Out Spot Out!

Image from 7 Stubborn stains and how to remove them

Solving one issue of why people prefer not to purchase used clothes and other messy moments. 


How to clean your clothes and remove those stubborn stains.  

You’ve just got back from the local clothing swap and you scored this great shirt for all of those business interviews. Only to discover there’s a weird stain on it. Before you despair, here are some ways to take out the stains from clothing.

The first thing you need to do is to check and see what fiber content your garment is made up of. This is usually listed on a small tag on the inside of your garment. For example, you may see that the new t-shirt you picked up is made up of 100% cotton. This is important to do, as every fabric has its own characteristics which come from how the fabric was made.

Next, hazard a guess as to what the stain is. The better you are able to guess the cause of the stain the better you chances are to remove it. Some of the most common reasons as to the cause of stains may be: make up, food, etc.

Since there are so many different types of fabric, and causes for stains, we’ll concentrate on the cotton and polyester fabrics and the top two reasons for stains: make-up, and food.
Polyester-
Polyester fibers are durable and tough however, they tend to attract oil stains. These oil stains are easily removed when treated immediately. Keep in mind that heat will help set these stains and will make them almost impossible to remove. Use a pretreater and then wash the garment with a heavy duty detergent in warm water.
Cotton-
With cottons, the number one method of taking out stains that usually immediately comes to mind is bleach. However, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) bleach can cause sore throats, coughs, wheezing, shortness of breath, and fluid in the lungs. Some alternative solutions to remove stains are: lemon juice, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, oxygen, borax, sodium hydrosulfite (salt & water), and washing soda. Keep in mind that these should not be combined when treating stains.

Every piece of fabric was created differently. Therefore, you should first read the care instructions left on the hang tags and then test these suggestions on a small hidden piece of fabric before  you commit to tackling the root of the problem head on.

Sometimes there is a lot of trial and error, but ultimately the home solution can be infinitely cheaper the purchasing a new garment or a trip to the dry cleaners.

Share your own stain war stories below in the comments section:

References: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry