Stains on your clothes suck. Red wine stains on your white blazer, grass stains on your jeans, oil stains on your silk scarf: you’re never sure if they’ll come off.
Read on for a few hacks to banish stains. But, remember, the earlier you work on removing them, the easier it is. The best part is that you can do all of this with stuff that’s lying around your place.
1. Coffee stains
You thank your coffee in the mornings until you spill it on your white blouse or shirt when somebody bumps into you or while you’re driving over a speed bump. To remove the stain, run the coffee-stained item under cold water immediately and then soak it in cold water for a few hours. Sponge it gently with liquid detergent and soak it again. Once this mini-operation is done, the machine washes the item.
2. Red wine stains
The easiest way to remove red wine stains is with white wine! If only you knew before you read this article… Pour the white wine on the red wine stain, rub it in and then wash it normally. If you don’t have white wine, flush the red wine stain with water, rub it with salt and let salt particles soak up the wine, removing the stain for good. Launder it as usual.
3. Ketchup stains
Love the juicy burger, hate the sauce that drips from the wrapper even after you’ve taken all measures to avoid it staining your outfit? Run cold water through the stain from the backside. This forces it out of the clothing. Then, gently rub liquid detergent on it and soak the garment in cool water for 10 minutes. This weakens the stain and makes removing it a lot easier. Wash and air dry afterwards.
4. Oil Stains
This is one of the toughest and most difficult to get rid of as it tends to find its way into fabric fibres and as a result, becomes difficult to get rid off once it has stayed there for quite some time. So first, blot the spots with a tissue paper and then use a bit of liquid detergent on the stain. Launder it as quickly as possible after this step. A dry clean attempt is worth it, but the results are not guaranteed.
5. Grass stains
Soak the cloth in cold water as opposed to hot water as the latter can set the stain into the fabric. Rubbing alcohol works best on grass stains as it’ll help to dissolve the green pigment. If you don’t have any around, simply use a solution made of one part white vinegar to two parts water. Use a brush to work your way around the stained area. Rinse and launder it as usual.
6. Ink stains
Pens and ink stains can turn a victorious moment into an embarrassment. Use plain toothpaste and apply directly onto the stain. Let it sit for a few minutes and then place the affected area under running water and rub gently. Or sprinkle salt on the ink stain while it’s still wet and gently rub with a wet paper towel, then remove and brush off the salt. Repeat the steps until the stain has completely lifted.
7. Blood stains
These are quite tricky to remove but if dealt with earlier, are not impossible to get rid of. Treat the spot with white vinegar and let it soak for 10 minutes, then blot it well with a cloth. Repeat the step until it’s removed completely and set out to wash immediately. Another option is to soak the fabric in cold water with two tablespoons of table salt or ammonia for around 1 hour. You can then launder it as per the care label instructions.
