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Stain Removers – Clothes

Stains – Types and Precautions to avoid stains

Different types of fabrics exhibit varying affinities towards stain causing liquids depending on their chemical compositions. The key rule to remember while trying to remove a stain is that “like dissolves like”, which means that if you can identify the kind of stain; you can choose the appropriate stain remover. The stains largely fall under the category of grease, protein, dye, or tannin stains. Soak protein stains in cold water and then launder, these include eggs, milk etc. Avoid soaps and use detergents for tannin stains like beer, coffee, cologne etc. Oil based stains need to treated with detergents quickly and include stains from butter, automotive oil, hair oil etc.

A few do’s and don’ts to remember while tackling stains include things like

Always keep some blotting paper handy, if not then any cloth will do, it helps to quickly soak the excess liquid, any stain causing semi solid, like thick sauce should be removed using a spatula
Avoid using soap on a stain; soaps can set stains. Similarly, hot water can set protein stains as caused by eggs, milk and blood. Also, avoid ironing stained garments as heat can set the stains.
If the cloth needs to be dry-cleaned, take it to the drycleaner as soon as possible.

Fabrics made of synthetic fibers like nylon and polyester are stained with oils more quickly as compared to natural fabrics. Oil stains should be removes as soon as possible because once dried they are extremely difficult to remove and form an unsightly patch, especially on light colored fabrics. A good stain remover, specifically formulated to work on the greased spots is a good idea to remove grease stains from your delicate cottons and woolens.

Some stains need to be treated before a wash and it is important to check for stains before putting the garments for washing. Stain removers are also available in handy roll on sticks that help in topically treating the stain and are safe for all fabrics at all temperatures. The pre wash treatment either removes the stain totally or loosens the stain from the fibers of the fabric so that a normal wash is sufficient to remove the stain.

Stain removers are also available in concentrated sprays that are especially useful in dissolving tough ink, fruit stains and sweat stains. They are effective on all kinds of fabrics, synthetic and natural and safe as well.