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Easy Do-It-Yourself Tips To Deal With Spots And Everyday Stains On Fabrics and Surfaces

If garments, fabrics are labeled “washable”, it may be possible to remove stains from them yourself. Note that some items that may appear to be washable, are not.

Silk, woolen, and tailored linen garments must usually be dry-cleaned.  When you take them into the cleaners, point out the stains and what they are from, if you know.
Leather, suede, and some items require specialty professional cleaning services not found at most dry-cleaners. If you are in the South Florida you can reach us at Suncoast All Fabric Care (305) 949 1445 – (954) 741 3363 or visit our website at  http://www.suncoastcancleanit.com

Without any formal training in stain removal on various fabrics, you may end up unsure if you’ll be able to remove it fully. However, having a few laundry and professional tricks up your sleeve can make the job of eliminating unsightly marks much easier, if attempted early. Magic Erasers made with melamine foam might be just what you need. How do these erasers get the stains out? And are they really magic?  Check out your local Walmart or Supermarket, seeing is believing.

Below are some general tips for removing stains as well as ways to get rid of some of the most common stains that pop up in households.

How to Proceed

Easy does it: No rough stuff, it is easy, very easy to damage sensitive fibers.  If you rub, agitate with force, fold, wring or squeeze, use very hot water, the stain will simply retreat deeper so always remember that easy does it when handling any fabric.

Always Pretest, Pretest, Pretest! Any cleaner, including plain water, should be pretested on an inconspicuous corner of the fabric before you use it for overall spot removal.

Work From The Edges Into Middle: This is the method always used by the experts, the professional drycleaners, because the stain will not spread or leave or ring.

Lipstick

Place item on a work area covered with a white towel.  Protect the surrounding area of the fabric with foil  by cutting a hole allowing just enough space to work on the affected area. With absorbent pad apply clear hair spray liquid to the lipstick stain. Tamp and dry with a clean towel.  Do not rub. Sponge with alcohol. Carefully, use Publix non chlorine bleach (never chlorine bleach) to remove final traces of stain.  Use a little white vingar in the final rinse.  Air dry.

 Nail Polish

Place stain face down on a white towel and apply polish remover to a sponge and gently apply to back of stain. Repeat every 5 minute interval until stain disappears.  Apply a little mild, liquid detergent (woollite) to residue and if fabric is strong enough tamp with a soft tooth brush.

 Shoe Polish

Apply with a sponge a dry cleaning solvent. Then rub a prewash stain remover on affected area(s).  Allow to dwell for an hour.   Launder using Publix non chlorine bleach.

 Paint

Pretreat with a solvent recommended on the paint container.  If the container or label is not available, use mineral spirits from a local hardware store.  Then rub a prewash stain remover on affected area(s).  Allow to dwell for an hour.   Launder using Publix non chlorine bleach.

Rust

Apply a rust stain remover product available in many supermarkets.  Following manufacturers’ instructions.  Rinse and launder using a phosphate detergent or oxygen bleach.

Red Wine

There are some stains you hardly have to worry about right away and then there are those that need to be taken care of right away. Red wine stains would be in the latter category. From painstakingly washing the fabric by hand to simply tossing it into the washing machine, effective methods are available for getting rid of those dreadful red wine stains.

Place a dry towel or washcloth between the front and back of the garment if the stain has not penetrated through to the back of the fabric. This will prevent staining on the back of the material.

Sprinkle a little salt and wait for 5 minutes.  While you combine 1 teaspoon laundry soap or pretreatment (or dish soap, like Dawn) and 1 cup hydrogen peroxide in a small bowl. Soak a clean sponge in the mixture, squeeze it halfway dry, then gently blot the stain. Wash gently in the sink in cool water and air dry if the fabric is machine-washable.

Catsup or Ketchup

1. Mix one teaspoon of a neutral detergent (a mild detergent containing no alkalies or bleaches) with a cup of luke-warm water. Blot. 2. Mix one tablespoon of household ammonia with a half-cup of water. Blot. 3. Repeat step one. 4. Sponge with clean water. Blot.

 Coffee Stains

Ev­eryone has had their slippery experiences with scalding coffee. And they can leave scars: the type that need to be removed. Here’s how you can remove all traces of coffee spills.

1. Mix one teaspoon of a neutral detergent (a mild detergent containing no alkalies or bleaches) with a cup of luke-warm water. Blot. 2. Mix one-third cup of white household vinegar with 2/3 cup of water. Blot. 3. Sponge with clean water. Blot.

Blood

Blood stains are permanent once they completely dry or set. Removing them before the item is washed and dried is essential. This is an incredibly simple and easy method that requires no fancy stain removers!

1. Using only COLD water dampen the stain.
2. Rub salt into the area and let dwell, keep moist all the time (fold the stain in on its self and rub the fabric together to save time and effort).
3. When the blood is nearly gone just throw the garment in a normal wash. If not,

1. Fill a bowl with Hydrogen Peroxide.
2. Put the clothing with the stain into the Hydrogen Peroxide.
3. Let it sit for 15-30 minutes.
4. Remove the stained clothing from the Hydrogen Peroxide.
5. Rinse it in cool water. If the blood stain is severe do this:
6. Resolve Carpet Cleaner sprayed generously, preferrably totally saturated) on the bloody area before throwing it into the washing machine with detergent and cold water. This should remove the most impossible looking blood stain. The quicker this method is done, the better (best before it dries). However, if you can’t get the Resolve on immediately, you can use cold water to make the blood stain damp.

 Any questions or assistance required you are cordially invited to email us at suncoastcleanrs@comcast.net  Hoping the above information was useful to you.

About the Author

Object Lessons for a Year $7.9 Each lesson in this new release commands the attention of children while at the same time communicating a significant truth of Christian faith. All are pretested, having been used effectively in both television and worship service settings.