to lose” stain remover is 409. I figure if I’m not going to wear it because of a stain, even if the 409 ruins it, I’m no worse off. And it usually doesn’t. I’ve only had one bad experience. I had a yellow cotton shirt that stained because of it, but that’s it. I’ve even used it on silk. I just spray it on and work it in. Then wash as you normally would. Sometimes you have to spray it on, work it in, wash a couple of times.
For ink, I use hairspray. Aerosol or pump hairspray. I’ve used and had great results with both.
And for working anything into a stain, I use a nail brush. I keep one specifically with my laundry supplies. Works really well, and the bristles are stiff enough to really brush it in, and they’re soft enough that they won’t damage the fabric.
Cynthia says
For blood I use shampoo, I keep a bottle that I got for free. Everything else I use Fels Naptha.
Mary says
I normally do not have to use extra stain removers, borax or washing soda added to my cheap laundry soap (dollar store specials, I never buy name brands anymore) are all I really need. I do have food stains, dirt, car grease and oil stains but they wash out. Anything I think will not I wet and rub with Fels Naptha and woosh with the washer and it is gone. Vinegar with the rinse makes everything fresher too!
Laurel says
My sister-in-law said to use boiling water on fruit stains. Works like a charm. One time my son had to puke and he had just drank homemade grape juice. All the way to the bathroom there was carpet! I boiled water and soaked the grape juice stains in it and then soaked up the water. I have many other stains on my carpet but no grape juice stains! I have also used this to treat shirts that get fruit stains. You can see it disappear!
Stephanie says
Alright guys, I just ruined my FAV shirt. It has an iron on looking picture (of a baby, so your head is that of the baby, courtesy Evian). I spilled Red Wine on it, used Oxi Clean on it and everywhere I sprayed the Oxi Clean I got yellow. So, I used hydrogen peroxide and dish soap (as this combo was to get rid of yellowing from deodorant) and the whole SHIRT turned Yellow where I put this mixture. Can anyone help?? I’d like to salvage this shirt, it’s currently soaking in vinegar, we have really hard water where I am. Thanks!
Juli Swenson says
My favorite stain remover for grease/oil, food stains, and dirt is Goop hand cleaner. You can find it in the automotive section. It’s used by mechanics to get their hands clean. If that doesn’t work, Fels Naptha soap is my alternative. For blood it’s hydrogen peroxide.