Care for clothes
- Policy on wash stains
There will be no exchange of items due to wash stains.
New garments are to be washed with only with clear water for the first wash, without detergent, and not to be soaked.
For subsequent washes, you can then use mild detergent.
Do not wash together with other clothings and soaking overnight in not advisable.
Stain Guide
There will be no exchange allowed for item stained on your part.
The following general procedures apply to nearly all stains.
Fresh stains are much easier to remove than old ones, so take care of stains promptly.
• Blot up any excess liquid with a clean white cloth, paper, or other towels.
• Remove excess solids by gentle scraping or chipping with a dull knife or metal spatula. With some solids such as heavy amounts of surface mud removal may be easier after the stain has dried. Excess can be brushed off before the clothing is submerged for washing.
• Avoid rubbing the stained area with a linty terry towel or a dark-colored cloth. You may complicate the problem.
• Never rub a fresh stain with bar soap. Soap sets many stains.
• If garment can be dry cleaned, take it to the cleaners as soon as possible (within 24 to 48 hours).
• Do not try to treat suede, leather, or fur. Professional cleaners are needed for these items, and even some professionals do not offer this service.
• Avoid using hot water on stains of unknown origin. Hot water can set protein stains such as milk, egg, or blood.
• Test the stain removal agent on a seam or hidden area of the garment to be sure it does not affect the color or finish of the fabric before starting on the stain.
• Avoid excessive rubbing unless fabric is tough and durable. Rubbing can spread the stain and damage the fiber, finish, or color.
• Never put a stained clothing item in the dryer. The heat will set the stain making it nearly impossible to remove.
• Never iron over a stain. You are setting it.
• Check laundry for stains before washing. Many stains need pretreatment.
• Wash heavily soiled items separately. During laundering soil is broken into smaller particles and can be re-deposited on cleaner clothing if insufficient detergent is used, water temperature is too, low, washing time too long, or washer is overloaded with too many clothes.
- Butter, Cream & Fatty Stains
Wash in warm sudsy water if a washable fabric. If not, sponge dry fabric with a grease solvent, e.g. laundry pre-soak (spot stain remover) or dry cleaning fluid.
On upholstery and carpets, use the absorbent powder treatment, followed by a shampoo with liquid detergent, such as a Carpet/Rug Shampoo, a good quality laundry liquid or Quilt/Wool Wash. Avoid wetting backing of carpet or fabric, or discoloration occurs.
Do not use grease solvents, e.g. dry cleaning fluid, on carpets or fabrics with rubberised backing.
On wallpaper, scrape off as much as possible, then use warm iron and absorbent paper. Treat remaining stain with paste of cornflour and a grease solvent. Allow to dry, brush off, and repeat if necessary.
- Candle Wax
Candle wax and chewing gum can be effectively removed by placing the object that has been stained into a freezer until the staining agent is quite hard, and brittle, then the material can be literally shattered off the object that has been stained, then treat any residue as follows:
place the stain between clean, white blotters and press with a warm iron, changing the blotter as it becomes soiled, then, sponge with dry cleaning fluid or a laundry pre-soak (spot stain remover).
In the case of coloured wax there may still be a colour stain, sponge with a liquid made by adding ½ c of methylated spirits (wood alcohol) to ½ c water.
- Chewing Gum
Scrape away as much as possible first. Rubbing the stain with ice will harden the gum and make this easier, especially on rugs and other heavy materials. Refer further under Candle Wax
If the material is washable, soak in kerosene and wash in hot soapy water. For unwashable articles, use dry cleaning fluid. Several applications may be necessary.
- Chocolate & Cocoa
First scrape off as much as possible with a dull knife. Hot soapy water will then remove fresh stains from washable articles. If a brown stain remains, soak in a solution of a diaper wash/sanitiser container sodium percarbonate followed by a good rinse in warm water.
For unwashable materials, sponge with dry cleaning fluid. Allow to dry. Repeat as necessary with a clean portion of pad beneath. If any mark remains, sponge with equal quantities of methylated spirits (wood alcohol) and household ammonia (test on colours first). Follow with warm water. A spray-on dry cleaner may be used.
- Cod Liver Oil
Fresh cod liver oil stains can be removed successfully, but old stains set by washing and ironing are almost impossible to remove, even with bleach. Wash very fresh stains in warm water and a good quality laundry liquid or any one of the concentrated Laundry Powders available, applying a little neat liquid detergent to the stain.
Stubborn stains on all fabrics respond to soaking in a diaper wash/sanitiser container sodium percarbonate. Wash as usual.
- Coffee & Tea
Remove fresh stains from cotton and linen materials by first rinsing in warm water then pouring boiling water from a height of 2 - 3 feet onto the stain. Follow by washing in soapy water. If a trace remains, bleach in the sun, or with a diaper wash/sanitiser container sodium percarbonate. Tea stains on cottons and linens can also be removed by soaking in borax and water (1 Tbsp. borax in 1 c of warm water).
Stains on wool and silk or any fabric may be sponged with lukewarm water, then apply glycerine, rubbing lightly between the hands. Let stand for half an hour. Rinse with warm water. If a grease spot remains from cream, sponge with dry cleaning fluid.
- Correction Fluid
Purchase some Spray & Wipe from your supermarket, and use concentrated on the stain. Most Spray & Wipe formula’s contain a solvent which will dissolve the liquid paper. OR Try a little gasoline on the stain, with some good absorbent paper or old cloth behind it. Then use some dishwash liquid or a good quality laundry liquid to wash out the gasoline. OR Purchase some xylene, or toluene, these are some of the solvents used in making the stuff. Use as if using the gasoline. These are stocked by gasoline companies and you may be able to request a small sample. Always test an inconspicuous piece of material before proceeding.
- Dyes & Running Colours
These are difficult to remove and no one treatment is successful in all cases. Immediate copious rinsing in tepid water, forcing the water through the stain, is sometimes effective.
Washing and sunning will gradually bring results in some cases. Equal parts of methylated spirits (wood alcohol) and ammonia may also succeed. White fabrics may be bleached. Use a chlorinated laundry bleach or a diaper wash/sanitiser container sodium percarbonate for linens and untreated cottons, hydrogen peroxide for silk, wool and delicate fabrics.
- INK
Ballpoint Pen Ink: First, saturate material with an alcohol-based hair spray (this seems to be a very popular method). The alcohol content in the hair spray will break up the ink. Be sure to place an absorbent paper towel or rag under the stain to catch the excess. You then need to blot the stain with a rag. Repeat the process until the stain is removed, then launder as usual. A word of caution before trying this method: some fabrics may be damaged by the hair spray solution. If in doubt, test on an inconspicuous area first, or consult with a professional dry cleaner.
Water Based Inks: Try an all-purpose cleaner instead of hair spray. Be sure to place an absorbent paper towel or rag under the stain to catch the excess. You then need to blot the stain with a rag. Repeat the process until the stain is removed, then launder as usual. A word of caution before trying this method: some fabrics may be damaged by the cleaning solution. If in doubt, test on an inconspicuous area first, or consult with a professional dry cleaner.
NOTE: If the stain is still wet, apply an absorbent - french chalk, talcum powder, starch or salt - to absorb excess ink and stop it from spreading. Continue this treatment, removing the discoloured powder and applying fresh, until there no further change is achieved. Alternatively, take up excess ink with blotting paper, pressing fresh patches of blotter into the stain until it no longer discolours. Then treat as required.
- Lipstick & Other Cosmetics e.g. eyeshadow, mascara, blusher
Washing with your usual laundry product may remove these stains. Pre treat the dry fabric stain with a laundry pre-soak (spot stain remover). On an unwashable fabric, first try dry cleaning fluid.
If stains are stubborn, sponge with equal quantities of methylated spirits (wood alcohol) and household ammonia. (Test on coloured fabrics first). If colour fades, reduce ammonia by half and test again. Rinse in warm water, or wash if possible.
Apply acetone or amyl acetate (polish removers), but take care with synthetic fibres, as both of these dissolve some type of rayons. Wash or sponge with your usual laundry product after treatment.
- Nail Polish
Apply acetone or amyl acetate (polish removers), but take care with synthetic fibres, as both of these dissolve some type of rayons. Wash or sponge with your usual laundry product after treatment.
Remove any remaining colour with a bleach, using a chlorinated laundry bleach for white cottons and linens. A diaper wash/sanitiser container sodium percarbonate for colours, and hydrogen peroxide for wool and silks
- Paint
Modern paints vary greatly in composition and it is not possible to give one treatment for all types. As a guide, use the solvent suggested on the paint tin label for thinning paint and cleaning brushes. Treat promptly, as set stains are very difficult to remove. If paint has dried, soften with glycerine before applying treatment.
For oil paint, enamels and alkyd type paints, scrape off as much as possible and soak remaining stain in turpentine, or kerosene. Then wash in usual way.
Latex or plastic water-base paints, e.g. Acrylic and P.V.A. will wash out easily with cold water when fresh. Remove any remaining stain with methylated spirits (wood alcohol) (test first to see that acetate fabrics are not affected). Once dry, these paints are virtually impossible to remove.
If you know of more ways to treat stubborn stains which are not listed, please share with the Girls Folio committee! Email us at girlsfolio@hotmail.com !