Stain Removal Made Simple by Phil Cote

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OK, here it is everything you needed to know about stain removal but were afraid to ask.***

Most stains fall into one of three categories although they may also be a combination of more than one.

The first thing to consider is whether the staining agent contained water. If a stain went in wet, it will need some water to remove it. You might say, aren’t they all wet? No, greasy or oily type stains do not contain water and require a solvent to remove them or break down the stain so that it can be flushed away with water. This is where dry-cleaning began. Dry-cleaning is a process of removing a stain without water. Some materials do not do well in water and some colored dyes do not do well in water. This is why Dry-Cleaning was invented.

I will start with the stains that contain some oil or grease in them. These can include stains like spaghetti sauce, ice cream, salad dressing, etc.. These are all combination stains. The first line of attack should be with a degreaser which can be anything like Pine-Sol or Dawn dish detergent to the newer citrus based solvents. Work the solvent into the stain with your fingers or a soft brush. Once the oily part is loose you can treat the rest of the stain accordingly.

Most wet stains come from either plants or animals.

Stains from plants are acidic and need a little bit of acid in the cleaner such as white vinegar to help loosen them up. The stains in this category include; Tea, coffee, fruit juices, wine and soda. A mixture of a mild detergent such as a few drops of dish soap in half cup of water with a teaspoon or so of white vinegar will help you to remove these stains.

Stains from animals contain protein and are alkali. An excellent alkali to remove them is ammonia. A teaspoon of Ammonia with a little detergent in a half cup of water and some mechanical action, which means movement or rubbing, is necessary to break down the proteins which cause stubborn protein stains. Stains in this category include all bodily fluids and matter, eggs, fish slime etc.

The last step in removing most tough stains is bleaching. Although chlorine bleach is what most people think about when hearing the term “bleach”, chlorine bleach while being inexpensive and powerful can be dangerous to your garments and is harmful to the environment. A non-chlorine bleach such as Chlorox 2 or OxyClean will be safer and do a great job. Bleaching should be used to remove the last traces of a stain but not as the first defense. Bleaching changes the way a stain looks but does not necessarily remove the stain.

***This information is provided to help you better understand more about stains and how they are removed. This information is provided with a warning that stain removal may cause damage to your garments. This damage may include damage to fibers, appearance and colors. For special or delicate garment stain removal we recommend bringing or sending the garment to us. We know what we are doing and will remove your stains safely. Look here for a more detailed stain removal chart.