From gravy to mashed potatoes, grease, pie, wine, soda, you name it! So how do you best get out those stains? Janice Seyedin, co-owner of Lake City Cleaners (link: www.lakecitycleaners.com), joined us in our ABC7 studio to show us how to make home remedies for stain removal.
Home Remedy Recipes:
Beverage, fruit and grass stain
1 part White Vinegar
1 part Clear Dishwashing Liquid
1 part Water
Blood or sweat stains
4 parts (5oz.) Water
1 part (1oz.) Ammonia
1 part (1 oz.) Peroxide
1 part (1 oz.) Colorsafe Detergent
Oil (pizza, grease, gel and sauce)
1 part (2 tbsp) Clear Dishwashing Liquid
1 part (1 tbsp) White Vinegar
Fabric Identification
Many types of fabrics are not suited for home stain removal techniques, including rayon, silk, satin or velvet.
Color Fastness
- Some materials are top-dyed, some are vat-dyed; some dyes are water-soluble, and some dyes are solvent-soluble.
- If you try to remove a stain at home, always test for colorfastness before applying any stain removal agent. Blot a small amount of the agent on an inconspicuous area of the garment with white cloth. If any traces of the dye appear on that cloth, do not use the agent. It is not safe to use on the garment.
Stain Identification
- "Wet side" stains are water-based. Consequently, it takes some form of water to remove these stains. Examples of wet-side stains include stains from soft drinks, milk, ice cream, wine, coffee, tea, grass, most food stains.
- "Dry-Side" stain removal agents come in the form of powders or cleaning fluids and do not contain any water. The following stains would receive "dry-side" stain removal techniques: makeup, candlewax, ball point ink, salad oils.
General Stain Removal Tips
- The longer the stain remains on a garment, the harder it is to remove.
- Always use clean white terry cloths to help you absorb the stain. The first priority is to pick up any lose debris. For example, if a cookie is dropped and the fruit filling is on the carpet, try to remove as much of the debris as possible to avoid pushing it into the carpet more so.
- Never rub a stain. Remember that if you rub a stain you're are rubbing it in, not helping it to come out. Blotting is the best method for soaking up wet types of stains. Work from the outside area of the stain towards the center so that a ring will not form around the stained area.
- Place absorbent materials such as white towels or white paper towels under the stained area to absorb the stain and prevent it from spreading. Change the position of the absorbent material to provide a clean area beneath the stain as necessary.
