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Remove spills and blemishes from clothes and upholstery by stocking these helpful stain-removing products.
Keep these items in your laundry area to combat stains and marks on clothing and linens as they happen.
Credit:BHG / Mira Norian
Here are some of the best stain-removal products you should always have in your laundry arsenal.
BHG / Mira Norian
1.
Always check clothing labels for directions on the use of bleach.
Be sure to usecolor-safe bleach($8,Target) on anything that isn’t white.
They’re sometimes used to lighten the color of a garment before it’s redyed.
These products typically contain sodium hydrosulfite or sodium carbonate anhydrous.
Always work with transferstains or discolorationbefore drying orironingthe garment.
Heat typically sets the color.
These solvents come in sticks, gels, squeeze bottles, pump sprays, and aerosol sprays.
Warning
Common dry-cleaning fluids contain perchloroethylene or trichloroethylene and can be extremely flammable.
They should be usedonlyas directed.
Mild Dishwashing Detergent
Tohand-wash stained fabrics, turn to dishwashing liquid (not dishwasher liquid).
Some dishwashing liquids can help break up grease and separate it from the material.
For most fabrics, dilute theammoniawith an equal amount of water.
Non-sudsing ammonia can be used on wool and silk.
Ammonia and bleach combine to form an extremely toxic gas that can be deadly.
For latex paints:Treat the area while the stain is wet.
For oil-based paints:Treat the stain while it is wet.
Use apaint thinner($16,The Home Depot) recommended for the throw in of paint.
Petroleum-based solvents can be used as a pretreatment before laundering.
Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly is the beststain remover for clotheswhen water-based glues or adhesives are stuck to them.
Blotting petroleum jelly onto lipstick stains is also effective.
Prewash Spot Removers
Prewash spot removers are applied togarment stainsbeforelaundering.
These removers work in a variety of ways.
Cleaning agents or surfactantsloosen stainsand improve their ability to be carried away by water.
Enzymes work on protein stains, such asblood, to make them easier for laundry detergent to clean.
Other pretreatments turn stains more alkaline to be more easily cleaned, while pretreatment bleach improves whiteness.
Rust Removers
Rust is one of the most challengingstains to remove.
As with many other stains, it’s important not to let the stain set.
Don’t subject the fabric to adryeror other heat.
Most rust removers should only be used on white or colorfast fabrics.
White Vinegar
Ordinarywhite vinegar offers several solutionsfor stains in the laundry room.
Here are some handy recipes to keep on hand for fighting specific stain problems.
Soak the stained garment for an hour.
Soak the stain for 15-30 minutes, then rinse and launder as usual.
Urine stains on mattresses:Sponge the area with a mixture of water and detergent.
Rinse with a mixture of vinegar and water; let dry.
If an odor remains, sprinkle the area with baking soda and let stand for 24 hours.
After the mattress is dry,vacuumaway the baking soda.
