Top Tips for Emergency Stain Removal

If you’re anything like us, the first thing you think about before buying a silk blouse, new suit, or perfect dress, is what are you going to do if you stain it? Professional dry cleaning can remove most tough stains that wind up on your favourite clothes, but it helps to attack the problem right at the point of impact. Next time you have the misfortune of wearing white to a spaghetti dinner party or rocking out a little too hard with your glass of red wine, follow these tips we gathered from How Stuff Works to help remove stains right when they happen and keep your favourite clothes looking as good as the day you bought them.

Emergency Spot Removal

Remember how your parents always grabbed the club soda when you came in from playing with your new school clothes covered in dirt? Well, they weren’t wrong. Club soda is like miracle stain remover and can help get out some of the nastiest stains if you apply it in time. To remove stains with club soda, apply the club soda directly to the stain using a clean, damp cloth. Rub the stain until it disappears. Launder as usual once you get home.

If your mishap happens to occur near a washer (and the garment isn’t dry clean only), you can also combine lemon juice and tartar sauce, rubbing the mixture into the stain until it disappears and then laundering as usual.

Grass Stains

For anyone involved in sports or who has kids, you know exactly how deadly grass stains can be. A great way to help loosen grass stains and increase the likelihood they’ll come out is to grab a toothbrush and toothpaste (very important that it is paste and not the gel kind). Place the toothpaste on the toothbrush with some water (exactly as if you were going to brush your teeth) and rub until the stain comes out. Repeat as needed until the stain is fully removed and then rinse the area and clean your clothes as per usual.

Body Oil Stains

From pillowcase stains to nasty underarm stains, our natural body oils can wreak havoc on our clothes. Removing body oil from your clothes is very similar to removing it from your hair – use shampoo. Pour shampoo on the stain, rub it in, rinse, and launder as per usual. Your favourite white T-shirt and any other items stained by body oil will come out fresh and clean.

Red Wine Stains

We’ve all been there – the dreaded red wine stain. The worst part is, this type of stain typically occurs when you’re out for the evening and dressed in your finest clothes. Not to worry, there is an emergency fix for red wine stains. If the stain is fresh, soak it immediately in baking soda and then stretch the fabric over a boiling pot or kettle, pouring the boiling water through the garment to remove the stain. Alternatively, you can sprinkle some salt on the stain, soaking it up. After the salt has thoroughly soaked up the stain, rinse in cold water and launder garment.

If you can’t attack the stain until you get home, try this method. First, soak the stained area in water and create a pouch-like area enveloping the stain. Second, fill the pouch with cream of tartar and tie off the ends, sealing the cream of tartar in the pouch. Third, allow the garment to soak and then dip it in and out of hot water several times. After completing this process, launder the garment as usual.

When In Doubt, Call the Professionals

Don’t give up on your favourite clothes because of a stubborn stain – trust your most precious garments to the experts at Simply Laundry. We specialize in treating all types of dry cleaning emergencies from tough, set-in stains to the most delicate of fabrics. The best part is, with Simply Laundry, you don’t have to lift a finger – we will pick up, launder, and deliver your dry cleaning and laundry in Toronto so that you can have a closet full of new-looking clothes and tons of free time to enjoy in them. Also all our cleaning is done in an eco-friendly manner.