Cleaning Ideas
"Knowing How to Identify and Eliminate Spots"
Coin Laundry News - September 2011 - White Star Laundry Inc. Publishing
BEVERAGES (Coffee, Soda, Wine, etc.)
Sponge or soak in cold water (remember hot water sets a stain). After the stain is soaked sufficiently, apply a detergent paste or pre-spotter to any of the stain remaining. Wash in hot water, but not too hot. Remember there can be a fine line between damaging the fabric and laundering it. Use bleach, but only if it’s rated as safe for fabric.
BLOOD
Soak it in cold water for a minimum of 30 minutes. If the stain is old and set-in, pre-treat or soak in warm water using an enzyme detergent. Launder in hottest water possible without damaging the fabric. If stain is still visible after laundering, soak again in warm water with presoak product. Rewash using fabric-safe bleach.
KETCHUP
Scrape off excess gunk with a dull knife. Soak in cold water for a minimum of 30 minutes. Pre-treat affected area with a pre-spotter. Wash garment in hot water with fabric-safe bleach.
CHOCOLATE/COCOA
Soak it in cold water with an enzyme detergent, and then launder in hot water. Is stain is not fully removed, rewash using fabric-safe bleach.
COSMETICS (Lipstick, Mascara, etc.)
Pre-treat stain with pre-spotter or dampen and rub with bar soap. Launder as usual with fabric-safe bleach. If needed, dampen the stain and rub with bar soap. Rinse, then rewash.
JUICE FRUIT
Soak in cold water. Pre-treat stain and wash with fabric-safe bleach.
GLUE/ADHESIVES/GUM
Apply ice or very cold water to harden the affected area. This may prove more efficient to out the stained garment in a freezer to harden the stain. Scrape the stain carefully with a dull knife to remove excess. Saturate with a pre-spotter or cleaning fluid. Rinse. Launder. Some adhesives may need extra treatment with acetone.
GRASS
Pre-treat or soak in enzyme department. Launder using fabric-safe bleach. If stain persists, sponge with alcohol (dilute alcohol in two parts.
GREASE/OIL
Pre-treat with commercial pre-spotter or laundry detergent. Launder in hot-test water safe for fabric. If stain persists, place stain face down on paper towels and apply cleaning fluid to back of fabric. Allow fabric to dry, then rinse. Launder again in hot water. CAUTION – some inks may set in by laundering!! Try pre=treating the stain before laundering. Using alcohol or cleaning fluid, sponge the reverse side of the stain with the fabric face down on a towel. Rinse thoroughly. Another method is to place the stained area over the mouth of a jar or glass and hold fabric taut. Drip the cleaning fluid through the spot so the ink will drop into the container. Rinse. Some household cleaners such as 409® or Fantastik®, or even hairspray may also work as a pre-treatment. Once the stain is sufficiently removed, launder as usual.
MILDEW
Launder items in chlorine bleach, if safe for fabric. If chlorine bleach cannot be used, soak the item in oxygen bleach and hot water. Launder. If stain persists, sponge with hydrogen peroxide. Rinse thoroughly and launder again.
MUD/HEAVY SOIL
If the mud is dry, brush off as much as possible. Rinse in cold water. Pre-treat with detergent. If soil is very heavy or set-in, soak in regular or enzyme detergent and launder in hot water with appropriate bleach.
MUSTARD
Pre-treat with commercial spot remover and launder in as a hot water as is safe for the fabric, using chlorine or oxygen bleach.
NAIL POLISH
This can be really tough, so don’t count on removing this stain, especially if it has set for a few days. Gently apply acetone to the reverse side of the stain, placing the garment face down on a paper towel. Rinse garment face down on paper towel. Rinse garment thoroughly, then launder.
PAINT
If the paint is water-based, rinse in warm water and launder. If paint is already dried into the garment, it probably cannot be removed. If the paint is oil-based, use a paint solvent such as turpentine, but apply it on the reverse side of the stain. Rinse, and then pre-treat with pre-spotter or laundry detergent. Rinse again, and then launder.
PERSPIRATION
Use a pre-spotter or rub the area with bar soap. If discoloration has occurred form the perspiration, treat fresh stains with ammonia and older stains with white vinegar. Launder in hottest water that is safe for the fabric, using enzyme detergent or oxygen bleach.
SCORCH MARKS
If the fabric is actually damaged by the marks, the stain will not be removable. If the fabric is still intact, treat as you would the MILDEW solution mentioned earlier.
WAX (Candles, Crayons, etc.)
Scrape off excess with dull knife. Place stain between paper towels and press with warm iron OR spray both sides of fabric with WD-40®. Then place stain face down and treat remaining spot with pre-spotter or cleaning fluid. Blot with paper towels and let stand until dry. Launder in hot water with appropriate bleach. If an entire load of cloths has been marked with crayon, rewash in hot water using regular detergent and one cup of baking soda. If stain persists, rewash with bleach or soak in enzyme detergent and hot water, then launder.
"Knowing How to Identify and Eliminate Spots"
Coin Laundry News - September 2011 - White Star Laundry Inc. Publishing
BEVERAGES (Coffee, Soda, Wine, etc.)
Sponge or soak in cold water (remember hot water sets a stain). After the stain is soaked sufficiently, apply a detergent paste or pre-spotter to any of the stain remaining. Wash in hot water, but not too hot. Remember there can be a fine line between damaging the fabric and laundering it. Use bleach, but only if it’s rated as safe for fabric.
BLOOD
Soak it in cold water for a minimum of 30 minutes. If the stain is old and set-in, pre-treat or soak in warm water using an enzyme detergent. Launder in hottest water possible without damaging the fabric. If stain is still visible after laundering, soak again in warm water with presoak product. Rewash using fabric-safe bleach.
KETCHUP
Scrape off excess gunk with a dull knife. Soak in cold water for a minimum of 30 minutes. Pre-treat affected area with a pre-spotter. Wash garment in hot water with fabric-safe bleach.
CHOCOLATE/COCOA
Soak it in cold water with an enzyme detergent, and then launder in hot water. Is stain is not fully removed, rewash using fabric-safe bleach.
COSMETICS (Lipstick, Mascara, etc.)
Pre-treat stain with pre-spotter or dampen and rub with bar soap. Launder as usual with fabric-safe bleach. If needed, dampen the stain and rub with bar soap. Rinse, then rewash.
JUICE FRUIT
Soak in cold water. Pre-treat stain and wash with fabric-safe bleach.
GLUE/ADHESIVES/GUM
Apply ice or very cold water to harden the affected area. This may prove more efficient to out the stained garment in a freezer to harden the stain. Scrape the stain carefully with a dull knife to remove excess. Saturate with a pre-spotter or cleaning fluid. Rinse. Launder. Some adhesives may need extra treatment with acetone.
GRASS
Pre-treat or soak in enzyme department. Launder using fabric-safe bleach. If stain persists, sponge with alcohol (dilute alcohol in two parts.
GREASE/OIL
Pre-treat with commercial pre-spotter or laundry detergent. Launder in hot-test water safe for fabric. If stain persists, place stain face down on paper towels and apply cleaning fluid to back of fabric. Allow fabric to dry, then rinse. Launder again in hot water. CAUTION – some inks may set in by laundering!! Try pre=treating the stain before laundering. Using alcohol or cleaning fluid, sponge the reverse side of the stain with the fabric face down on a towel. Rinse thoroughly. Another method is to place the stained area over the mouth of a jar or glass and hold fabric taut. Drip the cleaning fluid through the spot so the ink will drop into the container. Rinse. Some household cleaners such as 409® or Fantastik®, or even hairspray may also work as a pre-treatment. Once the stain is sufficiently removed, launder as usual.
MILDEW
Launder items in chlorine bleach, if safe for fabric. If chlorine bleach cannot be used, soak the item in oxygen bleach and hot water. Launder. If stain persists, sponge with hydrogen peroxide. Rinse thoroughly and launder again.
MUD/HEAVY SOIL
If the mud is dry, brush off as much as possible. Rinse in cold water. Pre-treat with detergent. If soil is very heavy or set-in, soak in regular or enzyme detergent and launder in hot water with appropriate bleach.
MUSTARD
Pre-treat with commercial spot remover and launder in as a hot water as is safe for the fabric, using chlorine or oxygen bleach.
NAIL POLISH
This can be really tough, so don’t count on removing this stain, especially if it has set for a few days. Gently apply acetone to the reverse side of the stain, placing the garment face down on a paper towel. Rinse garment face down on paper towel. Rinse garment thoroughly, then launder.
PAINT
If the paint is water-based, rinse in warm water and launder. If paint is already dried into the garment, it probably cannot be removed. If the paint is oil-based, use a paint solvent such as turpentine, but apply it on the reverse side of the stain. Rinse, and then pre-treat with pre-spotter or laundry detergent. Rinse again, and then launder.
PERSPIRATION
Use a pre-spotter or rub the area with bar soap. If discoloration has occurred form the perspiration, treat fresh stains with ammonia and older stains with white vinegar. Launder in hottest water that is safe for the fabric, using enzyme detergent or oxygen bleach.
SCORCH MARKS
If the fabric is actually damaged by the marks, the stain will not be removable. If the fabric is still intact, treat as you would the MILDEW solution mentioned earlier.
WAX (Candles, Crayons, etc.)
Scrape off excess with dull knife. Place stain between paper towels and press with warm iron OR spray both sides of fabric with WD-40®. Then place stain face down and treat remaining spot with pre-spotter or cleaning fluid. Blot with paper towels and let stand until dry. Launder in hot water with appropriate bleach. If an entire load of cloths has been marked with crayon, rewash in hot water using regular detergent and one cup of baking soda. If stain persists, rewash with bleach or soak in enzyme detergent and hot water, then launder.
