You're sipping a glass of wine at Meetinghouse before meeting your friends for a night out and you spill some on your white shirt. Panic ensues. Don't worry, though — just about any stain can be removed from clothing. Just follow these three tips:
- Treat the stain right away. Don't let a stain soak into your clothes. Apply stain remover as soon as the spill occurs. Consider carrying a stain remover pen with you, especially if you're someone who spills often.
- Treat each stain differently. Some stains are easy to remove while others require a bit more work. Tea, ink, or coffee spots simply need to be treated by running cold water over the stain then washing the garment in hot. Protein stains such as blood or sweat should be treated with an alkaline stain-removal solution. Ketchup, lipstick, crayon and other stains require a combination of the above treatments.
- Handle delicates carefully. If you spill something on a delicate piece of clothing, rub the stain with a solution of equal parts lemon juice and salt. Use your finger or a soft cloth to loosen the stain gently without ruining the fabric. Then, let it dry in the sun.
Stain Removal Smarts [She Knows]
How to Remove Stains [Esquire]
Stain Removal Tricks and Shortcuts [Real Simple]
Stain Removal Chart [For Better Living]
